Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers (HCP)
A Requirement for Licensure
New Applications for Registration and Licensing
Effective May 1, 2025, new applicants for registration and licensing have been required to submit, with their application, evidence of certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers (HCP) obtained within the previous 12 months.
Licence Renewals
Effective January 1, 2026, registrants are required, at the time of license renewal, to provide evidence of their certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers (HCP) obtained within the previous 12 months.
This information was provided to all registrants and other stakeholders in March 2025 through the feedback process on the Standard of Practice for Dental Assisting (see section 8.5.2). It can also be found in Board Motion 2025-19 in Section 7.0 of the May 30, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes.
Why BLS HCP?
There has been an extremely wide variety in the quality of training registrants have been submitting for their CPR/BLS over recent years.
BLS HCP is structured specifically for healthcare providers…not the general public like other CPR courses.
It includes training in, at a minimum, all the following:
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- one and two-person rescuer chest compressions for adults, children and infants;
- one and two-person rescuer adult, child and infant bag-valve mask technique and rescue breathing;
- relief of choking in adults, children and infants; and
- use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) will also be accepted.
Other Requirements
Training must include an in-person physical demonstration and evaluation of the required skills (i.e., hands-on component).
Online training may be acceptable if there is an in-person hands-on skills assessment.
Training must be through a recognized/approved provider (e.g., Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, Heart and Stroke Foundation).
There are many individual instructors who provide private training and who issue certification through a recognized provider.
Why is there a 12-Month Requirement?
The requirement to have obtained BLS certification within the last 12 months reflects the importance of refreshing these life-saving skills which are very rarely, if ever, used in practice.
Do I need a full course or a recertification?
This will be determined by the instructor/provider depending on if/when you most recently received your BLS training.
Ambiguity in Course Titles
We recognize that there is still inconsistency in the titles of training courses in the CPR/BLS industry. This causes confusion for everyone.
The most common providers (St. John Ambulance, Red Cross, Heart and Stroke foundation) include either “BLS”, “healthcare providers”, or “HCP” in the courses which meet the requirements.
Whether or not a course title includes the wording above, the certification must include, at a minimum, instruction and practical experience related to:
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- one and two-person rescuer chest compressions for adults, children and infants;
- one and two-person rescuer adult, child and infant bag-valve mask technique and rescue breathing;
- relief of choking in adults, children and infants; and
- use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).
If a course goes beyond these minimum requirements, that’s a bonus.
Documentation for Applications for Initial Registration and Licence Renewal
If a document submitted for verification of BLS certification is not from one of the recognized providers and does not include BLS / healthcare professionals / HCP in the title, we will be asking the registrant to go back to the provider and obtain documentation that the skills in the bullets above were taught and practised in the training.
Providers
Below is a non-exhaustive list of providers offering BLS HCP in Nova Scotia. There are also many individuals who provide BLS HCP training privately. We will be happy to add their information to this page if they contact us and we vet their credentials.
BraveHeart (Kentville)
Chainlink Training Solutions Chainlinktrainingsolutions@gmail.com
Mandatory Course in the Management of Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office
The requirement for BLS HCP to be obtained in the 12 months prior to licence renewal should not be confused with the mandatory Medical Emergencies course.
The Medical Emergencies course is part of the requirements for Continuing Competence and is required once during every 3-year cycle.