American Red Cross Announces Abbreviated Training for Nurses and Nursing Students

American Red Cross
Wednesday, 1 May 2002

New program cuts Red Cross instructor certification time in half

A new training option offered by the American Red Cross will cut the time in half for registered nurses and nursing students to obtain certification as Red Cross health and safety instructors. With their health backgrounds, nurses make ideal instructors for the more than 12 million people the organization trains each year in first aid, CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Currently, more than 35,000 nurses support the Red Cross mission to help save lives as volunteers or employees.

Before the abbreviated program or "crossover training" as it is known, nursing professionals had to take instructor courses designed for the general public. The crossover training option recognizes the participants' knowledge base in anatomy, physiology and other health-related areas. This, coupled with the teaching component in nursing education and practice, meets the Red Cross criteria for professional educators.

"This is a win, win for everyone," says Nancy McKelvey, chief nurse, American Red Cross. "Nurses can begin volunteering faster; nursing students get valuable hands on training; and Red Cross chapters expand their instructor base with medical professionals. And most importantly, the community benefits each time another person learns these lifesaving skills."

Those eligible for the crossover instructor option include licensed registered nurses (RNs) and nursing students currently enrolled in a nursing program leading to licensure as a registered nurse who have completed one clinical rotation.

Persons interested in the abbreviated training option should contact their local Red Cross chapter or visit www.redcross.org for more information.

The American Red Cross is dedicated to saving lives, easing suffering and restoring hope at home and around the world. Currently operating on a budget of $2.7 billion, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 67,000 disasters nationwide and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. In 2001, the Red Cross also trained almost 12 million people in vital lifesaving skills, provided direct health services to nearly 2.6 million people and delivered more than 21 million locally relevant community services. The organization also assisted international disaster and conflict victims in close to 40 locations around the globe, and its emergency communication centers processed 1.2 million calls in support of U.S. military families.

For more information, or to contact American Red Cross, see their website at: www.redcross.org