December 2025 Instructor Newsletter
We haven’t sent out a Newsletter in a while as a lot of things have been going on. So, apologies in advance for the length of this newsletter.
Guidelines 2025
The 2025 Guidelines were released on October 22nd. Here’s a quick summary of the major changes:
New technique for choking relief – a combination of back blows and abdominal thrusts for adults and children.
New hand position for Infant CPR – using the 2-thumbs encircling hands technique or the heel of 1 hand. We are no longer teaching the 2-finger method.
Rapid Cycle Deliberative Practice for Healthcare Providers = Team Dynamics is now required for BLS Provider and BLS Renewal classes. This means you need to have enough participants, volunteers, or instructors to run the Team Dynamics activity. Please note: Team Dynamics is not required for Heartcode BLS Skills sessions.
Recommendations for training children younger than 12.
You can read a summary of the new Guidelines at this link:
https://cpr.heart.org/-/media/CPR-Files/2025-documents-for-cpr-heart-edits-posting/Resuscitation-Science/252500_Hghlghts_2025ECCGuidelines.pdf
All instructors who are primarily aligned with us have been sent a link to complete the online Instructor Update. This needs to be completed by 2/1/26. BLS Instructors will receive the new 2026 exams after they complete the Instructor Update Course.
All instructors will need to transition to the new 2025 Training Materials as of 2/28/26. We recommend you do so by 2/1/26. You can purchase your new Instructor Manual and videos at www.ShopCPR.heart.org or through our Training Portal.
Any unused 2020 course link or eCards in your inventory will auto-update to the 2025 version on 2/28/26.
Tips and reminders
All eCards need to be submitted within 20 days of a class. If we are issuing eCards to your students, please turn your rosters in within 5 days of your class. If you are issuing your own eCards please do so within that 20-day window.
Rosters need to be submitted to the Training Center in a timely manner. If we are audited by the AHA, we have 48 hours to produce rosters and any other documentation they request. If we have copies of your rosters, then we don’t have to chase you down for them. Rosters can be submitted through our Instructor Portal. Training Sites and Instructors who have a larger roster volume can submit their rosters through Dropbox or a similar system.
For blended learning classes, rosters must include each participants’ Course Completion Certificate from the online portion of the class. The roster is incomplete without them.
For BLS classroom courses – Participant exam scores are required on the roster. If you are using the JotForm in the Instructor Portal there is space for you to enter the participant’s exam score. If you are uploading a roster please either enter their exam score on the roster in the Complete/Incomplete column and/or include their exam sheets.
Please encourage your course participants to complete the survey when they claim their eCard. Feel free to remind them that 1 is poor and 5 is great and that the numbers to grade us are in numerical order.
If you are posting classes on a website or flyer, you must list the class for the correct length of time. I.e. Heartsaver CPR AED, covering Adult CPR AED is 1.5 hours. You cannot post this class as 1 hour long, you must post the full course agenda time.
If you use the AHA logo or seal on your website or on flyers, you must attribute the Training Center. We have made graphics with our information on them to make it easier for you to use, just ask for the image files. If you’re not sure how to attribute the Training Center, please take a look at the image in my email signature.
Wrapping up 2025
Please submit all of your end of year rosters no later than 1/20/2026. We will be starting on the 2025 statistics after January 20th and will need your roster and eCard data.
Update on Gail
I am thankful for all the kind words and prayers I have received from many of you. They have been very helpful. I am out of the hospital and now home but still working on my recovery. I am doing admin tasks but won’t be teaching for a while. I still have a long road of healing, medical procedures, and physical therapy in my future.
Please let me know if you have any questions!