Recognition by healthcare professionals

First Aid & CPR Quebec

In health care, maintaining high standards of care is essential to protect the public. That is why, for several professions, mastering CPR and first aid is a legal obligation, and for others a condition of practice. Here is what the rules expect for your role — and how recognized, up-to-date, documented training meets it.

Health professionals: continuing education and up-to-date skills

Health professionals are subject to strict continuing-education requirements under the Code des professions. The goal: to stay abreast of the latest clinical and technological advances and continually sharpen their skills to provide the best care. The activities you take must be directly relevant to your practice — you choose those that fit your needs.

The Code of ethics of nurses (RLRQ, c. I-8, r. 9) also requires professionals to keep their skills current and to be able to act in an emergency. The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) states that a nurse must be able to initiate resuscitation manoeuvres and come to another person's aid — a gesture expected of the profession.

These professions are also subject to a mandatory continuing-education standard: the OIIQ requires 20 hours per year, including at least 7 accredited hours, with records kept for 5 years; the OIIAQ requires 10 hours per 2-year cycle.

The requirement is met by any recognized continuing-education activity on an eligible topic. CPR/AED, ACLS (advanced cardiovascular life support) and PALS are among the eligible activities; other topics also qualify (for example safe prescribing, suicide prevention or violence prevention). A single course therefore both meets the obligation and counts toward your hours — provided you keep the proof.

Eligible courses offered in your region

How training becomes recognized

Not all activities are equal. For continuing education to be recognized by a professional order, it must meet specific criteria:

  • the instructor’s competence;
  • the relevance and quality of the content;
  • the training framework;
  • the quality of the material provided;
  • mechanisms to monitor and assess participation.

In Québec, these are the criteria the OIIAQ applies to recognize a continuing-education activity. Our training is designed to meet these criteria.

Rigorous online learning

Our training draws on the latest medical research and combines practical modules with a theoretical assessment. The resulting certification is credible and verifiable — presentable to your professional order and to your employer — and prepares you to excel in your practice.

Support and care staff: a certificate required to work

A CPR and first-aid course does not replace occupational training — it is added to it. To work with vulnerable people, a valid first-aid certificate is often required in addition to your professional training.

Québec regulation goes further for support staff. The Regulation respecting the certification of private seniors' residences (RLRQ, c. S-4.2, r. 0.01, s. 28 and Schedule IV) requires that at least one person holding a recognized first-aid and CPR certificate of at least 16 hours be present at all times, 24/7 — a standalone certificate, distinct from a diploma, to be obtained and then renewed. It is the credential your workplace requires (private seniors' residence, home care, intermediate resource), kept current and verifiable.

See the recognized training for this role

Attestation, certificate and invoice: proof your training is recognized

On successful completion, you receive:

  • an official attestation;
  • a certificate of completion;
  • a detailed invoice;
  • online access to your documents for as long as your certification remains valid.

These documents are the proof to present to your professional order to credit your hours, or to your employer to demonstrate your compliance.

For organizations: keep your team compliant

When the certificate is an employer requirement, the real challenge is tracking. Our organization system manages a team’s training: a certification dashboard, deadline tracking, automatic renewal reminders and proof archiving. An organization keeps its whole staff current without watching every date by hand.

Training aligned with the latest emergency-care standards

Our CPR, AED and first-aid training is developed in line with the most recent international guidelines for emergency cardiovascular care and first aid.

We rigorously follow the recommendations of ILCOR (International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation), the international body responsible for the scientific evaluation and development of global resuscitation standards. These recommendations serve as a reference for health organizations, institutions and professional orders worldwide — and are updated as scientific and clinical evidence evolves.

Keep your skills current with confidence

Every intervention can make a difference. Keeping CPR and emergency-care skills current is both a professional requirement and a responsibility toward patients, colleagues and the public.

See all health-care courses

References

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