CPR Training and BLS Certification in Sebastian: Does Your Job Require It?

Hospital Jobs in Sebastian

Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital

Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital is Sebastian’s primary acute care facility. The hospital has served the Treasure Coast for more than 50 years and joined the Orlando Health system in Fall 2024. The facility offers emergency care, heart and vascular services, orthopedics, bariatric surgery, and surgical services. It holds Joint Commission accreditation, Primary Stroke Center certification, and Bariatric Surgery Comprehensive Center accreditation from MBSAQIP.

A 2020 expansion added 48 private patient rooms, six fully operational OR suites, three procedure rooms, and new preoperative and postoperative patient bays.

BLS requirement: Orlando Health requires clinical staff to maintain “current BLS/HealthCare Provider certification.” Job postings for registered nurses, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, surgical technologists, patient care technicians, and medical assistants all list BLS as a requirement. Emergency department, ICU, and procedural roles typically require both BLS and ACLS.

Home Health and Hospice Jobs in Sebastian

Sebastian’s population includes a significant number of retirees who require home-based care. Multiple agencies serve the area, each requiring CPR certification for clinical staff.

Ability Home Care

Ability Home Care, Inc. has served Sebastian and Indian River County since 2009. The agency refers caregivers who “have completed training in medication assistance, privacy, domestic violence, abuse and neglect, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV/AIDS, patient rights and CPR.” Caregivers must also pass a Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal background check.

VITAS Healthcare

VITAS Healthcare provides hospice services to Sebastian through its Central Florida and Space Coast operations, including an office in Barefoot Bay. VITAS is a national leader in hospice care and has earned American Heart Association Palliative/Hospice Heart Failure certification.

BLS requirement: VITAS job postings for Home Health Aides require “current CNA license or HHA certificate with at least 40hrs training, CPR (American Heart or Red Cross approved class).”

Other Home Health Agencies

Home Care Partners of Florida, Home Instead, Right at Home, and Senior Nannies all hire CNAs and HHAs in the Sebastian area. The standard requirement across these agencies is “Current BLS CPR card (obtained in-person, not online).” Home health staff operate in isolated settings where they may be the only trained responder until EMS arrives.

Assisted Living and Memory Care Jobs in Sebastian

Sebastian has a concentration of assisted living communities serving the area’s senior population. These facilities employ caregivers, CNAs, LPNs, and RNs who require CPR training.

Pelican Landing Assisted Living and Memory Care

Pelican Landing is located near Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital and provides assisted living and specialized memory care for residents with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. The facility accommodates up to 101 residents and employs caregivers, nursing staff, and activity coordinators.

Pelican Garden Assisted Living

Pelican Garden has been locally owned and operated since 2004, providing assisted living for up to 50 residents in a residential neighborhood setting. The facility emphasizes a warm Florida-style environment with quality adult care.

The Promenade at Sebastian

The Promenade offers assisted living, independent living, and memory care near the Indian River. Staff provide daily living assistance and specialized programming for residents with cognitive impairments.

BLS requirement: Assisted living facilities in Florida require staff to be prepared for medical emergencies. CNAs and nurses at these communities typically must hold “CPR certification upon hire or obtain during orientation.” Because residents are often medically fragile, staff may be first responders before EMS arrival.

Dialysis Jobs in Sebastian

Sebastian has dialysis centers operated by major providers. Fresenius Kidney Care Sebastian and Innovative Renal Care Sebastian Dialysis Care Center serve patients requiring hemodialysis treatment. Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) provide direct patient care during dialysis sessions under RN supervision.

BLS requirement: Dialysis PCTs are required to have “current BLS/CPR certification” from the American Heart Association or American Red Cross. Dialysis patients are at elevated risk for cardiac events during treatment, making BLS a baseline safety requirement for all clinical staff.

Dental Jobs in Sebastian

Sebastian has multiple dental practices serving the community. Dental professionals in Florida face a state licensure requirement for CPR training—not just an employer preference.

The Florida Board of Dentistry requires dentists and dental hygienists to complete “CPR training at the basic support level, including one-rescuer and two-rescuer CPR for adults, children, and infants; the use of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) and the use of ambu-bags,” resulting in certification from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or equivalent.

Sebastian dental practices include Sebastian Dental, Indian River Dental Arts, Christie Dental of Sebastian (multiple locations), Sebastian Dental Spa, Driftwood Dental Care, and Harbor Point Dental Care. For practices offering sedation dentistry, requirements increase to include ACLS certification for dentists and assisting personnel.

Emergency Services Jobs in Sebastian

Indian River County Fire Rescue provides fire suppression and emergency medical services throughout Sebastian. The department operates Station 8 on Barber Street and Station 9 on Roseland Road within Sebastian. Services include fire suppression, technical rescue, dive rescue, marine firefighting, airport firefighting, hazardous materials response, and ALS emergency medical services.

BLS requirement: Florida EMS statutes (Chapter 401) require EMT applicants to hold a current AHA or Red Cross CPR course card. Paramedic applicants must hold ACLS certification. All fire-rescue personnel are BLS-mandatory at minimum. The department employs approximately 550 personnel county-wide, providing career opportunities for certified firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics.

School, Childcare, and Athletics Jobs in Sebastian

The School District of Indian River County operates several schools in Sebastian, including Sebastian River High School, Sebastian River Middle School, Sebastian Elementary, Pelican Island Elementary, and Treasure Coast Elementary. Florida law creates specific CPR requirements for several school-based roles.

Sebastian River High School

Sebastian River High School is an International Baccalaureate World School serving approximately 1,800 students. The campus includes extensive athletic facilities: a 3,000-seat sports stadium, 1,680-seat gymnasium, baseball and softball fields, eight tennis courts, four basketball courts, a wrestling room, and cross-country track. These facilities require athletic training coverage and emergency response capability.

Athletic trainers: Florida Board of Athletic Training licensure requires “current certification in CPR and AED use at the professional rescue level,” explicitly accepting American Heart Association or American Red Cross credentials.

Coaches: Florida statute 1006.165 requires that an employee or volunteer with current training in CPR and AED use be present at each athletic event, including practices and conditioning sessions.

School nurses: School nurse positions require CPR certification, first aid training, and epinephrine injector training.

Childcare staff: Florida’s child care facility handbook (incorporated by reference in rule 65C-22.001) requires that a specified number of child care personnel maintain pediatric CPR certification and first aid training while children are in care, including during field trips and transportation.

Why Sebastian Employers Require AHA BLS

BLS requirements in Sebastian come from three sources:

1. State and professional rules: Florida Board of Dentistry CE requirements, Florida Board of Athletic Training licensure, Florida EMS statutes, and Florida child care facility standards all explicitly mandate CPR at the basic support or professional rescuer level.

2. Employer policy and risk management: Hospitals, home health agencies, and assisted living facilities require BLS as facility policy even when not mandated by state nursing licensure rules.

3. Program and facility standards: High-acuity environments like operating rooms and emergency departments commonly require BLS plus ACLS; pediatric settings add PALS.

Advertisements for “free CPR” or online-only certifications typically do not meet these requirements. Sebastian employers—Orlando Health, Ability Home Care, VITAS, assisted living communities, dental practices, and others—require AHA BLS certification because it includes hands-on skills evaluation with adult, child, and infant CPR techniques, AED use, and bag-valve-mask ventilation.

Want to Work in Healthcare? Start with CNA Training

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is one of the fastest paths into Sebastian’s healthcare job market. CNAs work at Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital (as Patient Care Technicians), assisted living communities like Pelican Landing and Pelican Garden, home health agencies, and hospice providers.

To become a CNA in Florida, you must complete a state-approved training program and pass the Prometric competency exam. Medical Plus Training Center in Fort Pierce offers CNA training that prepares you for the Prometric exam.

Once you pass the Prometric exam and receive your CNA license, you will need AHA BLS certification to get hired. Sebastian employers require both credentials.

CPR Training and BLS Certification Near Sebastian

Medical Plus Training Center is located in Fort Pierce, south of Sebastian on the Treasure Coast. The training center offers:

• AHA BLS certification for healthcare providers

• Same-day certification—walk out with your card

• Hands-on CPR training that meets employer and state board requirements

• CNA training for the Prometric exam

Classes are scheduled by phone so the training center can confirm availability and ensure you receive the correct certification for your role.

Schedule Your CPR Training or CNA Class

If your job in Sebastian requires BLS certification—or if you want to start a healthcare career with CNA training—Medical Plus Training Center can help.

Call Medical Plus Training Center to schedule your CPR training class.

Fort Pierce location serving Sebastian, Indian River County, and the Treasure Coast.