Online first aid courses

Minnesota's state plan adopts the federal OSHA rule (29 CFR 1910.151(b)): there is no fixed first-aider-to-worker ratio, but where no infirmary or clinic is in near proximity the employer must ensure people are adequately trained to render first aid, with supplies readily available. MNOSHA enforces this under the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Minnesota Statutes § 245A.40, subd. 3-4, administered by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), require the director, all staff, substitutes and unsupervised volunteers to complete pediatric first aid and CPR training. CPR must be completed before unsupervised direct contact (not to exceed the first 90 days of employment) and repeated at least every second year; online courses are accepted.

Minn. Stat. § 604A.01 grants civil immunity to a person who, without compensation, renders emergency care at the scene or in transit to professional medical care, unless they act in a willful, wanton or reckless manner. It does not apply to those acting in the course of paid regular employment, and subd. 1 imposes a duty to give reasonable assistance to someone in grave physical harm.

Nurses in Minnesota, licensed by the Minnesota Board of Nursing, must complete 24 contact hours per 24-month registration period on activities relevant to nursing practice. CPR/AED, ACLS and PALS courses awarding contact hours from an accredited provider can contribute, though a plain BLS card is in practice an employer/hospital requirement rather than a licence condition.

Minnesota's licensed assisted living facilities, governed by Chapter 144G, must ensure staff can respond to resident emergencies, and direct care staff training commonly includes first aid and CPR. A recognized, up-to-date first-aid and CPR certificate meets this standard, in addition to the worker's occupational training, and must be renewed periodically.

Under Minnesota Rules Chapter 2960 and related licensing rules, a foster caregiver must be trained in CPR — including infant and child techniques and obstructed-airway treatment — following a recognized hands-on curriculum, repeated at least once every two years and documented. Caregivers must also complete orientation on emergency procedures and, where young children are cared for, SUID and abusive-head-trauma training.

Online CPR and first aid training is recognized in Minnesota, with MNOSHA and federal OSHA accepting blended training (online coursework plus an in-person hands-on skills demonstration) for workplace first aid and CPR. There is no ban on online training; online-only theory is discouraged only where practical skills such as CPR cannot be demonstrated, and certification is valid for 2 years.