What Does a CPR Course Include in Australia?

A CPR course in Australia covers recognising and assessing an emergency, the DRSABCD action plan, performing resuscitation on adults, children and infants, operating an automated external defibrillator, and communicating and reporting the incident. The training and assessment follow Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines, and at ALIT the HLTAID009 course runs for 3.5 hours on campus at West Melbourne.

If you are booking CPR training for the first time, knowing what happens in the session helps you prepare and makes the day less intimidating. Here is what the national unit includes, how you are assessed, and what the course does not cover.

Emergency recognition and the DRSABCD action plan

Every Australian CPR course is built around a structured approach to emergencies, commonly taught as DRSABCD: danger, response, send for help, airway, breathing, CPR and defibrillation. You learn to recognise and assess an emergency situation, ensure safety for yourself, bystanders and the casualty, check for a response by talking and touching, open the airway, and check whether the casualty is breathing normally.

Calling triple zero early is part of the sequence. You practise deciding when to call, what information to give the operator, and how to send someone else for an AED so that compressions continue without long interruptions.

Adult, child and infant resuscitation

The core of the course is performing CPR in accordance with ARC guidelines. Current guidance is commonly taught as a ratio of 30 compressions to 2 breaths for adults, at a rate of around 100 to 120 compressions per minute, with modified technique for children and infants because of their size and fragility.

Because technique differs by casualty size, you practise on adult, child and infant manikins. Compressions on an infant use different hand placement and depth, and the course also covers when to swap with another rescuer, because effective compressions are tiring to sustain. You get repetition and trainer feedback before the recorded assessment.

Using an automated external defibrillator

AED use is a required part of the unit, not an optional extra. You learn what the device does, how to follow its voice prompts, where pads are placed on the bare chest, and the safety rules around defibrillation, including making sure no one is touching the casualty during analysis and shock delivery. Training devices replicate the real workflow so the sequence becomes familiar before you ever face a real emergency.

Communicating and reporting the incident

Responding well does not end when the ambulance arrives. The unit includes conveying accurate incident details to emergency services: what happened, when it happened, what first aid was provided, and how the casualty’s condition changed. You also cover reporting the incident in line with workplace or site procedures and maintaining the casualty’s privacy and confidentiality, which matters in workplaces such as schools, clinics and care services where incident records are audited.

Reviewing the incident and looking after yourself

A less advertised inclusion is the review element. Resuscitation attempts can affect rescuers psychologically, so the course addresses recognising possible impacts on yourself and others, when to seek help, and contributing to a review of the first aid response afterwards. This part is assessed as knowledge rather than a practical task, but it is a genuine component of the national unit.

How assessment works

Expect a hands-on session. You respond to simulated scenarios, demonstrate CPR on manikins of different sizes, operate the training AED and complete knowledge evidence such as verbal or written questions. Trainers watch for correct sequence, effective compressions and safe practice, coach you before the recorded assessment tasks, and can let you repeat a demonstration to reach the required standard. Wear comfortable clothing you can kneel in.

What to bring and how to prepare

Bring your identification and your Unique Student Identifier (USI), which is required for enrolment in nationally recognised training in Australia. If you are attending as a workplace refresher, bring details of the unit code your employer expects so the statement you receive matches their records. Arriving rested helps too, because sustained compressions are physical work and the session moves quickly through practical stations.

Nothing needs to be memorised in advance. The course assumes first-time learners, so every sequence is demonstrated and practised before it is assessed.

Who the course suits

HLTAID009 suits anyone who may need to provide CPR: nurses and care workers, childcare and school staff, community services workers, security personnel, fitness professionals, workplace first aid officers and volunteers. It is also the standard annual refresher for people who hold a full first aid qualification but need to keep their resuscitation skills current.

What a CPR course does not include

HLTAID009 is resuscitation only. It does not cover the broader first aid responses such as bleeding control, burns, fractures, envenomation, asthma or anaphylaxis management. Those belong to the full first aid unit, and ALIT’s guides on what HLTAID011 Provide First Aid is and what is included in the HLTAID011 first aid course explain that course in detail.

If your employer only requires annual CPR currency, the short course is usually enough. If you are completing first aid training for the first time, consider whether you need the full qualification before booking. ALIT’s guide on how long HLTAID011 first aid takes compares the time commitment.

The HLTAID009 course at ALIT

ALIT delivers HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation as a 3.5 hour on-campus course at West Melbourne with weekly intakes and a listed fee of $75.00. If you are new to the unit, start with the guide to what HLTAID009 Provide CPR is for the unit’s background, supersession history and currency rules.

For more on this topic, see our guide to How Long Does a CPR Course Take in NSW?.

FAQ

Does a CPR course include general first aid?

No. HLTAID009 covers resuscitation and AED use. Wider first aid responses are part of HLTAID011.

Do you practise on real people?

No. All CPR practice and assessment uses training manikins and trainer AED devices.

Is defibrillator training included?

Yes. Operating an AED according to the manufacturer’s instructions is a required element of the unit.

How long does the CPR course take?

ALIT’s listing shows a 3.5 hour on-campus session, which most students complete in a single booking.

Related ALIT guide: the link between HLTAID009 and CPR certification.

Related ALIT guide: the steps of CPR for adults in Australia.