CMS Expects In-Person CPR Training for Staff

​Only hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification, not online-only training, is acceptable for nursing home healthcare personnel, according to revised guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In a January 23, 2015, memorandum to state surveyors, CMS specifies that CPR training must include both hands-on practice and an in-person skills assessment. Programs that include an "online knowledge component" may be acceptable as long as the in-person components are still present.