What CPR or BLS certificate do I need to upload?

Last updated: October 6, 2026

Applies to: workers in the US whose onboarding includes a CPR or BLS certification requirement, which is usually part of credentialing for clinical healthcare assignments. The requirement is set for the assignment, so if you do not see a CPR or BLS step in your onboarding it does not apply to you.

Summary: Upload a current CPR or BLS certificate from an accredited provider whose course includes a hands-on skills assessment, for example the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. Online-only certificates and expired certificates are rejected. The upload cannot be skipped, but if you are waiting for a new certificate you can upload the one you have so you can carry on with the rest of your onboarding, then replace it.

What we accept

  • From an accredited provider with a hands-on skills component. The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross are examples. A course you completed entirely online does not meet the requirement, even though you received a certificate for it.

  • Current. The certificate must not be expired when we review it. The expiration date printed on the certificate is what counts.

  • Uploaded against the CPR or BLS requirement. Each requirement in your onboarding accepts only its own document, so a certificate uploaded against a different item will not clear this one.

If your certificate has expired or was online-only

  1. Book a CPR or BLS course with an accredited provider that includes an in-person skills session.

  2. While you wait, you can keep going. There is no skip option for this upload, but you can upload the certificate you currently have so the form lets you continue with your other documents. Because it does not meet the requirement it will be rejected at review. That is expected, and it does not undo anything else you have completed.

  3. When you receive your new certificate, log in at app.ascen.com and upload it against the same CPR or BLS requirement.

Your onboarding is not complete until an accepted certificate is on file. If your start date depends on it, talk to your staffing Partner about timing. See How do I know when my onboarding is complete and I can start work? to check what is still outstanding.

What a rejection means

A rejection refers to that one document. It is not a decision about you, your background check or your assignment. The reason on the notice tells you what was wrong, and you can upload a replacement against the same requirement at any time.

It will come round again

CPR and BLS certifications expire, so you will be asked for a new certificate when yours does. See Why you're asked for a flu shot or health document you already sent us for which health and credentialing documents renew and when.

Who to contact

  • Ascen (support@ascen.com): whether a certificate you have will be accepted, what is still outstanding on your onboarding, or a rejection you think is wrong. Attach the certificate and say which requirement it is for.

  • Your staffing Partner: your start date, and which assignment the requirement belongs to.

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