Every CPR card on file, for the hospice staff who need one
Federal hospice rules require CPR certification only for staff of an inpatient unit the hospice runs. Your state or your own policy may ask for more. Personnel Ledger tracks each card to its expiration date, for exactly the roles that need it.
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Built from the federal hospice inpatient-unit rule, CMS surveyor guidance and state law in ten states. General information, not legal advice. Confirm your specifics with your state and your accreditor.
One federal CPR rule, and it is for inpatient units
The only federal hospice CPR text is in the restraint and seclusion training for staff of an inpatient facility the hospice runs directly.
42 CFR §418.110(o)That training includes "certification in the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including required periodic recertification."
42 CFR §418.110(o)(2)(vii)No hospice Condition of Participation requires CPR certification for staff who care for patients at home.
42 CFR Part 418That inpatient-unit training must be documented in the staff personnel records (42 CFR §418.110(o)(4)). CMS surveyor guidance lets an inpatient facility that does not use restraint or seclusion train its staff in that restraint-free approach instead.
So for most home-based hospice staff, a CPR card is a state rule or your own policy, not a federal one. That makes it worth being exact about who it applies to.
Georgia requires it, and your policy may too
"Where a patient does not have a do-not-resuscitate order, the hospice must ensure that all persons providing hands-on care directly to that patient on behalf of the licensed hospice have current certification in basic cardiac life support (BCLS) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation."
Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-37-.13We did not find a state CPR rule for hospice staff in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Illinois, New York or Michigan. That is not proof that none exists.
Our research, 2026-10-05If your own policy requires CPR for more roles, the card belongs in the file like any other credential.
Agency policyGeorgia's rule reaches everyone who gives hands-on care on the hospice's behalf, which can include hands-on volunteers. Every state's rules, with sources, are on hospice staff requirements by state.
Every card to its expiry date, for exactly the roles that need it
The card and its expiry
Record the card type, the issue date and the expiration date printed on it, and attach a copy if your policy wants one.
Only who needs one
Apply CPR to the roles your rule covers, such as inpatient-unit staff or hands-on clinical staff. Everyone else shows as exempt with a reason, not as missing a card.
Reminded in time
Each person gets an email before their card expires, and managers see upcoming expirations in one weekly email.
Old cards kept
Renewing a card keeps the earlier one in the file, so you can show each period it was current.
CPR certification for hospice staff, answered
Which hospice staff need CPR under federal rules?
Only staff of an inpatient facility the hospice operates directly, as part of restraint and seclusion training, which includes CPR certification with periodic recertification (42 CFR §418.110(o)(2)(vii)). CMS guidance lets a facility that does not use restraint or seclusion train staff in its restraint-free approach instead. No federal rule requires CPR for home-based hospice staff.
Does Georgia require CPR for hospice staff?
Yes, for anyone giving hands-on care to a patient who does not have a do-not-resuscitate order. The rule requires current certification in basic cardiac life support (BCLS) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation for all persons providing hands-on care to that patient on behalf of the hospice (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-37-.13).
Can CPR apply to some roles and not others?
Yes. Apply the requirement to the roles that need it. People in other roles show as exempt, with the reason, so their files read as complete rather than missing a card.
Do hospice volunteers need CPR?
No federal rule requires it. In Georgia the rule reaches all persons providing hands-on care on behalf of the hospice to a patient without a do-not-resuscitate order, which can include hands-on volunteers.
What should we keep as proof of CPR certification?
The card type and its issue and expiration dates, plus a copy of the card if your policy wants one. For inpatient-unit staff, the restraint and seclusion training record belongs in the personnel file too (42 CFR §418.110(o)(4)).
Does Personnel Ledger decide who needs CPR?
No. You decide which roles need it, from your state rule and your own policy. Personnel Ledger then tracks each card, emails people before it expires and shows who is missing one.
This page is general information, not legal advice. CPR requirements come from federal regulation, your state's law, your accreditor and your own policy, and they change. Confirm your state's rule with your state licensing authority.
Know whose card expires next, before it does
Personnel Ledger tracks every CPR and BLS card to its expiration date, for the roles that need one. Start a free 45-day trial and add your clinical staff today.