CPR is a skill that needs to be performed correctly to have any chance of helping a patient in their time of need. When you participate in a CPR course in a classroom setting, you can practice on mannequins which can give you an understanding of how to master the technique. This is essential to ensure you are proficient in your CPR skills and knowledge.
What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a combination of performing chest compressions and providing ventilation (breaths) in an emergency which would be done to someone who is experiencing a potentially fatal cardiac arrest, who is not breathing or has abnormal breathing. The purpose of doing CPR is to maintain normal brain function and to keep the blood pumping until medical help arrives.
Why should you learn CPR?
CPR competency may be a requirement of maintaining your employment. A lot of workplaces offer CPR training to their staff nowadays. Others choose to do it so they know how to respond if they are ever in a situation where someone needs life saving help. It is an invaluable skill, and you never know when you may need to use it. Here are some great reasons why you should learn CPR:
You can prevent irreversible tissue and organ damage
The outlook for someone that has had a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital is not good, less than 10% of people survive. If CPR is not performed within a few minutes, irreversible tissue and organ death can start occurring. You can prevent this from happening by keeping blood pumping through the body via CPR.
You can increase the chances of survival for the patient
Performing CPR in those first crucial minutes of someone having a cardiac arrest can boost the chances of survival from under 10% to 45%. Knowing what to do and acting quickly, can be the difference between life and death for a patient. It can buy the person precious time until you either have access to a defibrillator machine or until emergency personnel arrive to take over.
You could save a life
Probably the most obvious reason why you should learn CPR is that you could save someone’s life! If you’re like many, you hope that you are never faced with such a confronting situation, but if you are, you want to be sure you can help rather than standing by helpless because you have no idea what to do.
Why your CPR training needs to be face to face learning and not online
It’s unlikely you will find a Nationally Accredited Training CPR Course that is fully online, if they claim they are, this should be a red flag. Here is why your CPR course should involve hands-on learning:
CPR is more than just pushing on someone’s chest and breathing into their mouth. You need to know exactly where to place your hands and how deep to push them into the chest. You will learn where and how to position your body correctly; how forceful your breaths should be etc. Doing hands-on training allows you to practice on a mannequin, and with the guidance of your instructor, you can get a complete understanding of how to do it properly. Partaking in a physical class provides you with the opportunity to ask questions and to learn from other people’s questions too.
Ensures you are meeting national requirements
For many workplaces such as hospitals, childcare centres, and healthcare practices, staff must have up to date, nationally accredited CPR training. Failing to do so may see you stand down temporarily until you have completed it. A lot of employers won’t accept a CPR training certificate that is not nationally recognised. Online courses that for-go the practical component cannot issue you with an ASQA accredited statement of attainment in Provide CPR HLTAID001. While they are a lot cheaper, you may not be able to use them, and you’ll need to pay to get an accredited version.
It is fun
A hands-on class is engaging and interactive. You can meet new people and work as a team. While you are learning about something serious, reputable trainers aim to keep it light and fun. Depending on whether you complete the theory side of the training in class or online, you can have a CPR certificate by the end of a day. Many CPR training providers offer classes both on-site as well in your workplace or home, which allows you to complete it in a relaxed and non-formal environment.
Rather than spending money on an online training course that doesn’t offer practical learning or national accreditation, choose a provider that has a hands-on component. This will ensure you are competent in the new skills you have learnt, and if you need it for work purposes, you know that it will be accepted. If you are in the South East Queensland area and are looking to update your skills with a CPR course, check us out here at Paradise First Aid! We have an expansive selection of courses on offer, and our highly skilled team would love to teach you how to perform CPR using the latest equipment and plenty of hands-on learning. Through our course, you will gain the necessary skills and confidence to potentially save a life one day. Contact us to get started!