Having A Heart Getting Trained

Writen by Denny Knutson

As an Emergency Room Nurse trained in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), I am amazed at the number of Cardiac Emergencies that come thru our Emergency Department that could have had a better chance of survival if the person or persons discovering the victim would have had some training. More than 300,000 people die from cardiac arrest every year.

Hence, CPR or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. The use of CPR can double the chances that a person will survive. Classes for training are held almost weekly by the American Red Cross Chapters across the nation and The Amercian Heart Association. In addition to CPR training we now have devices that are readily available to the public to help people with Cardiac Problems. They are called AED's or Automated External Defibrillators. These devices which you can also take classes for with the Red Cross and American Heart Association, are now being placed for Public Access and are called PAD's or Public Access Defibrillators. Individuals would need to have CPR training before they can appreciate the importance and use of an AED. An individual who chooses to use an AED would need to know how to recognize the signs of a sudden cardiac arrest. This is where your CPR class comes into play. And yes, you can now take CPR classes in the privacy of your own home.

The CPR Anytime for Family and Friends Personal Learning Program allows families, friends and the general public – who most likely would not attend a traditional CPR course – to learn the core skills of CPR in 22 minutes using their own personal kit. This program is offered by the American Heart Association in order to increase CPR knowledge and awareness to the general public. You can check out the American Heart Association site by going to http://www.americanheart.org.

Some people would question if a traditional CPR class with a CPR instructor would be better than the CPR Anytime for family & friends program, but there is little difference in the materials and training between the two programs.

Knowing First Aid and CPR is seemingly inexpensive to learn and valuable if needed to apply. Consider that you could save money on trips to the Hospital or even the doctors office if not shorten the recovery time when you have medical training in First Aid and CPR.

Training in CPR, AED and First Aid do not cost ! It Pays!!

Denny Knutson, LPN,EMT, Maa Emergeny Room Nurse Bellin Health - Bond Health Center