CPR classes

coasterqueen wrote: Ryan's employer offered free CPR adult, child and infant courses for employees and spouses so we signed up. Our class was today. What a LONG class, but so well worth it. I can't believe we've been saying since Kylie was born that we should take the class and be prepared in case something happened and we never got around to it til now. I'm kinda freaked out because there is SO much information crammed in a one day course and the thought that I am now 'certified' scares me. Will I know it all when/if the time ever arises? Hope I never have to. I do feel so much better as a parent now that I know the techniques so I can save their life if I had to, especially now that we have a deeper pool and, well.....

Anyways, we made the local news for the class as well. Wish someone told me I'd be on tv, I would have dressed up a bit more. They aren't joking when they say the camera adds 10 pounds.

If you haven't taken a CPR class, I highly recommend it. I think it should be required of every parent.

mummy2girls replied: ive taken it because with my job its a requirement. It is so worth it though!

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I have been CPR certified a couple times before, but I need to renew it. I have been wanting to get that done since Andrew was born too... he's always putting things in his mouth and it scares me.

It is a lot of information to learn in one day!! That always kind of freaked me out too - there's no way I can ever remember everything they teach in that class. It's really nice that you were able to go to the class for free. I can't believe how much it costs - there's no way we would be able to take it right now.

luvmykids replied: I'm signed up for one in August, I can't believe A)That I haven't taken it sooner, and B, That we haven't needed it.

C&K*s Mommie replied: I have a cheat sheet on the fridge, that I find myself reviewing everytime I go into the fridge. We learned before Christian was born, next semester I will be learning it and hopefully will be certified too, and I learned in high school as well. It is alot to process in one day. I hope I never have to put it to use either, even more than that I hope I do not skip a step or do the wrong things.

Karen, I bet you looked great!

Ashlynn's Mommy replied: Me, and John have been saying that we were going to go and sign up. I studied it in school, and your right. There is alot of information to remember all at once.

ashtonsmama replied: I took it again last year (I was certified all through high school and college since I was babysitting and employed as a nanny). But I already forget some, like you all!

Jackie012007 replied:
having a cheat sheet on the fridge is a great idea, Nicole! I am certified b/c of being a LGT and then a WSI and now I am certified in animal CPR as well because I work with my dad in his pet grooming place... CPR is a very worthwhile thing to know, you never know when you will need it, and I have used it (on a human)... it is a very scary situation to be in but I'm glad I had the knowledge!

ashtonsmama replied:
I'm so scared that someday I may really have to use it, but I guess it will all come back if that happens.

coasterqueen replied: Yes we have had a cheat sheet on our fridge for years too. We got newer ones from the Red Cross from our class, though, so I think I'll put them up.

redchief replied: WTG Karen and all of you have taken the time to get this life-saving training. Remember to look for recertification classes every couple of years (that's how long your certifications are good). CPR is changing drastically in the coming months as the USA certifies and accepts the American Heart Association's new algorithms and methodology. Again, WTG everyone!!!!

moped replied: Good for you guys! I have to be certified at all times, so when I am getting near expiring have to take another 2 day course.
My job entails coordinating the safety and environmental deptartment as well, so it wouldn't look good if I was not certified!

It is long but great to know - I often wonder if it would all come back to me if I actually had to use it!

redchief replied:
I've seen a few wonder this same thing... Trust me... it will.

kit_kats_mom replied: DH and I got certified in CPR and infant/child first aid right before we had Katherine. We need a refresher. I think I'm going to pay for the girls regular sitter to take the course too. Thanks for the reminder

coasterqueen replied:
I'm curious Ed, have the changes been made in the classes? I know our American Red Cross instructer kept talking about the "old way" and how what he was teaching us was the new way. Not that one is wrong over the other, just the new way was more effective. I hope we were taught the new on.

Jackie012007 replied: should you ever have to use it, you would be amazed how clearly all your training will come back to you!!!! I was lifeguarding at the YMCA (I'll admit, it's a sit and twirl your whistle job!.... for the most part) and a kid asked me to swim test him, so I did... he didn't pass so he was required to stay in the shallow end... well he decided to be a pighead and swim out to the deep end (10 feet!) and ended up panicking... he went active drowning so I swam out and by the time I got there he was a floater... got him out and he was not breathing but had a pulse, administered CPR and several compressions later he came back... so scary! But he made it, he was fine and I actually ended up teaching his swim lessons a few months later!

redchief replied:
I'm not sure Karen. There have been several changes over the past few years, so I'm not sure which "new way" your instructor was talking about. Could you give me an example of what he taught?

Jackie012007 replied: I know that they have integrated the AED (automated external defibrillator) into the chain of cardiac survival because AED's are much more available in public now... and the steps to check an unconsious victim are different... lol I remember when I was 16 and it was ANNIE ANNIE ARE YOU OKAY???? now it's not SHAKE but tap and shout and stuff like that... the standards do change a lot and I too have heard that they are changing again soon

coasterqueen replied:
Yes. For CPR it's now 30 compressions and 2 breaths whereas before it was 15 and 1 (or 2, can't remember that). and it's the same for children and adults as well as infants. Also you don't take a pulse with children and adults anymore, just infants. There are probably more little things, but those are the biggies I remember.

coasterqueen replied:
Yep, that too.

You know the freakiest thing about the class is the rubber faces that we were given to put on the dummies.....those are from the death mask of an actual 16 year old girl who committed suicide back in the late 1800's (I believe that was the date). I told the instructor I wish he hadn't told me that because it really made it difficult for me to continue with the class. Very freaky!

Kaitlin'smom replied: to all of you. I need a refersher course as well. Its been a while. My sister teaches it so maybe I can sneak in on of of her classes.

ZandersMama replied:
[QUOTE]

redchief replied:
Yes, those are the new American Heart Assoc. algorithms. It's good to see the Red Cross instructors are now teaching it also. The reason behind these new algorithms is to develop blood pressure. The old algorithms didn't build sufficient pressure for the blood to circulate into and back out of the brain.

redchief replied:
Our EMS provides the classes as a public service for free 4 - 6 times a year. The city picks up the costs of the program, believing that it is worth the money to have as many trained members of the public as possible.

holley79 replied: I was certified when I was 15 and have renewed each year since. Thank goodness I haven't had to use it.