How to become CPR certified

Since the holidays are upon us we are spending more time with family, friends and frequenting public places.  I wanted to cover something I think is very important. How to become CPR certified? This is a lifesaving skill everyone should know and it is very easy to learn.  There are a few aspects to consider when you decide to take a CPR class. This life saving skill is normally geared towards the health care professionals such as nurses, doctor's, EMT’s, first responders and paramedics but anyone can take a CPR course. In my opinion this is a crucial lifesaving skill everyone should learn can be completed in a very short amount of time (a few hours).

CPR is an acronym for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation the time to learn a CPR depends on what level of CPR you are taking. There are two levels of CPR you can learn the levels are Adult, Infant and Child CPR and Health Care provider. The purpose of CPR is render aid for a person who is not breathing and no pulse. The idea is to keep the blood flowing into vital organs and get air into the lungs until this person can be taken to the hospital for further care. The Health Care Provider class is the longer course (four to six hours). This is the one most Health care professional’s take because this class covers many subjects in CPR such as choking, how to perform two persons CPR, and the use of some equipment for ventilation. 

The simplest course anyone can take is the Adult CPR class. The American Heart Association defines an adult for a person who is eight years of age or older. If you are in an environment where you deal with children then you would have to add the infant and child CPR class. You do not need any real medical knowledge to take this course and can be completed in two hours or less. This course is ideal for the work place, a parent, baby sitters and anyone living with elderly parents. 

The last aspect to consider is where to go to take a CPR course? You can always look on line to see where and when a class will start. In most cases they are held in a hospital, your local first aid squad or fire house and some community colleges. Where ever you decide to take your CPR course the most important issue is the organization responsible for the training. The two reputable organizations I am familiar with are the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross.  You can search either one of their websites to find a CPR course. You can take a CPR course online but I would not recommend taking CPR online. Some states will not recognize an online certification plus you benefit more in the live training with student/ teacher interaction.  

I hope this article was helpful please leave a comment below.

Mark Carvajal