Everyone Should Know the Basics of CPR
Code Blue 3B rm:317... Code Blue 3B rm:317... Code Blue 3B rm:317...
If you work in a hospital, you hear this kind of thing a lot. It's an emergency call alerting specialized hospital staff that they need to get to rm 317 quickly.
All of the doctors, nurses & therapists assembling in rm 317 know what they are doing or they wouldn't be there.
Every one of these professionals spends hours upon hours every year keeping up advanced certifications to be able to function as part of the in-house 'Code Team'.
We all know what these people do and why they do it, so let's talk for a moment about the millions that don't do it. Who are they? They are you... the 'lay rescuer' with NO training at all.
Professionals responding to emergency situations denote a very small percentage of the population in any area. The real target for training in CPR/AED and First Aid basics is you; that portion of the population that doesn't do it everyday, has maybe never seen it or been exposed to a real 'emergency' in their life!
Everyone should know the basics of CPR and how to use a simple AED correctly, efficiently and quickly...everyone.
When a person collapses from a catastrophic event time is of the essence. You basically have less than 5 minutes to start adequately perfusing the brain before cell death begins to occur, irreversible cell death, after which that person will probably never recover fully even if the heart is restarted minutes later.
A 'street' AED is easy to use.
Really, it's simple... even with NO training at all.
To prove it we tested a bunch of 3rd graders. Do you know that the average 3rd grader can successfully use a simple AED by following the instructions on the inside cover of the AED and looking at the pictures that are there?
It's true. If you can see & hear, then you can use an AED, the first time you pull it off the wall even if you've never, ever seen one before.
The trick is... to PULL IT OFF THE WALL!
Many times the AED is never even taken from its mount till an emergency team gets there or a trained medical professional happens on the scene. Learning how to do CPR and use an AED is critical to the survival of victims everywhere.
Now, doesn't that make you want to get some training yourself?
Learn how to save a life.
Joni Nowak RN/CCRN; American Heart Association:Instructor
Josh Tandy
11:21 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Joni,
I wish what you wrote was true. I worked on a code team in a local hospital for 10 years. You said Doctors, Nurses and Therapists know what they are doing or wouldn't be there. The sad truth is the nurses are typically clueless. I have seen nurses put a NRB mask on patients that aren't breathing. Nurses are usually the worst at ACLS protocols and don't have a clue how to manage a code. In my opinion, nurses should be only permitted to do what they are best at - following direct orders and leaving any independent thinking to people who are used to doing it. Nurses should have to prove they are competent enough to assist in a code. It would be a lot less embarrassing for them.
Joni Nowak RN/CCRN
10:33 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
There are good and bad, competent and incompetent in every profession Josh. I have had the pleasure of working side by side with both. The experienced have a tendency to lead with the, maybe not so experienced, hopefully gaining real world knowledge from them.
Unfortunately, you missed the point of the blog spot. Those of us that run codes frequently know how to do CPR. My target audience has always been the 'lay rescuer' for reasons stated above. The likelihood that high quality CPR will be done and an AED expeditiously applied is far less common in a pre-hospital scenario then a similar event unfolding in-house.
Better than slicing & dicing a profession with a proven history, you might want to obtain an Instructor card yourself and work toward the common goal: "Everybody knowing how to do high quality CPR and effectively using a simple AED to it's max potential."
Joni Nowak RN/CCRN
Louis
2:14 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Great article. The only improvement I can see is if you could provide information on where to get training. I was certified YEARS ago lol and would like to get updated.
Jeanne Farabaugh Simpson
5:39 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Joni-
Thank you for representing the nursing profession well. Your answer to Josh was far more polite than I would have been. Profession bashing is, well, unprofessional.
More to the topic at hand, I think it would serve the layperson well to certify every two years, much like we medical professionals are currently doing.
Debbie S.
9:31 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Red Cross certification lasts only two years. Some organizations, like the Girl Scouts, require leaders to carry current CPR and First Aid certification (which includes use of AEDs). Our church also has an AED unit and has had several training classes on how to use it.
Donald R. Thompson
10:11 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
The "sheep" for the most part don't want to get involved, there's all kinds of training out there that would enhance a communities "safety". Getting people to care or to get off their butt's and do something is noble if you don't mind batting .100, good luck.
Laura
3:29 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
If something were to happen in schools like a teacher goes into sudden cardiac arrest the students aren't going to know what to do and it could cost that teacher their life. You get into an accident and you're okay but the other guy's heart isn't beating. His life could depend on how fast he can get help and so why not you? Everyone should know basic CPR/AED and First Aid. Everyone should know how to save each other plain and simple. Couldn't agree with this more!
Joni Nowak RN/CCRN
3:25 am on Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thanks for your comments, Louis, Jeanne, Debbie, Don & Laura.
The push toward getting the 'lay rescuer' certified in CPR is nationwide. Many schools have adopted programs for CPR/AED training as young as the 'third' grade level. Younger than that, many little ones are being taught, not only 'how'... but 'when' to call 911 and what denotes an emergency situation.
It's a good move. It'll make a difference. Thanks for your support!
Joni Nowak RN/CCRN
It's a good move