Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a powerful tool in any first aid effort, and CPR training is a critical first step towards using this tool. Whether you’re seeking a CPR certification online, where you can work at your own pace, or you’ve signed up for in-person training, you may be nervous about facing the unknown. Like in any context, this is a natural response. However, you don’t need to deal with this uncertainty. By knowing just what it is you’re getting into as you work towards a CPR certificate, you’ll be better prepared to take the next step.
The Essentials of CPR and First Aid
Depending on the course you’re taking, the specifics may vary. However, the basis of any CPR or first aid certification is the essentials of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid, more broadly. Whether you’re taking a course online or in-person, you’ll learn the steps to take before, during, and after administering CPR, from scanning the scene to the rate at which you must perform compressions—fans of NBC’s The Office will know it’s more or less to the beat of the ”Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees. It’s crucial to remember that you’ll be not only learning the basics to receive your certificate—you’ll be learning how to save lives.
The More Intricate Skills You’ll Need
Your online course or CPR class will go beyond the basics of CPR, naturally. With either in-person or online training, you’ll be taught the specific skills you’ll need to perform CPR and other first aid. From how to administer an AED to how chest compressions differ for those of different ages, you’ll grow to understand how CPR steps are far more detailed than many realize. In a CPR certification course, you’ll garner this knowledge and the ability to put it into action.
First Aid Experience
Even if you’re taking an online CPR course, many certification classes involve an in-person training component. In this process, you’ll gain incomparable experience in CPR and other forms of first aid. However, even without fitting an in-person component into your busy schedule, you’ll inevitably find that this knowledge itself is a form of experience. Many people go their whole lives not knowing basic first aid, save, perhaps, for the art of applying a simple adhesive bandage. By gaining an in-person or online certification, you’ll be bounds ahead of those who never learn these skills, much less practice them.
A Newfound Sense of Confidence
One fact cannot be made too clear in learning CPR: You’re learning a genuinely invaluable skill. However, there’s an additional benefit to a first aid certification course like this. Knowing you have the knowledge and practical skills to help people in even emergency situations offers a peace of mind that’s truly unparalleled. This inevitably provides a sense of confidence that’s hard to find elsewhere. After all, you’re armed with the ability to quite literally save a person’s life. If that doesn’t make you feel like a real-life superhero, nothing will.
No matter whether you’re pursuing this qualification as a job requirement or for the benefit of knowing the basics of CPR and first aid, you’ll find there’s a lot you can learn from this type of class. Your first-aid education will range from the most basic details of CPR to the psychological realization that you have the knowledge and certification to save lives. As Peter Parker would tell you, this power comes with equally great responsibility, one which doesn’t end with the completion of your first aid course. Nevertheless, you’ll surely find that this is a superpower you wouldn’t want to miss.
