The word bystander stands for people available around a person suffering from a medical emergency. Most of these people have no idea about life-saving skills and lack time to stop and help a person in need. Many even walk past people lying on the road, crying for help. But, every bystander could save someone’s life. It takes courage and knowledge, but the rewards make the efforts worthwhile. If you wish to become an able citizen and help people in need, start by taking a CPR training course. This article talks about the importance of CPR for bystanders.
What is CPR Training for Lay responders?
A lay responder does not have any professional training as a healthcare provider. Everyone is a lay responder, a bus driver, the florist next to your house, and even the milkman. Imagine an older person walking into a Starbucks and experiencing a cardiac arrest. With the staff at their disposal, chances of survival lie in the staff’s hands. In this situation, the people at the cafe become bystanders or lay responders. Now, if one of the staff members undertook a CPR training course, they could immediately spring into action. This bystander would stabilize the person until the Emergency Medical Team arrived, saving the customers’ lives.
CPR Training for lay responders is a set of emergency procedures that help someone having a cardiac arrest. These procedures include understanding and administering adult CPR and operating the AED machine. If the patient remains unconscious after giving CPR, use the AED. It sends a shock to the heart, waking it up. As a bystander, you learn the basic workings of the lungs and the importance of blood flow to the brain. The primary goal of CPR is to ensure no organ in the body falls short of oxygenated blood. Once the EMT arrives, they can assist the patient with the required machines.
Can you take it online – anytime, anywhere?
Upskilling yourself through a new course is no longer as taxing as a few years ago. Previously, you had to ensure you lived in or traveled to a city that conducted the class of your choice. Then came the process of shortlisting the course and finding time in your busy schedule. Next, you had to travel to the institution and sit through monotonous lectures. More than not, your belly would rumble with hunger. But the only way to keep it calm was by buying an expensive snack from the coffee shop.
But times have changed, and more so for the education sector. Many courses and subjects are now taught online with no physical classrooms. As every person owns a mobile phone and a laptop, these courses have no fixed sessions. Even malls provide a high-speed internet connection now. With online classes, you need to log onto the portal of the course provider and start the lesson. Also, these classes do not have a fixed time. You can take them at a time convenient to your schedule. Just finish within the set deadline, and you are in good hands. This new method is suitable for working professionals. Even suburban residents can now take a CPR training course and help others.
Who is the course meant for generally?
People of all ages can take a CPR course. Bystander CPR is for people who do not belong to medical or healthcare professionals. Take a look below at the advantages of ordinary people taking this course.
- Young Adults: Teenagers are wise for their age and want to do everything like adults. They are the first people to help strangers. Incorporating CPR training courses in high school will help raise a generation of aware individuals who will become helpful citizens.
- Gym Instructors: People go to the gym to push their bodies and minds. While this is essential, it could sometimes lead to a sudden cardiac arrest. Every gym instructor and employee must know about lay responder CPR.
- Athletes and Coaches: Just like gym instructors, these people put their bodies to the test. By understanding CPR, they can help a colleague in need.
- Public Workers: Anyone who works in a place surrounded by people must know basic life-saving skills. The staff must undertake CPR training courses, whether it’s a hotel, cafe, restaurant, amusement park, or movie theater. They could play an essential part in unforeseen situations.
- Homemakers and House-help: Most people think a homemaker has no time to upskill themselves, but this is untrue. House helpers and homemakers must have basic knowledge of life-saving skills as most accidents happen at home.
Should you get a CPR certification renewed?
Once you take a CPR training course online, you learn through videos and theories explaining the process. At the end of it, you must sit for a test based on multiple-choice questions. Upon clearing this test, the institution grants you a certification. The validity for it is two years. Now, what should you do after two years? The correct answer is you renew it.
Without a valid certification, you cannot administer CPR in any emergency. You could find yourself helpless in a critical situation despite knowing the technique. An accredited institution provides renewal courses to its students. They send reminders close to the expiration date of your certificate. The renewal process will take you through the basics of the course again. It is a refresher for people who have not yet used CPR. You can also get an extension on the certification and use your skills further.
Conclusion
Watching a loved one experience a cardiac arrest excruciates and leaves you feeling helpless. But, just because you are not a healthcare provider does not mean you cannot help. The American HealthCare Academy has a specifically designed CPR training course for bystanders. Through it, you learn about CPR and AED. AHCA also offers a renewal course once your certification reaches its expiry date. Register on the AHCA website and upgrade from an average bystander to a first aider.
