The American healthcare system is truly impressive, and yet, we still lose hundreds of thousands of lives every year to cardiac arrest. When someone’s heart stops, there’s little time to act and medical personnel is usually not nearby. Luckily, by performing CPR, the victim can be stabilized until assistance arrives—potentially saving their life.

This is why training bystanders in CPR is so important. If more people learned how to safely and effectively perform CPR, more lives could be saved and we’d create a safer society. Here, we’re taking a closer look at CPR certification and how quick and convenient it can be to become fully CPR certified. With 100 percent online classes, you can earn your certification from americancprinstitute.com from your home.

WHAT IS CPR?

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a life-saving procedure designed to assist victims of cardiac arrest. When the heart stops beating, it’s unable to keep blood and oxygen pumping throughout the body. In just a matter of minutes, this can prove fatal. If the brain goes minutes without oxygen, the victim can suffer permanent brain damage. CPR is designed to keep blood and oxygen circulating throughout the body, reaching the brain and other vital organs, until medical personnel arrives.

In fact, CPR can help a wide range of medical emergencies—not just cardiac arrest. In any event, where the heart stops beating or breathing stops, CPR can be used. CPR can help victims of near-drowning, smoke inhalation, drug overdoses, electrocution, or even poisoning.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF CPR?

The best way to learn the steps of CPR, of course, is by enrolling in a CPR certification course. Not only do they cover these important steps, but they also provide additional information and hands-on training to ensure you’re confident and prepared.

But everyone should know the core steps of CPR:

1. Call 911: before anything else, call 911 so that paramedics will be on the way. CPR is only designed to be a temporary measure.
2. Assess the scene of the emergency: carefully assess the scene to make sure you don’t put yourself or others in additional danger. CPR training will also teach you how to assess the victim’s injuries, ensuring that CPR is the appropriate course of action.
3. Open the airway: tilt their head back and carefully lift their chin to open the airway. You can also use this as a chance to check the airway for any foreign objects that may have caused choking.
4. Check for breathing: check carefully for any signs of breathing. Place your ear over their mouth and listen for a consistent breath. The occasional gasp doesn’t count.
5. Chest compressions: interlock your hands and straighten your elbows. Deliver chest compressions to the center of their chest at the rate of 100 compressions per minute.
6. Rescue breaths: with the victim’s head tilted back, pinch their nose shut and deliver two rescue breaths. Watch their chest to see that it rises. If it doesn’t, you may need to reposition the airway.
7. Repeat the cycle: continue providing a cycle of chest compressions and rescue breaths until medical attention can reach the scene. If someone else nearby is trained in CPR, take turns so that you don’t become exhausted.

HOW TO GET CPR CERTIFIED

To give you the skills, knowledge, and confidence to take action in the event of an emergency, it’s important to receive professional CPR training and certification. But most of us simply don’t have time to drive out to a recreation center a couple of nights a week to receive the traditional, in-person training.

Luckily, those concerns are a thing of the past. Now you can earn your CPR certification (or your CPR recertification) through 100 percent online classes. That’s right. Don’t worry about battling traffic or finding an open spot in a class. Online CPR classes are always open and you can begin whenever you want. Simply select your class, complete your lessons, and pass your final quiz. Then, you can print off your CPR certification card. It’s really that easy, fast, and convenient to receive professional and comprehensive CPR training.

BENEFITS OF ONLINE CPR CERTIFICATION

Nowadays, we can do almost anything online. Whether you’re looking for a new movie, pair of shoes, or even a date, digital tools now make it all available from the palm of your hand. With online classes and eLearning, you can even receive your education online, and if you’re interested in learning how to save a life, this education could include CPR.

You can now earn your CPR certification entirely online. Some people may be hesitant, however, to receive this type of training in a digital format. Isn’t something like CPR best learned in a hands-on environment? While there are benefits to the traditional model, more and more students are flocking to online CPR classes. But why?

Fast, convenient, and affordable. That’s the best way to describe online CPR training. With online classes, you can begin as soon as you register and take the classes at your own pace. This means you can start and stop any lesson at any time to fit your pace and schedule. This is ideal for anyone working full time. In many cases, online CPR classes are also more affordable and you can even bundle different types of training. For example, you could take a CPR/AED course or a class focused on CPR and First Aid training.

CONCLUSION – HOW TO GET CPR CERTIFIED

Every year, hundreds of thousands of American lives are lost to cardiac arrest. Because many of these accidents occur outside of a hospital, the majority prove to be fatal. However, if a nearby bystander is trained and certified in CPR, they can provide critical assistance to keep the victim stable until paramedics arrive on the scene.

CPR certification is for everyone. Even if you have no previous medical training, CPR training classes are designed to give you the skills and confidence you’ll need in the event of a cardiac arrest emergency. And now, with 100 percent online CPR certification courses, there’s truly no reason not to receive this type of education. It could potentially save a life.