Learning New Skills

This morning the kids and I spent three hours in the office at Gorans Bros., learning CPR from a Ridgewater College instructor with a video curriculum.  I made the kids go to bed on time last night, saying, "We have this class in the morning and I don't want you falling asleep in the middle of it."  No worries.  The video instructor was fairly interesting and very repetitive, because he wanted us to be sure to remember the basic points:

1.  Compressions are the key.  You must push the chest down two inches with each compression and let the chest rise to its natural state in between.

2.  The first compressions are the most effective, so if there is another trained person around, be sure to take turns at least every two minutes so you give good CPR.

3.  Do 30 compressions, at least 100/min., and then give two breaths, making sure the chest rises with each breath.

4.  Start compressions right away, asking someone else to call 911 and find an AED defibrillator.  If you are alone, call 911 first, unless it's a child; then start compressions first because they often recover well.

All of this was interspersed with practice on mannequins.  We had only twelve in the class, so were able to share a mannequin with just one other person.  They also had AED training kits so we were able to practice hooking up the pads, staying clear, and pushing the shock button.  I didn't know that the goal of the AED was to STOP the heart, so that the body's natural re-starter would get it going in the right rhythm again.  The other things to remember before hooking up the pads were:  shave away excess hair; wipe away excess moisture and get the patient out of a wet environment; and remove any metal (underwire bras or necklaces).   Otherwise the AED gives its own instructions.

It was quite effective, as you can see, and quite fascinating.  I took a CPR class in college, but remember virtually nothing, so this was a great refresher.  We had everyone from 11-year-old Philip to Kim and Pete in their fifties, and everyone was able to learn new skills.