NSC Certified in First Aid and CPR

I recently was asked to get certified in First Aid and CPR and be a company first responders. First Aid and CPR are vital first steps people can use when faced with a life threatening situation. These skills when properly learned can have life saving results. It seemed logical for me to get certified because accidents happen everywhere not just at the office. Being properly trained could allow me to help save the life of stranger or even a family member. Nothing could be worse than watching someone who has been injured and feeling helpless to do anything about it.

Our instructor Rick was following the National Safety Council (NSC) course which meets ECC Guidelines and OSHA standards for first aid in the workplace. Training took place over the course of two days and was roughly 3 hours in length each day.

 On the first day we learned everything from how do act during an emergency, how to check on the victim’s condition, when to call for help, how to prevent further injury and stabilize the victim. We practiced how to properly use rubber gloves to avoid disease transmission and how to use the Haines Recovery Position to stabilize an unconscious person.

Day two was the most interactive with the use of dummies to practice CPR on. While we didn’t name them each seemed to have their own personality. When CPR is properly done the dummies click to indicate that you are providing the necessary compression in the proper position. My first dummy didn’t seem to want to cooperate and we discovered that it had a broken diaphragm which makes the noise. We also grabbed one of the AED’s from the building and got comfortable with the machine and its use. 

Once the course was completed I will admit I did feel better prepared to act in an emergency and more confident in my abilities to really assist and provide life saving care until a professional arrives. It is important to know that while trained in First Aid and CPR it is vital that you only help and provide assistance if you have been trained and never provide assistance outside of the scope of your training.