Don’t Take Any/ Another CPR Training Class Before Reading This

Identifying that CPR training is a very important life-saving skill you should have is a great choice. However, that does not mean diving into the classes head on.

Before you step into the first class at all – or even register for one – here are a couple of things you have to know.

 

Choosing the right class level

Depending on why you want to learn Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the first place, there are different class levels to consider. While there are some restriction to learning them all, it would be great to start with one that really pertains to what you need to make the best impact.

The various class levels to pick from are:

• Adult CPR – This Red Cross course covers Adults of about twelve years old to full-blown adults. This is the ideal class for Personal Trainers, , hotel housekeeping, Gym employees, and those tasked with caring for the elderly. For those who have access to a defibrillator as well, you should make sure to let your instructor know so they can teach you about your specific AED Automated External Defibrillator. The entire class should take less than 2 hours and 5 minutes for the whole Blended Learning and Hands on Skills Session.
• Pediatric and Adult First Aid CPR AED– This Red Cross course covers when you deal with infants 0 days old – 1 years old and children of ages 1year old up to 12 twelve years (girls with budding breasts, and boys with facial and body hair are considered adults), Adults are12 years old and up, this is the class you should go for. This course is perfect for:

• Physical fitness trainers
• School Teachers, Child Care Workers , Nannies

• Security Guards

• School personnel
• Tattoo artists
• Maintenance workers
• Police and Firefighters
• Camp Counselors
• other individuals who want or need first-aid training

 

The administration of CPR to adults is way different to the approach for infants and children so you should be properly trained to help when need be.

Basic Life Support – This class teaches medically trained personnel the basic life support for healthcare providers, so the classes are a little more in-depth than the ones above. An American Heart Association BLS Card is required for everyone working in, on, or around a medical team. The American Heart Association BLS (CPR) for Healthcare Provider is intended for:

Healthcare professionals, certified or noncertified, licensed or non-licensed, including:

• Nurses, Nurse Practitioners
• Physicians, Physicians Assistants
• Nursing students, Medical students
• Nursing Assistants, Medical Assistants
• Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians
• Respiratory, Physical, and Occupational Therapists
• Residents or Fellows
• Nurse Aides, and other Allied Health Personnel

 

What does the BLS course teach?

• High-quality CPR for infants, children, and Adults
• The AHA Chain of Survival, specifically the BLS components
• Important early use of an AED
• Effective ventilations using a barrier device and a bag valve mask when needed
• Importance of teams in multirescuer resuscitation and performance as an effective team member during multirescuer CPR
• Relief of foreign-body airway obstruction (choking) for adults and infants

 

Advanced Cardiac Life Support – This AHA class teaches the Advanced Cardiac Life Support for healthcare providers, so the classes are much more involved than the BLS course. This is required for everyone working in an advanced medical capacity –

WHO NEEDS THE ACLS CERTIFICATION?

The American Heart Association's HeartCode ACLS Course is intended for healthcare providers who either direct or participate in the resuscitation of an adult patient, whether in or out of the hospital, including:  

• Nurses, Nurse Practitioners
• Physicians, Physician's assistants
• Respiratory Therapists
• Nursing students, Medical Students
• Paramedics, EMT's
• Pharmacists
• Staff in intensive care units and emergency or critical care departments 

The class will take into consideration all Medications, Advanced CPR techniques and other Advanced procedures.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support – PALS for healthcare providers is for those who respond to emergencies in infants and children and for personnel in emergency response, emergency medicine, intensive care and critical care units

• Nurses, Nurse Practitioners
• Physicians, Physician's assistants
• Respiratory Therapists
• Nursing students, Medical Students
• Paramedics, EMT's
• Pharmacists

What does this course teach?

The goal of the PALS Course is to improve the quality of care provided to seriously ill or injured infants, and children, resulting in better outcomes. Upon successful completion of all the patient cases, students must pass the multiple-choice exam with a minimum score of 84%. Topics include:

• High-quality Child CPR AED and Infant CPR
• Recognition of patients who do and do not require immediate intervention
• Recognition of cardiopulmonary arrest early and application of CPR within 10 seconds
• Apply team dynamics
• Differentiation between respiratory distress and failure
• Early interventions for respiratory distress and failure
• Differentiation between compensated and decompensated (hypotensive) shock
• Early interventions for the treatment of shock
• Differentiation between unstable and stable patients with arrhythmias
• Clinical characteristics of instability in patients with arrhythmias
• Post–cardiac arrest management

These are so really high tech events. PALS is not for everyone, these are truly special people.

 

 

Choosing the right instructor

Your certification is important, no doubt, but not as important as the skill itself. That is why we recommend not only chasing the certificate but the proper knowledge too. That will only be possible if you learn from truly professional, certified, seasoned AHA, ARC Instructors. Our Instructors have varied backgrounds  (Nurses, physicians, EMT’s, and Paramedics in multi faceted emergency care settings.

No matter which level of CPR certification you aim to attain, the instructors at Atlanta CPR are up to the task. Having been doing this in the same spot for about a decade, and receiving a honors from the American Heart Association American Red Cross too, we comply with the current CPR training standards to ensure you’re capable to teaching these life-saving techniques perfectly whenever called upon.

 

Asking the right questions

Before putting your money and time into any CPR training program, you really want to know if it meets your expectations. Here, we expect you to ask questions on the lines of:

1. Are you AHA / ARC Certified? If so, how long?

           We have instructors that have been certified and teaching for well over 25

2. Passing The Test – Since there’s a certificate involved for BLS, ACLS, PALS, a test is mandatory for AHA Certification Classes. Likewise, you want to know what to do in case you don’t pass the first time. It’s a multiple choice test. You actually get multiple attempt to pass, until you pass. Just take your time.
3. Hands on Skill Session – The practical Hands on Skills Session has to be performed with a Certified AHA / ARC Certified instructor.
4. How good are your instructors– Afterall, no one can give what they don’t have. If the instructors are not certified, or not trained by the AHA, ARC, or ASHI themselves, that’s your cue to bail.
5. How often do you hold class? We hold classes Everyday at Atlanta CPR.
6. When do I get my Card? Immediately after you complete the Hands on Skills Session.
7. What if I don’t feel confident after class. Do not worry about that, “Our Confidence will give you Competence”
8. Equipment – All CPR, ACLS, and PALS require specific equipment. At Atlanta CPR we utilize the most up-to-date manikins, and patient monitoring equipment.
9. Brayden Pro - is our main Manikin
10. Little Anne – is also a QCPR Manikin. That men thatvyou can download the QCPR App from the Appstore / Playstore. Open you QCPR Learner app, and push your manikins chest. All of our manikins are interactive.
11. What about the infant manikins? – Once again, we are at the pinnacle of technology. We utilize Brayden Baby. If you thought Brayden Pro was great, wait until you try out Brayden Baby. You have to experience our new babies to know.
12. Patient Monitoring System- we utilize the most advanced tech! Dart Sim is by far the most advanced, easiest, sexiest patient monitoring system available.

 

13. Can I come back for a refresher class, after my initial class. Yes, Atlanta CPR Everyday we encourage students to stop on by, if you’re in the neighborhood. And ironically, we have many, many students pop in and help with the classes, grab a snack, and to spruce up on a few skills.

 

In closing… We know this was a lot to read. But, lifesavers study hard, so we can easily save a lives.

 

Atlanta CPR and First Aid is headquartered at:
1874 Piedmont Road NE Building C Suite 355-C

Atlanta, Ga. 30324
Phone: 404-956-4003

We are both, an American Heart Association Training Site*, and

Proud Provider of American Red Cross First Aid, CPR and AED Training

All Atlanta CPR Instructors are fully credentialed American Heart Association BLS, ACLS, Heartsaver Instructors

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