So, most people associate February with Valentine's Day, which refers to romantic love. But, that is not the only kind of love there is to celebrate in the world. I'm dedicating this month to love for my family, my friends, my health, and society =)
Did you also know that February is National Heart Month? I am proud to say that on Wednesday, February 1st, I became cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certified. I had been meaning to become certified for awhile, but my schedule always conflicted with courses. It only took two hours to get certified, but I felt so empowered at the end of those two hours. They teach you how to provide CPR and how to use automated external defibrillator (AED) machines.
A few concerns that I had before the class were regarding liability issues. I mean... should the person I'm giving CPR to not survive would I be blamed for not doing it right? As much as we all want to be able to help each other, there are real legal concerns that we have to consider before we extend our help... especially to strangers. The class eased my mind of those fears, informing us about Good Samaritan laws in place in every state, that protect people from liability. They were created to prevent people from hesitating to provide aid to those in need, because of fears related to these issues. [Here is a copy of the Hawaii Good Samaritan Act. Not from Hawaii? Go here to look up your state's Good Samaritan Act.]
We were told that you do not need to be certified to practice CPR. If you were trained by someone who knows CPR, but did not take a course for certification, you are still able to provide CPR to someone in need. And, each minute counts. If you see that someone's heart has stopped, that they are not breathing and are laying motionless, don't hesitate -- Start CPR.
The class was provided by the Hawaii Heart Foundation, through Ad2Honolulu. The Hawaii Heart Foundation is a young non-profit organization that was founded in 2010 by Pamela Foster, with the goal of offering free CPR and AED training to the staff, teachers, and students of Hawaii's local schools. The trained volunteers teach you that CPR does not save lives; it is the AED machines that save lives. CPR is used to act as a person's heart beat, should their heart suddenly stop due to cardiac arrest, until an AED arrives. The AED analyzes the heart and shocks the heart every two minutes between CPR. The shock helps to clear the heart of confusion and basically helps to make CPR more effective. You do not stop providing CPR until the person starts talking or showing signs of life.
I don't mean to try and teach CPR through this post... After taking the course, I thought, "Everyone should know this." And, what better way to share this than through my blog. If you hear about a course being offered in school, at work, or through some other organization that you are a part of, take the time to go to the class. It only takes about two hours, and you may one day need it to save someone close to you.
After a person's heart stops, every minute that follows is crucial to their survival. Every minute that passes by without any aid provided lowers their chance for survival by 7%. Within seven minutes, they've lost about 50% of their chance for survival, and the loss of oxygen will cause irreversible damage to their brain.
Learn CPR. Learn how to use an AED. Spread the word about the importance of having this knowledge. Let's increase everyone's rate of survival. We can all have the ability to save lives.
Learn more about CPR and classes at the following sites:
Hawaii Heart Foundation
American Heart Association
American Red Cross
Love & Hafaguddei
Did you also know that February is National Heart Month? I am proud to say that on Wednesday, February 1st, I became cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certified. I had been meaning to become certified for awhile, but my schedule always conflicted with courses. It only took two hours to get certified, but I felt so empowered at the end of those two hours. They teach you how to provide CPR and how to use automated external defibrillator (AED) machines.
A few concerns that I had before the class were regarding liability issues. I mean... should the person I'm giving CPR to not survive would I be blamed for not doing it right? As much as we all want to be able to help each other, there are real legal concerns that we have to consider before we extend our help... especially to strangers. The class eased my mind of those fears, informing us about Good Samaritan laws in place in every state, that protect people from liability. They were created to prevent people from hesitating to provide aid to those in need, because of fears related to these issues. [Here is a copy of the Hawaii Good Samaritan Act. Not from Hawaii? Go here to look up your state's Good Samaritan Act.]
We were told that you do not need to be certified to practice CPR. If you were trained by someone who knows CPR, but did not take a course for certification, you are still able to provide CPR to someone in need. And, each minute counts. If you see that someone's heart has stopped, that they are not breathing and are laying motionless, don't hesitate -- Start CPR.
The class was provided by the Hawaii Heart Foundation, through Ad2Honolulu. The Hawaii Heart Foundation is a young non-profit organization that was founded in 2010 by Pamela Foster, with the goal of offering free CPR and AED training to the staff, teachers, and students of Hawaii's local schools. The trained volunteers teach you that CPR does not save lives; it is the AED machines that save lives. CPR is used to act as a person's heart beat, should their heart suddenly stop due to cardiac arrest, until an AED arrives. The AED analyzes the heart and shocks the heart every two minutes between CPR. The shock helps to clear the heart of confusion and basically helps to make CPR more effective. You do not stop providing CPR until the person starts talking or showing signs of life.
I don't mean to try and teach CPR through this post... After taking the course, I thought, "Everyone should know this." And, what better way to share this than through my blog. If you hear about a course being offered in school, at work, or through some other organization that you are a part of, take the time to go to the class. It only takes about two hours, and you may one day need it to save someone close to you.
After a person's heart stops, every minute that follows is crucial to their survival. Every minute that passes by without any aid provided lowers their chance for survival by 7%. Within seven minutes, they've lost about 50% of their chance for survival, and the loss of oxygen will cause irreversible damage to their brain.
Learn CPR. Learn how to use an AED. Spread the word about the importance of having this knowledge. Let's increase everyone's rate of survival. We can all have the ability to save lives.
Learn more about CPR and classes at the following sites:
Hawaii Heart Foundation
American Heart Association
American Red Cross
Love & Hafaguddei
No comments:
Post a Comment