Career Fields that Require CPR Training

CPR is a learned skill and one that is necessary in many work environments. There are few careers that you can waltz into the door of without an education that confirms that you have the training and understanding of the career, and in many careers, CPR training is part of the process to become who you want to be. The following outlines some fantastic careers, all of which require CPR training and the important role that individuals play in their field.

Career Fields That Require CPR Training

There are a great number of career fields that require CPR training, and individuals that love to be in an environment that is geared towards caring for people, or responsible for people, definitely will love the following careers.

You will be required to know CPR before practicing in the following career fields

Nursing
First Responders
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
Firefighters
Police Officers
Physician Assistants
All Healthcare related careers
Lifeguards

And several more careers not mentioned above.

CPR certification increases your career prospects greatly. If you currently hold CPR certification then definitely you are in a position to apply for jobs at hospitals, or health care homes, and even schools.

When you consider career fields that require CPR training it is important that your certificate is from a program that is accredited by the National Safety Council, the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. There are a number of places that you can obtain your certification which are local to all areas.

Because there are different levels of courses, prior to enrolling in your CPR class, get all the specs. If you are after CPR training for a career over your personal and social responsibility, then you definitely want to enroll in a more extensive class such as the CPR and AED classes. You want to make sure that the training that is offered in the course is training that will apply to the job.

A career as a CPR professional would be near impossible without a certificate, as a certificate verifies that you have the level of knowledge and skill to save a life in an emergency situation.

Career fields that require CPR training are exciting careers. For many individuals with a bit of the humanitarian cause in them, Career fields that require CPR training are wonderful choices in a career.

CPR certification must be kept up to date, and must be from a valid, accredited course. CPR recertification is required every two years. However, the American Red Cross suggests that refresher courses are taken every six months and a review course annually. If you are in Career fields that require CPR training it is likely that your employer will follow the recommendations of the American Red Cross. CPR courses are not time consuming, however, and each person, even school aged children have the ability to learn CPR.

There are also fields that CPR training may boost your career or make your resume look very appealing.

When individuals that apply for jobs whether CPR certification is required or not, when they have additional training such as CPR on their resume, they have additional expertise that makes them useful to the organization.

Regardless of why you seek CPR – for CPR related employment, to boost your resume or for a personal and social responsibility. CPR is definitely a training that is beneficial in all walks of life and for those that seek career fields that require CPR training, there are a great number of rewards, including a career that you enjoy getting up each day to work in.

The cost is inexpensive and the rewards great, especially when you find that you have the skill to save a life in an emergency situation.

Performing CPR on a Child

No life can be replaced, but the life of a child is incomparable to all others. It is far too often that children are involved in accidents or suffer an emergency situation and the adults around them are unprepared. Child CPR helps to provide the security you need in the event of an emergency.

When the child’s heart has stopped, you have but a few minutes to keep the body alive. Child CPR is to provide children with the life support they need while you wait for medical assistance.

Child CPR Steps ( This is not a substitute for baby CPR training)

If someone is nearby ask them to quickly dial 911. If not, quickly dial 911 and then begin child CPR.

Gently and carefully position the child on their back. During this step you must be extremely cautious not to twist or move the spine, neck or head.

As you pinch the child’s nose shut maintain an open airway.

Make a seal around the child’s mouth with your mouth and give two long, short breaths by exhaling into the child’s mouth. You should see the chest rise, when it falls, begin the second breath.
If the child does not respond, administer CPR.

Gently feel the child’s chest to find the lower tip of the child’s breastbone. Take two fingers to measure the width toward the head of the child and position the heel of one of your hands in this location. Take your remaining hand and position it over your first hand and intertwine the fingers of your hands.

Lean forward so that the child’s shoulders are over your hand.

With the weight of your upper body push down on the child’s chest. Perform five chest compressions in three seconds.

After the fifth chest compression, administer one longer, slow breath.

Continue this cycle for 12 times total and then recheck the child’s breathing and pulse.

If there is no response, continue a 12 set cycle followed by checking the child’s breathing and pulse until help arrives.

Child CPR is something that each parent should not ignore; there are just too many situations that can be life threatening to a child.

Tips for performing CPR on children

For more information on child CPR contact the American Heart Association or the America Red Cross.

At all times, keep an open airway.

While administering rescue breaths to the child be sure the nose of the child is pinched shut.

Don’t give up! Without your life support that child can suffer brain damage or death.

As you breathe into the child’s mouth keep focused on the child’s chest to ensure that the chest rises.

This is an indication that your breaths are effective.

If the chest fails to rise, reposition the child by re-tilting the child’s head. If rescue breathing is still not productive, the airway of the child may be obstructed and you will have to clear the child’s airway.

Children’s lungs are smaller than adult lungs and you must be careful not to give breaths that are too large. Give rescue breathing that is just enough to rise the child’s chest gently.

If the child is suffering from a severe mouth injury, then keep the child’s mouth sealed and administer rescue breathing through the child’s nose.

Be cautious not to apply too much force during chest compressions.

If vomiting occurs gently turn the child to their side and wipe out the child’s mouth. Reposition the child to the supine position and continue mouth to mouth and chest compressions.

There is no substitution for baby CPR classes and each parent should consider enrollment in a child CPR class. The classes are not lengthy and can be completed in a few hours in the evening, online, in your own home, or on the weekends.

CPR Certification

If you have been considering CPR certification there is nothing that should keep you from it.  Getting certified is not expensive, nor is it time consuming, and it is a course that even young children can enroll and become certified.

Types of Courses

Typically, there are four different  CPR courses:

Level A CPR:  The Level A CPR course is a basic course that provides students with CPR training for emergency situations. In this course, students are taught:

How to apply CPR on adult patients.

How to recognize choking symptoms and signs and how to respond.

Understand the correct position for a victim in recovery.

How to recognize the main symptoms of cardiac arrest.

How to understand the risk factors of diseases and learn which factors are not preventable

Level A and AED CPR: This course includes the topics covered in the CPR Level A course as well as additional topics. In this course students are introduced to an AED- a small device that views a person’s heart rhythm and records their ventricular fibrillation, and learn the importance of the AED and how to effectively use an AED. Students are also taught the functions of the human heart.

Level C CPR: Level C covers the topics covered in Level A course but provides students with instruction on how to apply CPR to adults, children, and infants. Additional topics covered in the course include:

How to identify choking signs in an adult, child or infant and what to do.

How to apply CPR to an infant or child.

Level C CPR and AED: Level C CPR ad AED covers the same topics as Level C and introduces and teaches the use of the AED.

Each course comes along with a course manual. During the course students will have dummies to practice the application of CPR. This allows students the “real” effects of first hand CPR. The first thing that will be taught in CPR certification classes is to remember that your role in saving a victim’s life is to keep them alive until the medical response team arrives.

During each CPR course, students will be assessed on their competency and skills levels and students that show that they have learned the ability to apply the necessary skills upon course completion will receive their certificates.
 

Testing

The standard CPR test is in two parts:

Written Test: The written CPR test includes a series of question on the basics of CPR. This part of the test is to ensure that students understand when to perform CPR and how to perform CPR, and also know how to deal with various situations. The test is a multiple choice question test.

Skill Test: The second part of the CPR certification test involves applying the skills which students have been taught during the course. The instructors provide a dummy or manikin for students to demonstrate their CPR skills. This allows the instructors to verify that students have learned the proper technique of CPR, are able to follow protocol and know how to administer breaths and compression.

CPR testing is done during the course, which allows students an atmosphere that they are comfortable in and plenty of time to complete the test.

CPR certification typically is valid for a year. When an individual wishes to have recertification they will be required to take the written test and the skill test to ensure that they have retained the proper knowledge, techniques and skills. When protocols have been changed, it may be necessary for the individual to retake the course.