As we reflect back on the month, we are reminded of CPR and AED Awareness week, and the fun we had celebrating this year! 

History of CPR and AED Awareness Week

In 2007, the American Heart Association (AHA), American Red Cross (ARC), and the National Safety Council came together to designate one week a year in honor of CPR and AED Awareness. Since then, the first 7 days of June have been recognized as a week to spotlight how important CPR / AED knowledge is, and the impact it can have on a community.

Celebrating Instructors

This year, we decided to take the week to celebrate amazing CPR Instructors that make a daily impact teaching life saving skills. We reached out to each of them with 5 questions to get some insight into what they do and why they do it. Then we took each day to feature one of them on Social Media.

Check out their answers and the great things each of them are accomplishing in their communities! Then offer your support with a follow to keep up with their great work. 

Sixth City (Cleveland, OH)

1.) What got you involved with CPR & First Aid Training?

I am a CRNA- advanced practice provider that specializes in anesthesia. Specifically, I work in cardiac, thoracic, and vascular surgery. I started teaching a few years ago because I was comfortable with the material and it was an easy transition. My viewpoint has evolved since then. There is so much value in educating, even if informal, especially non healthcare providers.  

2.) Have you ever encountered a real-life CPR scenario?

More times that I can count unfortunately. Working with a high acuity patient population, encountering these types of  emergencies comes with the nature of my profession.  

3.) What is your favorite moment or memory from CPR Training so far?

I was volunteering at an event recently and I met a woman while I was set up at a hands only CPR demo table. I noticed she had a sternotomy scar, but I didn’t want to violate her privacy, so I didn’t ask. She ended up telling me about her surgery and the cardiac arrest she had suffered at home, prior to her open-heart surgery. Turns out, I was one of the people who had taken care of her the prior year during her operation. It was a beautiful full circle moment. We both cried.  

4.) What is one tip or advice you make sure to always share with your students?

Doing something is always better than doing nothing and bad CPR is better than no CPR. While I do emphasize proper techniques during training, I realized many lay providers fear intervening in an emergency because they think it must be perfect. It does not have to be an all or nothing situation. If you are not comfortable giving mouth to mouth for whatever reason, it is absolutely okay to do hands only chest compressions. Even when there is a poor outcome, I believe there is some small comfort knowing you did everything you could to help that individual survive.  

5.) What would you tell someone who is unsure about learning CPR & First Aid?

Knowledge is power. The simple fact that most cardiac arrests happen at home is a motivating factor for many. This means that if you are in a situation where someone needs chest compressions- chances are it is a loved one. Seconds count in a life-or-death situation. No one ever regrets getting trained, only the opposite! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixthcitycpr/

Palm Pushers (South California)

1.) What got you involved with CPR & First Aid Training?

Once the pandemic hit, I couldn’t find employment in the healthcare field. I was certified as a medical assistant as well as a phlebotomist, but the demand was high for nurses at the time. I ended up renewing my BLS to keep current & while I was there, I inquired about becoming an instructor. The person I spoke with gave me all info needed and by the next week I was an instructor!  

2.) Have you ever encountered a real-life CPR scenario? 

No but if I did, I know I’m prepared for any unexpected medical emergency.  

3.) What is your favorite moment or memory from CPR Training so far?  

The moments I enjoy is at the end of the class when the students leave smiling. They’re so excited about earning their certification.  

4.) What is one tip or advice you make sure to always share with your students? 

Take a deep breath if you need to, then think about what you learned during the course. Don’t take too long you have about a minute. What you do during an emergency matters, never be afraid. You’re literally saving someone’s life! 

5.) What would you tell someone who is unsure about learning CPR & First Aid? 

I start by telling them our mission… Our mission is to improve the preparation of individuals and organizations for times when an emergency might occur, by providing proper and thorough hands-on training. Lastly, I tell them that I am confident enough to say that anyone who trains through me will have this knowledge stay with them long into their future careers as well as their personal lives. And my teaching methods will provide individuals with the tools of confidence and capability needed to save lives. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palmpushers/

Heartbeat Essential Training (New York, NY)

1.) What got you involved with CPR & First Aid Training?

 As a Respiratory Therapist i was always on the firsr response team at my shifts. So i got interested in teach others on how to perform CPR

2.) Have you ever encountered a real-life CPR scenario?

Ive been on countless real life scenarios, inside and outside of hospitals 

3.) What is your favorite moment or memory from CPR Training so far?

Training a big group of girls scouts and answer all their funny and interesting questions

4.) What is one tip or advice you make sure to always share with your students?

To feel confident when getting involve on a real scenario. And to not hesitate

5.) What would you tell someone who is unsure about learning CPR & First Aid?

That is important to be prepared to respond to different emergencies situation, to help others and our loved ones.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartbeatessential/

Nurse to Instructor (California)

1.) What got you involved with CPR & First Aid Training?

I am a nurse, and see first hand why learning CPR is important for all ages.

2.) Have you ever encountered a real-life CPR scenario?

Yes, I have witnessed and participated in a few CPR scenarios. A personal experience was when my son was a toddler and began to choke. He is 16yrs old now and completely fine

3.) What is your favorite moment or memory from CPR Training so far?

I love meeting new people, I learn from my students as they learn from me. I have had people contact me stating because of their training, they have received a job offer. This is why I stay in the business.

4.) What is one tip or advice you make sure to always share with your students?

Stay safe, remain calm, and remember each situation may not go as plan, but make sure you did your best.

5.) What would you tell someone who is unsure about learning CPR & First Aid?

If my 13 year old can do it, so can you.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asia_cprinstructor/

Arrow Safety (Glasgow, KY)

1.) What got you involved with CPR & First Aid Training?

I was a Firefighter/EMT in Louisville (KY) for 12 years, so I was able to save countless lives by performing such a basic skill such as CPR. By seeing first hand the results that this can provide, I wanted to train as many people as possible since heart attacks and cardiac arrests are two of the leading killers of adults in the United States. 

2.) Have you ever encountered a real-life CPR scenario?

More times than I can even count due to being a career Firefighter/EMT in a large metropolitan city. CPR can be needed for a variety of situations, ranging from heart attacks and cardiac arrests to overdoses, choking patients that can’t clear their airway, and countless other scenarios. 

3.) What is your favorite moment or memory from CPR Training so far?

Unfortunately, drug overdoses are pretty prevalent in my state. However, I was able to have a student return back for a refresher class and he shared with me that he had to perform CPR on a co-worker that had overdosed and was able to successfully resucitate him with CPR and the use of an AED. Success stories like that are what makes it all worth it!

4.) What is one tip or advice you make sure to always share with your students?

You can do everything exactly “by the book” and that person may not survive – things are sometimes completely out of our control. However, knowing that you have less than 10 minutes to begin CPR in order for the patient to have a decent chance of surviving (and having a good quality of life afterwards), the best we can do is learn CPR and be able to put those skills to use if the time comes. Even if you’re not doing chest compressions exactly like you’re supposed to, any blood flow is always better than no blood flow, so just do your best and remember the basics. During my career as a Firefighter/EMT, the majority of patients who survived a heart attack or cardiac arrest are those who had a bystander performing CPR when we arrived, so, as a lay rescuer, you truly do make a difference!

5.) What would you tell someone who is unsure about learning CPR & First Aid?

If you can operate an iPhone, you can perform CPR and basic first aid. It may seem daunting at first, and doing chest compressions can become tiring, but the potential results can literally be life-saving. Approximately 70% of cardiac arrests occur in the home/residence, so based on statistics, if you have to perform CPR, you’re most likely to do so on a loved one or a neighbor, making it even more of a reason to learn these valuable skill sets. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arrowsafetyllc/

Heart Charged

1.) What got you involved with CPR & First Aid Training? We (Bethany & Hannah) have a heart condition which makes us more prone to sudden cardiac arrest. Hannah is a sudden cardiac arrest survivor. It’s so very sad to us how low the survival rate is when the majority of people could survive if more people were empowered to act. We prefer people live, so we do lots of things including training people so that happens.  

2.) Have you ever encountered a real-life CPR scenario? 

No.   

3.) What is your favorite moment or memory from CPR Training so far? 

This past year, we held assemblies in schools for about 4,000 students. This was not a formal training. At one particular elementary school, we had about 40 minutes with each group. Still we taught the chain of survival. (We taught them through music and movement.) We had just enough time to run one practice scenario where someone took charge, someone called for help, someone started CPR, and someone went for the AED. In a full length class, we would have done various scenarios.

We were so impressed when a 4th grader asked us later what she should do if someone went into sudden cardiac arrest and she was the only person there to help. How amazing is that! She was really grasping what we were talking about and wanting to know the priority in giving help. How brilliant! (We, of course, told her to call for help and then go and get an AED if she knew she could retrieve and use it within three minutes.) 

4.) What is one tip or advice you make sure to always share with your students? 

Especially in regards to AED training, we tell our students that we don’t need them to remember anything from the training except that they should and can use an AED. Oh, and to turn it on. The AED will guide them from there.   

5.) What would you tell someone who is unsure about learning CPR & First Aid? 

Take a class with us. It will be fun. You will understand why we do what we do. You will be empowered. We’re successfully teaching 3rd graders. You can do it. Don’t fear. In cases of sudden cardiac arrest, you can only help. And in an emergency, any steps you take will be appreciated. If you only contact emergency services / 911, bravo. If you can get and use an AED, fabulous. If you can perform CPR as needed, excellent. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartcharged/

CPR Ready LA (Los Angeles, CA)

1.) What got you involved with CPR & First Aid Training? 

I have been working in EMS since 2006 and the Emergency room since 2009. 

2.) Have you ever encountered a real-life CPR scenario? 

I saw many patients come in after sudden cardiac arrest that had very little chance due to no one knowing /performing bystander CPR. I decided to start CPR Ready to keep Los Angeles that much more safer 

3.) What is your favorite moment or memory from CPR Training so far? 

The text/call when a former student saves the life of someone else, usually a family member choking. 

4.) What is one tip or advice you make sure to always share with your students? 

If the patient says oww twice, you can stop CPR 🙂  

5.) What would you tell someone who is unsure about learning CPR & First Aid? 

Post covid,  it is taking around 15 minutes for an ambulance to come. Every minute CPR is not done it’s around 10% brain damage. Remember, you are the closest first responder, start something! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cprreadyla/