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What a CPR Course Involves

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a procedure that has been developed for use in emergency situations in which a person’s heart has stopped beating. The emergency procedure involves positioning, breathing, compressions and may involve the Automated External Defibrillators (AED) to jump start the heart. CPR training courses teach students how to respond in an emergency situation to assist a victim in cardiac arrest.

  1. Videos

    • The first step in taking a CPR course is to visually understand what happens when a person suffers a heart attack and stops breathing. CPR courses show videos to their students that disclose the symptoms of a heart attack and how a person responds to a cardiac crisis or the inability to breathe. Videos also reveal the life-saving process a person trained in CPR takes to revive the victim in a breathing or heart crisis. Students get a first-hand look at real-life, real-time scenarios.

    Learn the Basics

    • Students being trained in CPR techniques learn the basics of the procedures they are to use in an emergency CPR situation. Students training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation learn about the importance of tilting back the head to open the passageway of the throat and about checking for signs of life before starting emergency procedures. CPR students also learn about chest compressions, how to do them and the importance of applying just the right amount of pressure, in rhythm and at the right time.

    Practice Skills

    • While head knowledge is important in learning basic skills, students learning CPR also need to have practical, hands-on experience in order to complete their training and to feel confident in their ability to assist in times of crisis. To this end, the students undergoing CPR training practice on specially designed mannequins, learning the precise hand movements that produce the compressions. Students also practice the breaths needed to help a person in crisis breathe again.

    Practice with AED

    • The Automated External Defibrillators (AED) save lives by giving the heart an electric jump-start. AEDs are now found in schools, terminals and businesses. Part of CPR training is learning the most effective use of the AED. CPR students also use the specially designed mannequins to develop their skills in applying and using the AED to get them used to the procedure and to know what to do when the need arises.

    Testing

    • Testing is a part of any certification process. A CPR course test has two parts. The first part tests the knowledge the student has gained during the training course. This test may be given on paper or online. The second part of the test is practical and hands-on with the CPR students showing what they have learned. This includes surveying the scene to make sure it is safe, tapping the person and asking, “Are you OK?”, asking someone to call 911 as well as looking and listening. Only then is the head tilted back and CPR begun.

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