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What All Is Needed for a CPR Class?

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, has been a way of saving lives since 1740 through a combination of chest compressions and breathing assistance. The American Heart Association trains more than 12 million people how to properly perform CPR annually. Instructors teach CPR classes through the use of props, equipment and printed training materials.

  1. Manikins

    • The use of manikins help show students where to properly place hands during chest compressions and how to administer breaths. Being able to actually press down on the chest of a manikin demonstrates how far down a student needs to press to properly perform chest compressions. Some manikins produce a clicking noise when the chest has been compressed far enough. Being able to actually give breaths to the manikin during CPR training shows students how much breath it actually takes and trains them to watch the chest rise and fall.

    Personal Safety Equipment

    • A major focus in health safety is the use of personal safety equipment, such as gloves and pocket masks. All personal safety equipment protects the person giving CPR from the possibility of diseases she can come in contact with while helping others. Pocket masks act as a barrier between the mouths of the rescuer and the person she is performing CPR on. Other personal safety equipment includes goggles, face masks, bag valve masks and towels.

    Practice AED

    • A practice automated external defibrillator (AED) teaches students how to use an AED through hands-on experience and training. The practice AED is programmed to walk students through placement of pads, administration of shocks and performance of CPR. This type of training tool looks and sounds like an actual AED, however, it is a different color and does not give shocks.

    Training Materials

    • The use of printed training materials, such as signs, books and worksheets, helps students learn through visual instruction. Before practicing CPR on a manikin, students will see where to place hands and how to perform rescue breathing and breath-to-chest compression ratios from printed materials. Other training materials available for CPR classes include training videos, pocket guides and computer programs.

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