The Advantages of Knowing CPR

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a two-part series of actions designed to help someone who has stopped breathing or who has suffered a heart attack. CPR consists of timed chest compressions and rescue breathing techniques that anyone can perform. Training in CPR is available from the American Red Cross, hospitals and other organizations nationwide. Courses in CPR are generally only one afternoon long, but the benefits serve you for the rest of your life.

Save Lives

• The single greatest advantage of learning CPR is gaining the ability to save a life. The American Heart Association reports that while exact statistics regarding CPR's effect on lifesaving abilities is not quantifiable, certain facts remain in evidence. In cities where CPR is widely taught, survival rates for people who experience heart attacks are approximately 30 percent. In other areas where it is less likely that someone knows or can perform CPR, survival rates are closer to 1 to 2 percent. Learning CPR gives you the advantage of being able to help a stranger or loved one should they face a life-threatening situation.

Empower Yourself

• Learning CPR gives you the confidence to know that if your child, friend or family member were to choke, stop breathing or experience a heart attack you would know what to do. Fear and panic can cause you to lose precious seconds during which CPR can save a life. Having the proper training allows you to push through the initial fear and perform CPR until medical assistance can arrive.

Build Skillsets

• Some jobs, such as lifeguard, require CPR training in order to retain your job whereas other positions may not require it, but it is beneficial. Teachers, for instance, have a duty to act in certain situations. This means that if a teacher spots a child having trouble breathing or in need of first aid, the teacher can be found negligent if he does not provide aid. Learning CPR gives you a valuable set of skills no matter where your career choices lead you.