As a mother of three, I've had more than enough practice with First Aid over the years. I took a Red Cross First Aid/ CPR class before my first child was born, and have kept my certification current ever since then.
When oldest child was 18 months old, I got to test out my ability to perform the Heimlich on him when he choked on a piece of candy.
When middle child was 7, I got to practice what to do with a burn when he dropped a flaming marshmallow on his knee at a campfire.
When oldest child was 8 years old, he broke his arm, and I got to practice how to stabilize an arm so that I could get him to the hospital. (His arm looked like the letter "L" - Between his elbow and his wrist, his arm formed the capital letter "L". I'm still not sure how I managed to keep it together long enough to stabilize him, find someone to watch the other two kids, and get him to the hospital!)
Last week, I was outside on the playground with the second graders when a scream broke out from the other end of the playground. Running over, we discovered that his pinkie was sticking out at right angles from his hand. Would you know what to do?
I could keep going with the list of my real-life applications of my first aid skills over the years, but THAT would take a couple of days!
The point is that you will always use First Aid and CPR classes. Emergencies and accidents happen without warning. (That's why they're called Accidents and not Purposes!) Thinking clearly in order to help the people around you is critical. If you are looking through the First Aid App on your cell phone while someone is bleeding profusely, they could loose a critical amount of blood before you find out that you should apply pressure to the wound. And then, you should be using that cell phone to call 9-1-1, not to keep browsing through the APP!
Did you know that using a tourniquet is not the first line of defense for bleeding?
Did you know that AED's are easy to use, and will save the life of the person having a heart attack?
Did you know that if a person has a compound fracture of a limb, you should not move them before you stabilize the fracture?
Do you know how to do rescue breathing until a rescue crew arrives? Did you know that when they arrive, the rescue personnel can ask you to continue until they have their equipment set up and are ready to take over?
Did you know that the process for one person CPR has changed in the last few years?
The accident on the playground last week reminded me that it's almost time to renew my certifications. The first time I took CPR, I was 8 months pregnant, and I had a belly full of baby in front of me, making CPR interesting, but not impossible. Having lived through the 21 years since then, I firmly believe that it was worth every minute of my time. Taking the refresher certification every couple of years benefits me, and the people I love. I am reminded of how to handle emergencies. I am reminded of best practices to keep my loved ones safe, and how best to respond to a situation.
Anyone who has ever been in an emergency situation will tell you that your responses to these situations is based upon instinct. If you have learned response from a first aid class, chances are you will remember what to do. In every first aid class I've ever been a part of, we always do a lot of role playing of possible scenarios. We practice CPR again and again and again. When you renew your certification, you are reminded of the responses, and it they are drilled into your memory a little bit more each time.
The classes do cost money. It does take a day of your time.
The cost of knowing that you might be able to handle whatever life throws at you?
Priceless.
If you want to find more information, I have included the link to the Red Cross website. From here, you can find information about classes in your area.
It's Peace of Mind.
http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class
I receive no compensation for this, I just believe that you can never be too prepared for an emergency!
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