There are many great benefits of being CPR certified. Getting, maintaining, and using your CPR certification can be a profoundly rewarding experience. And even better, CPR is easy to learn.
We’ve compiled a list of 11 reasons for why you may want to consider learning CPR.
Save a life
No list of CPR benefits would be complete without addressing the fact that CPR saves lives. It’s such an important piece of what CPR certification is all about that we put it first. The American Heart Association says that “CPR, especially if administered immediately after cardiac arrest, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.”
Identify and respond to the signs of a cardiac arrest
That statistic is so important that it has become our second point on the list. One of the main benefits of CPR is the ability to help in the event of a heart attack or other cardiac arrest. In a CPR class, you’ll learn to identify the signs of a cardiac arrest, and what to do if you see them.
Worldwide, the American Heart Association says, “cardiac arrest claims more lives than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined.” Statistics show that if someone receives CPR, including chest compressions, 4 minutes of collapse, and if defibrillation is provided within 10 minutes, that person has a 40% chance of survival.
Understand how to use an AED
Speaking of defibrillation, your CPR class can teach you how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) properly. This life-saving skill can help you to provide care to someone who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. One study estimates that “about 1,700 lives are saved in the United States per year by bystanders using an AED.”
Help someone who is choking
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation isn’t just about heart attacks. Learning CPR can prepare you to help if someone is choking on food or another foreign object. Many classes can help you know how to help adults, children, and infants – and even yourself.
Help someone who is drowning
A CPR class can show you how to help in the event of a drowning, as well. Even if you aren’t a lifeguard, you may be in a situation where someone is in danger of drowning, so knowing whether to practice mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or hands-only CPR is a matter of life and death.
Assist with an accident
If you come across an accident, like a work accident or a car crash, do you know how to help until emergency medical help arrives? CPR training provides the skills you’d need to help in all kinds of emergency situations. Many CPR classes even combine CPR and AED training with basic life-saving and first-aid training.
Serve in a natural disaster
Emergency training from a CPR class can prepare you to assist in the event of a natural disaster, like a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake. Dr. Petrina Craine says that
“I think [people should learn] things such as what to have in a first aid kit; how to call 911, even in a stressful situation like a natural disaster; how to control potential life-threatening bleeding; how to help avoid potentially deadly changes in body temperature, especially for someone needing first aid in a very cold situation; how to support one’s breathing with life-saving positions; how to help treat burns; how to help someone that has drowned; and definitely CPR.”
These are all things that you can learn in a CPR class that also addresses basic lifesaving and first aid.
Save a life in a classroom
Many CPR classes teach participants how to perform CPR on children and adults. This knowledge can be vital for saving lives in a classroom, on a playground, or at the neighborhood swimming pool. From skinned knees to choking emergencies, a CPR class can show you how to help children in need.
Learn basic anatomy
Though you may not realize it, in a CPR class, you’ll learn a bit more about the human body and how it works. From understanding the proper way to perform chest compressions, you will learn about the bones and muscles of the chest. First aid training can help you better understand how to stop bleeding, address fractures, and understand internal and external injuries.
Meet Job requirements
Many types of jobs require CPR and first aid training. As we’ve discussed in our blog, some jobs require ongoing certification, including:
- Electricians
- Professional rescuers
- Health care providers
- Emergency Response Teams
- Doctors
- Safety personnel
- Police
- Ambulance crews
- Athletic trainers
- Airline employees
- Life guards
Industries, like construction, education, and others, highly recommend certification to meet national standards and guidelines.
Even if it’s not required for a specific industry, having a current CPR certification can benefit any resume. It can show an employer that you are willing to step up and help in an emergency.
Practice crisis management skills
If you do have to step in and help in a crisis, learning CPR can help you keep a level head, manage the situation, and ensure that help is provided. Those skills transfer from CPR into life.
With all these benefits of learning CPR, it’s hard to understand why anyone would choose not to. If CPR can save one life, or even if it can help you to feel better prepared in the event of an emergency, then it’s well worth the effort.