The BLS and CPR certifications are necessary if you are starting lifesaving courses. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation helps a person who stops breathing or has a heart attack. BLS, or Basic Life Support, enables you to save a person’s life. It includes things like checking a person’s breathing, their pulse and giving CPR if needed. Both certifications are necessary because they show your skills and knowledge. A bystander can take either of these courses and learn the basics skills. This article talks about both courses in detail. You will also learn about some professionals who could benefit from a BLS certification.
Who should take a BLS course?
Healthcare workers are the most obvious choice of people who qualify for this certification. They deal with life-threatening situations every day. Their patient care needs to look after every detail. Other professionals may need help with the things taught in a BLS certification. The below group should consider taking this course.
- Art Therapist: Art therapists help individuals express their hidden emotions. Through this course, they can understand if any student undergoes cardiac arrest and help. They allow you to work through difficult situations through visual art.
- Life Coach: Through guidance and support, life coaches help people identify and achieve goals. A BLS course would help them understand the basics of a person’s mental and emotional states. They can help them better understand their clients’ circumstances. Experiencing trauma is complex for many people. Some even experience irregular heart rates and anxiety attacks.
- Pet Psychologist: Pet psychologists help people release trauma with pets. Knowing these skills will help the therapist treat the student. Any patient can suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest in the sessions.
- Hypnotherapist: Hypnotherapists use hypnosis to help people work through mental and emotional issues. This practice often unlocks deep-seated childhood trauma. You should take a BLS course to ensure your patient does not collapse due to stress.
- Baristas: Baristas should take a BLS course to handle workplace accidents safely. A bar can get nasty if a fight breaks out. A bartender with a BLS course can help prevent accidents and treat injuries in the workplace.
- Painters: Painters should take a BLS course to properly use ladders and other safety equipment to avoid falls and other injuries. They must learn about fall injuries. Some chemical fumes cause poisoning and lead to cardiac arrest as well.
How does CPR help with saving lives?
CPR is a universal technique that can revive a heart. It uses the human’s bodily pressure and breath to mimic the working of the heart and the lungs. A CPR certification can help save a life with the steps below.
- First, call 911 or ask someone. By calling the emergency response team, you give time to arrive at the location.
- You must check the person to see if they are unconscious. You can only start CPR on an unconscious person. You can make a loud sound or tap them on the shoulder to check consciousness.
- If the patient is not breathing, start chest compressions. You need to put your palm in the center of the chest and place the other hand on top of the first hand. Push down hard and fast, about 2 inches deep. You need to deliver 100-120 times per minute.
- After 30 chest compressions, tilt the person’s head back and lift the chin. This step ensures their air passage remains open. You can also check for airway blockage in this step.
- Pinch the person’s nose and place your mouth over their mouth to make a seal.
- Blow two rescue breaths into the person’s mouth. These breaths deliver the much-needed oxygen into the patient’s system.
- You must check the person’s breathing and pattern.
- If the person still isn’t breathing, continue with chest compressions and rescue breaths.
- It would help if you continued CPR until the person started breathing independently.
- You may need an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). If the patient shows no response after 2 minutes of CPR, attach the AED pads and follow the voice prompts.
What are the teachings of BLS?
The American Heart Association (AHA) founded BLS certification. They launched it to help people learn and understand how to provide lifesaving help in an emergency. They wanted to ensure people had the skills and knowledge to help someone in a medical emergency. BLS certification is a type of certification that proves that you have completed a Basic Life Support (BLS) training course. It would help if you had it because it shows you know how to help someone in an emergency. This course teaches the topics below in detail.
- BLS teaches you to assess a patient’s condition. It would help if you took the patient away from any external harm and started treatment in a safe place. You will learn situational analysis and how to note a patient’s condition.
- The course also teaches CPR. It is a lifesaving technique used to restore blood circulation. You also restore breathing in someone with a cardiac arrest. This technique helps the patient survive the time the EMT takes to arrive.
- BLS also talks about AED. It is a machine that can help someone’s heart start beating again. The devices give out electrical signals that jump-start the patient’s heart if CPR does not work.
- You will learn to recognize signs of choking. With timely recognition, you can prevent brain damage and cardiac arrest in the person.
- BLS also teaches participants to recognize signs of stroke, heart attack, and other medical emergencies.
- BLS courses help you learn how to respond quickly in an emergency.
Conclusion
In conclusion, BLS and CPR certifications add value to your life. They can help you save a loved one or become a hero to a stranger. These two skills are essential for any medical professional or someone who wants to help in an emergency. Some non-medical professionals like therapists and painters may also need to take these courses. It will keep them prepared for workplace emergencies. If you are looking for institutes to take these courses, check the American HealthCare Academy. This group has all the required lifesaving courses to get you started. Log onto the AHCA website and learn more about the group and its offerings.
