A while back, my boss asked me and a co-worker to be the people who would teach our staff CPR classes. All of our staff has to be trained to do BLS (Basic Life Support) skills for our jobs. In order to be able to teach others, we each had to take a BLS Instructor class.
My co-worker has already taken the class, and I took mine on Monday. I won’t lie to you, it was pretty intense. They first have to test you to make sure that your skills are satisfactory. So they watched me run through all of the steps for adult and infant CPR. We also learn how to use the AED.
My last renewal was almost two years ago. This time the CPR dummies have lights in them that tell you if you are doing compressions too fast or too slow. It can also tell you if you are doing your compressions deep enough. That helped me a lot.
Once we showed that we were competent in those skills, the training began. We learned what to watch for, how to time everything, and did plenty more chest compressions. There was a team exercise where the entire class responded to a “code” that would last 10 minutes. We had to practice switching roles, communication, and offering positive feedback throughout. 10 minutes felt like 30 minutes. It’s crazy how time feels in those situations. My shoulders are still bugging me a bit.
Once the instructor course was complete, we had to take the test that we will be giving the students in our classes. We also had to take an instructor test. I’ve always had text anxiety, and thought I bombed them. I actually passed both tests and I am one step closer to being an official instructor.
My co-worker and I will have to co-teach a class together while someone watches us. Once we do that, and if all is satisfactory, we’ll get our instructor cards. Just like the student cards, we’ll have to renew them every two years. Once I have my card, I can actually teach outside classes if I want. They say that it is a good way to make some extra money. Not sure I feel comfortable enough to do that yet, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Our boss asked us to give her a couple dates so that we can do our first class. We sent those dates to her today and promised that it would not look anything like this:
There is so much wrong with this photo! Notice how AI gave my dummy two heads!
I’m excited to teach, but scared at the same time. We’ll be responsible for teaching the doctors and RNs, too! No pressure!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 
It’s so important for you to be doing this, so thanks very much, Keith. We had our first CPR course 16 years ago after the birth of our first grandchild followed by a refresher course four years later after our third grandchild was born. Our daughter-in-law is a pediatric nurse and certified CPR instructor so the classes were conveniently held in her house. It was a family affair with our sons, our daughter-in-law’s parents and my husband and I are taking the course. Seven years after our third grandchild was born, our fourth grandchild came along, and we took the course again. By that time there had been some improvements made to the dummies; they had lights and alarms and all the bells and whistles which was rather intimidating but all those safeguards are there to make sure we’re doing everything right. Fortunately, we’ve never had to use CPR in the 16 years since we had our first course …. another reason why refresher courses are so important. Thank you for everything you do. You are literally a lifesaver.
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Thanks, Nancy. Good for you to have taken the class, too. It seems like every two years something changes. Infant compressions used to be done with your pointer and middle fingers, but it’s different now.
We just gave our boss a couple dates to teach our first class. I’m excited for that!
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Congrats on passing the tests! :-)
Good luck with passing your teaching class. Hope it goes well.
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Do they still teach you to use a song? My niece said they used “Stayin’ Alive” to keep the rhythm right!
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An excellent course to take, I hope you’ll help many people learn how to do it and who knows if someday someone will be saved because of it. Your last paragraph confuses me though- surely doctors already would know how as part of their training…wouldn’t they?
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‘Big ups’ to you and your co-worker Keith!
Having benefitted from the knowledge and training of the two young policemen who saved my life ( 3 years ago this Saturday, as it happens – 25th April) I am SO grateful to people like you in the community. I was ‘gone’ for 10 minutes and as well as CPR (which broke all my ribs) it took 4 zaps with the AED to bring me back. Those two policemen just wouldn’t give up!
(I’ll spare you the gory details, but I keep in touch, one more so than the other, and they have delighted in telling me ALL the detail! :-D)
One subsequently raised money for a Public Access Defibrilator, and I attended the handover, where I also took part in a class teaching CPR. I have to say, it felt very odd – and emotional. But I had to sort myself out quickly as we then did a five minute feature and interview piece on the Scottish National News!
I also once witnessed a woman knocked down by the car in front of me at 4am in a deserted Glasgow city centre street. She flew over the car and by my own car window. CPR wouldn’t have been appropriate with her injuries, but I tended her as best I could and phoned the ambulance. But I felt so inadequately prepared.
Both these instances highlight the real need for this training you’re doing. You just never know the minute.
Sorry to bang on.
Your skills and efforts are most appreciated, Keith.
:)
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Ughhh i have to take the Instructor course as well so i can teach to my students, I’m really dreading it 😢
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many thanks to people like you two, I had to take these courses every year as an early childhood teacher and I was happy to know how to respond
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