As a busy dad, there’s nothing more precious to you than your family, and you want to keep them safe in any way you can.
Whether that’s buying a security system, double-checking the smoke alarms, or teaching your children self-defense skills, there are countless ways that you work every day to ensure their happiness and well-being.
However, one thing you may not regularly consider is first aid skills, such as performing CPR or the Heimlich maneuver. You may believe that your training from years past will still give your child a fighting chance should they collapse, but methodologies have changed drastically in the last few years, and your classes may not have covered everything necessary to rescue a child. It’s essential that everyone learn CPR and obtain a CPR certification card, but parents especially need training in how to perform pediatric first aid. Today, we’ll explain why every busy dad should get CPR recertified, and why getting your CPR renewal online is the best decision you’ll ever make to protect your family.
In an emergency, you need the confidence and ability to take charge
Many Americans learn CPR in high school, while others might get first aid certification as a condition of their work or volunteer activities; this could have been years ago, using outdated information that does more harm than good. In the past few decades, new research has suggested that when initiated by bystanders, compression-only CPR provides better outcomes than CPR with rescue breaths; this has led to the American Heart Association revising their guidelines to focus more on compressions than mouth-to-mouth.
Another problem is that though you may have been certified in CPR, you might not be aware of the differences between first aid for children and adults, as it might not have been covered in the course you took. Due to differences in size and anatomy, you shouldn’t press as hard when performing Infant CPR and you may only use one hand depending on their size. For infants, you should only use your fingers or thumbs rather than a full hand, as you may cause severe damage if you push as you would with an adult. Similarly, AEDs have different settings for children than adults, which you might not know if you didn’t take a course.
There’s also the fact that cardiac arrest in children often has different causes than in adults. While it’s entirely possible for children to suffer from a heart defect, their hearts often stop because of choking or drowning rather than heart attacks. When you approach a child whose heart has stopped, you may need to work on clearing whatever has obstructed their airway rather than immediately performing CPR.
Online CPR recertification classes let you learn life-saving maneuvers without sacrificing on family time
If you’re a father, you’re probably on the go constantly, providing for your family and still trying to enjoy those precious moments when you’re not at work. It might seem impossible to fit in an hours-long course in first aid; you may find yourself justifying why it’s not that important and that you’ll never use it anyway, simply because the idea of sitting in a classroom after a long day of work sounds excruciating. However, you don’t need to drive yourself to a local college and sacrifice hours of family time in the process, because there’s a better way to learn these essential skills.
Online CPR renewal courses allow you to learn on your terms, with highly focused lessons that you can complete in just 10 or 20 minutes. This means that you can slowly build your comprehension over a few weeks, fitting your lessons around your busy schedule; instead of taking a whole three hours out of a weekend, you can watch and read a lesson while waiting at the doctor’s office or on the bus ride home.
You’ll also be amazed to learn just how affordable these classes can be: you can buy peace of mind for two years, all for under the cost of a nice meal out with the whole family. CPR recertification classes range from $40 to $60, including pediatric first aid lessons.
There’s no excuse not to know how to care for your children in an emergency
We pride ourselves on being providers and protectors, and that should include during life-threatening medical emergencies too. Knowing how to intervene can give you the confidence necessary to break through the bystander effect and take action, which can give your family member a fighting chance to survive. An online CPR recertification class is an affordable and convenient way to redevelop your first aid knowledge, with quick lessons you can complete around your schedule.
There is no way to calculate return on investment when it comes to saving your child or spouse because a human life is precious, but any way you slice it, $60 is a very low price to pay for your peace of mind.