Something Everyone over the age of 16 should know!

So the other day I had to renew my ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification. Basically that means, BLS (Basic Life Support) aka CPR, with medication and other fun stuff (like IO-- an iv in your bone!). I really enjoyed getting to take that class actually, and it doesn't hurt that I get paid to go to it! We had one of our ER Docs going over a lot of interesting stuff-- the most interesting is that studies showed the chest compression part of ACLS is the most important! Kinda funny, because we normally go find the students or someone with little to no training to do that part! I will definitely be watching my minions closer when they are doing chest compressions.

The reason why I wanted to make a note about this, is I believe everyone over the age of 16 should take a CPR course at least once every 10 years (technically your license expires every 2 years, but I don't expect people who are not in the medical field to get it renewed that often). It is really a basic course and you don't have to be a brainiac or medically inclined to understand how to do it! Do you have 2 arms? Can you exhale? Can you speak? If you answered yes to these 3 questions, then you should take a CPR course!

Just think about it. You're in the mall when you see someone fall down. You rush over there and ask if they are ok, but they don't respond. What do you do? Call for help and stare at them? You don't see them breathing and you're not sure if they have a pulse. What do you do? It sounds scary because you don't know what to do.... but if you had taken a CPR course, you could potentially save someones life! It's a simple 3 step processes, but it works!

Another thing-- you're a mom and you lil one chokes on something. Do you know what to do? Most BLS classes will go over a choking scenario!

So, all this to say, Please take a class! It's actually pretty fun and you kinda feel like a super hero afterwards (even though it was a plastic person you just saved)! You also walk around watching everyone and thinking to yourself, "Who is going to fall down? I so know what to do!" It's even better to do it with friends!

Now I've got you thinking, call up your local Red Cross and they can hook you up with a class! It's not expensive and again, it's not rocket science! And who know what might happen if you're prepared with life saving skills!