Many people I have had the pleasure of meeting, through school or work, do not have a CPR certificate. My first thought was “why?” One may not find a CPR certification to be necessary in day to day life but, when it comes down to it, being certified in CPR can be extremely beneficial. I always make sure to keep up with my CPR certificate as soon as it expires. The certifications are not hard to obtain. You can attend classes or even earn one online. Because my father is a firefighter I wanted to be able to say,“I could save a life.”

CPR certificates can be useful on resumes as well as job applications. But getting certified is much more beneficial than just satisfying a job requirement, you are given the opportunity to save a life and you are able to react to a life threatening incident at the drop of a hat. But there is more, you are also given the opportunity to use an Automated External Defibrillator. Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in adults and if the paramedics do not arrive in time your training in CPR could help save a life.

When I earned my certification I gained confidence. Call me cheesy but it’s true. Just the thought that I could help any person at any given time gave me a sense of fulfillment. There is also a sense of calm that is empowering. When emergencies happen people tend to panic and having an individual who knows CPR, and an AED, can calm others who are in a state of panic. When people know you have a CPR certificate their respect for you will increase to a whole other level because you not only have the ability to save their life, but their family members’ and friends’ lives as well.

You can also earn a certificate in pediatric CPR and I have found it is extremely beneficial. If you are asked to watch someones children being certified in pediatric CPR will put the parents at ease because they will know their children are safe in your care. But pediatric CPR differs from the kind you do on adults. The compressions are less and you need to be careful because because children’s bones are much more fragile than ours are. If a child should choke on food or a toy you will be able to jump into action and know what to do. But first you need to understand you need to stay calm and call 911 before beginning compressions. By doing this you speed up the process of helping someone by performing first aid before medical professionals arrive.

The process of gaining your certificate does not take long at all. As I mentioned before, you can take classes online or locally. On-site classes can range from one to several days and online classes can last a few hours. Just be sure you have the right equipment, such as a CPR dummy as well as an AED. You can contact your local fire department for more information regarding CPR and first aid training.

One thing to remember, CPR is a serious matter and you need to take the process seriously. You are being trained to save a life. Be responsible with your learning experience and make it a fun one! I hope that others will want to gain a certificate and be reassured their training can help others in a time of emergency. It sure has changed my life and I hope it will do the same for others.