The American Heart Association, or AHA, is a major provider of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, training for both health care professionals and lay people. The AHA provides training through an extensive network of community training centers both in the United States and worldwide. A variety of CPR, first aid and emergency cardiovascular care courses are available based on the type of audience and the class setting.
Instructors
The American Heart Association requires specific training and competency testing for each CPR instructor, and credentials must be maintained in order to continue teaching. Instructors must adhere to all AHA guidelines when teaching and use only materials and equipment that are approved by the AHA. There are also specific requirements for the number of instructors that must be available, depending on the size of the class.
Types
The American Heart Association has programs designed for health care professionals, workplaces, schools and community settings. The different programs are geared to teach a variety of rescuers to respond appropriately to a cardiovascular emergency. The class for professional rescuers requires a written exam and a skills test. Other programs are designed to be taught to non-health care professionals in the community setting and do not require any kind of testing.
Equipment
The major part of learning CPR is practicing hands-on skills. Skills such as chest compressions are practiced on special manikins that are specially designed for learning CPR. The AHA requires instructors to properly disinfect all manikins and adhere to guidelines to prevent the spread of germs. Other types of equipment, like barrier devices, breathing masks or training automatic external defibrillators, will be available for the class, depending on the skills that will be taught.
Video
Each AHA course has its own instruction video that the course leader will use in the class to teach important points and demonstrate skills. Course participants have the opportunity to first watch the skill on video, then practice the skill along with the video, then, finally, the student is shown a scenario and is then asked to demonstrate the steps that would be taken in that situation. One or more instructors will be available to help participants learn the skills for each lesson.
Conclusion
CPR training can literally mean the difference between life and death. The chances of survival for a cardiac arrest victim can double when effective CPR is begun immediately. The American Heart Association offers a variety of programs for health care professionals, workplaces, schools, the community and even right at home, and there are procedures in place to ensure that instructors are adequately prepared and that courses are taught according to accepted guidelines.
Considerations
The American Heart Association determines the requirements and procedures regarding all of its training courses. Please refer to the American Heart Association information on the AHA website for the latest information.
