Knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and receiving your CPR certification allows you to potentially save lives in an emergency medical situation. This is especially important if you have a loved one with heart issues, as many people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, which has a mortality rate between 70% and 90%. However, this knowledge is useful in public, as strangers may also experience cardiac issues. Below are several advantages of receiving professional CPR training.

Why Should You Get a CPR Certification?

1. Save Lives

The brain needs constant blood flow to function properly, and when someone's heart stops, they have roughly four to six minutes before their brain is starved of oxygen. Performing CPR expands this window and allows extra time for professional help to arrive. While paramedics make every attempt to get to the scene of a medical emergency as quickly as possible, they have no control over traffic delays or weather issues. That's why many emergency responders urge people to attend a CPR certification course, as performing this treatment can give medical personnel enough time to respond.

2. Increase Knowledge Pool

One possible reason why out-of-hospital mortality rates are high for heart attack victims is that many people don't know CPR. In fact, only 54% of Americans claim to know how to perform this life-saving function, and even fewer know the proper compression rate, which is 100 to 120 beats per minute. However, when someone properly performs CPR on a person experiencing a cardiac episode, the victim's survival rate may double or triple. By attending a CPR certification class, you increase the general knowledge of the public, which means you may be available to help someone in need. 

3. Learn & Perform It Easily

Virtually anyone can learn how to perform CPR because it only requires you to place your hands on a person's chest and perform compressions to keep blood flowing throughout the body. However, using the proper technique is necessary to give someone the best chance at surviving and recovering. While you can learn the basics from online tutorials and videos, formal accreditation is encouraged to ensure you're performing CPR correctly.

If you are seeking CPR certification, contact BEYONDedu in Bridgeton, MO. This nursing school provides comprehensive medical training you can trust. These skilled instructors offer a variety of courses, including certified nursing assistant and phlebotomy training, as well as medical coding and billing courses. Visit the website to learn more about their classes, and call (314) 361-2747 to speak with a team member about enrollment.