FOR NON-HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
Welcome to the Heartsaver CPR AED course. During this course, you will learn knowledge and skills that may help save a life.
Although much is being done to prevent death from heart problems, sudden cardiac arrest is still one of the leading causes of death in the United States. About 70% of the arrests that occur outside of the hospital happen at home.
The skills you learn in this course will help you to recognize cardiac arrest, get emergency care on the way quickly, and help the person until more advanced care arrives to take over.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS COURSE
The most important goal of this course is to teach you to respond in a cardiac arrest emergency. Sometimes, people don’t act because they are afraid of doing the wrong thing. Recognizing that something is wrong and getting help on the way by phoning 9-1-1 are 2 of the most important things you can do.
Once you phone 9-1-1, the dispatcher — the person who answers 9-1-1 calls — will guide you in what to do until help arrives. People with advanced training (emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and others) usually arrive and take over soon after you call. Your job is to recognize when something is wrong, get help on the way if it’s needed, and help the person until advanced training arrives. In this course, we’ll also cover the Good Samaritan laws, which protect CPR rescuers who help during an emergency.