So, you took a CPR class last month, great Job! Now that you’ve gone to the class, gotten a little bit of knowledge, and checked the box for your employer, its back to business-as-usual right? Sure, but how much information did you actually retain? Do you really feel confident in your ability to help someone when the time comes? A lot of people have this same thought, and immediately brush it off. Maybe saying, “it will never happen to me” or “I’m not worried, someone else will be there to help”. You may be right. In fact, I hope you are.
This was the case for one of my recent clients. This client (we’ll call her Samantha) took our Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED class in full, even though she was still in her refresher training window. Samantha opted to take the full class because she was unsure of her abilities, had a close friend who had encountered her second CPR use scenario, and it had been a while since the last time she looked at the material. Within 60 days of her class, Samantha found herself in a first responder situation, relying on her training, trying to aid a colleague at work.
At a local Welcome to Campus event, with a campus full of students, faculty and other staff, Samantha was walking with a colleague who we will call Jill. While walking, Jill tried to avoid an unkempt hedge that had overgrown the sidewalk, stepped on a walnut, and suddenly hit the ground. Jill is a middle-aged woman with pre-existing health conditions who, upon meeting the walnut, twisted her ankle, fell, and impacted her right knee, and came to an immediate stop on her right arm and shoulder.
Sounds pretty routine right? Give them a second, pick them up, maybe grab an ice pack and get back to work right? Sometimes that is the best option, however, in this case the scenario took a different path. Jill was demonstrating an immediate pain response, had difficulty using her right arm at the shoulder, and given her age and condition, some extra attention was warranted.
If you were in Samantha’s shoes what should your next step be?
If you said, “obtain consent to help”, you would be correct!
This is exactly what Samantha did, but immediately Jill became verbally combative in refusing help (Jill notes that this is because she was embarrassed) and only allowed Samantha to help once Samantha noticed that Jill was beginning to show signs and symptoms of shock. Once Samantha informed Jill that she was just going to follow her First Aid instructor’s advice and wait until Jill became unresponsive or exhibit a life-threatening condition, then consent didn’t matter, Jill finally allowed Samantha to call 911 and begin providing care. This is where Samantha was met some issues. She finally had consent to help, but what was the next step?
To make things easier on Samantha she should have followed the Check-Call-Care model. Samantha had half the picture, knowing that Jill was responsive but injured. However, she did not complete the CHECK step by conducting a SAMPLE interview or a Head-to-Toe Check to get more information. Samantha did not activate a bystander to obtain a first aid kit but did CALL 911 herself. In providing CARE she monitored Jill’s condition but did not immobilize the arm, knee, or ankle due to the lack of a first aid kit and consent issues with Jill. Once EMS arrived and conducted an initial assessment, they wanted to transport her to the ER for x-rays. Again, Jill refused care, but did end up self-reporting (with Samantha’s assistance) to an urgent care office for continuation of care and X-rays.
** Note: you can always call 911 whether the injured person wants you to or not. In the State of Maryland, “relinquishing care to a certified first responder” is a requirement of the Good Samaritan Law for Civil Cases.
Samantha tells us that because she so recently took First Aid/CPR/AED class she felt confident in being able to help her friend and co-worker even though it was not a life-threatening emergency or an instance where CPR was required. While things were not executed “perfectly”, the steps accomplished were in line with the level of consent she was given, and she felt that she her level of comfort allowed her to remain calm and control of the situation.
The American Red Cross is familiar with how Samantha feels, which is part of the reason why ARC utilizes specific instructional methods across their training courses. Specifically, Red Cross Training is designed to follow the M.A.R.S model of learning. MARS stands for Motivation, Association, Repetition, and Senses.
Therefore during a Red Cross Course you will:
M Motivate through goal achievement/personal value in the subject matter (let’s be honest, the motivation is mostly on you)
A Be guided to associate material with current events / previously learned material
R Be given ample opportunities for repetition (practice, practice, practice) either through information reviews or hands on opportunities
S Utilize as many senses as possible (sight, hearing, sensation) during training to lock in learning objectives through multiple avenues of cognitive stimulation
We wrote this article today at Samantha’s request. Samantha tells us that she plans to review at least a small portion of the course material at least once a month because accidents can happen anywhere and she never wants to feel unprepared to help someone, even if it’s just a minor fall. EMP2C absolutely agrees with Samantha and this is one of the reasons that we conduct our trainings the way we do. We provide digital copies of the participant manuals for our classes 100% free. EMP2C also always encourages participants to email us with questions that come up after the class has ended. Finally, one of the most common pieces of feedback that we receive is that our courses are so much more in depth than the courses that people have taken through other providers.
If you identify with any of Samantha’s thoughts, please don’t wait to reach out to your local quality First Aid/CPR/AED instructor to schedule a refresher. Use our article “Free, is the same as worthless” to make sure you are finding a quality program. Remember, EMP2C holds classes every weekend in Frederick Maryland and will come to you for groups of 3 or more. If you are interested in a training with EMP2C, you can register today at www.emp2c.com/firstaidtraining
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