According to a paper recently presented at the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians, “Student CPR/AED Training in High Schools- Is There a Need?” by Leo McFarland, and other researchers, CPR should be taught in high schools. Statistical data showed that over a three year period, 19% of students surveyed were exposed to a “life threatening cardiac emergency.” Out of these students, more than 75% did not perform CPR despite the prevalence of emergency medical dispatchers in the area where the students were surveyed. The results of this survey demonstrate a great need for increasing awareness of CPR in high schools as part of their curriculum.
So the real question should be: Why are high schools not already including CPR in their curriculum? It seems like a simple fix, however, the lobby for CPR certification is simply not strong enough to compete with other educational necessities determined both by lawmakers and school administrators. Quite often, teachers feel alienated because they are unable to deviate from specific program requirements in their curriculum.
The sense of academic freedom in the K-12 environment is quickly leaving our educational systems in exchange for a standard curriculum. Unfortunately, this does not include important practical skills such as managing a budget, understanding credit, and learning important life skills such as CPR and First Aid. Often times, high school graduates will reflect on the information they learned and ask themselves what practical purpose these skills served for them. Mathematics is a primary example. How often would a graduate be expected to utilize calculus in their job? Probably not very often, if ever will this be the case.
But just because political lobby and administrator ineffectiveness are involved does not necessarily mean that these practical skills cannot be taught. Obtaining CPR and/or First Aid Certification does not have to be a complicated process. With the advent of online educational programs, CPR can now be taught entirely online and in a manner which seeks to meet the necessary educational requirements while at the same time making the training enjoyable. EMS University through www.cprclass.org offers CPR Certification and First Aid Training, established by Paramedics with years of experience in the field.
An added benefit to this type of training, is that the CPR course has video demonstrations to show what CPR looks like when performed on a real person, versus a manikin. Additionally, the training can be completed anytime and anywhere, so this means that a teacher could assign the project as homework and require students to engage in a discussion regarding their experience after training is completed by everyone. The cost of online training is significantly less than scheduling a class because administrators do not have to pay to have an instructor come to teach the class which can get fairly pricey. Finally, the online venue is prime for spreading the word about this valuable practical skill and should not only be taught in the high schools, but should be a requirement for graduation.
Title: Let’s Make CPR a Requirement to Graduate from High School
According to a paper recently presented at the National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians, entitled, <a href=”http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p64910_index.html”>”Student CPR/AED Training in High Schools- Is There a Need?”</a> by Leo McFarland, and other researchers, CPR should be taught in high schools. Statistical data showed that over a three year period, 19% of students surveyed were exposed to a “life threatening cardiac emergency.” Out of these students, more than 75% did not perform CPR despite the prevalence of emergency medical dispatchers in the area where the students were surveyed. The results of this survey demonstrate a great need for increasing awareness of CPR in high schools as part of their curriculum.
So the real question should be: Why are high schools not already including CPR in their curriculum? It seems like a simple fix, however, the lobby for CPR certification is simply not strong enough to compete with other educational necessities determined both by lawmakers and school administrators. Quite often, teachers feel alienated because they are unable to deviate from specific program requirements in their curriculum.
The sense of academic freedom in the K-12 environment is quickly leaving our educational systems in exchange for a standard curriculum. Unfortunately, this does not include important practical skills such as managing a budget, understanding credit, and learning important life skills such as CPR and First Aid. Often times, high school graduates will reflect on the information they learned and ask themselves what practical purpose these skills served for them. Mathematics is a primary example. How often would a graduate be expected to utilize calculus in their job? Probably not very often, if ever will this be the case.
But just because political lobby and administrator ineffectiveness are involved does not necessarily mean that these practical skills cannot be taught. Obtaining CPR and/or First Aid Certification does not have to be a complicated process. With the advent of online educational programs, CPR can now be taught entirely online and in a manner which seeks to meet the necessary educational requirements while at the same time making the training enjoyable. <a href=”http://www.emsuniversity.com”>EMS University</a> through <a href=”http://www.cprclass.org”>www.cprclass.org</a> offers <a href=” http://www.cprclass.org/onlinecprclass.php”>CPR Certification</a> and <a href=” http://www.cprclass.org/onlinefirstaidclass.php”>First Aid Training</a>, established by Paramedics with years of experience in the field.
An added benefit to this type of training, is that the CPR course has video demonstrations to show what CPR looks like when performed on a real person, versus a manikin. Additionally, the training can be completed anytime and anywhere, so this means that a teacher could assign the project as homework and require students to engage in a discussion regarding their experience after training is completed by everyone. The cost of online training is significantly less than scheduling a class because administrators do not have to pay to have an instructor come to teach the class which can get fairly pricey. Finally, the online venue is prime for spreading the word about this valuable practical skill and should not only be taught in the high schools, but should be a requirement for graduation.
Chief Executive Officer – Ruben Major, EMT-Paramedic, M.A.
Ruben began his career in Emergency Medical Services in 2000. He holds a Master’s Degree in Military History and has experience as a Paramedic and EMS Supervisor in the field. He has taught CPR and First Aid Programs for several years. Ruben is the current Program Director for an EMS Paramedic Program at a private college in Phoenix, Arizona. Ruben has published several articles on public safety and is responsible for creating the nation’s first Native American APCO EMD Program.
338 views
