First aid and CPR certification

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c.joe
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First aid and CPR certification

#1

Post by c.joe »

Hi guys, I'm looking to renew my certification for first aid and CPR however I don't have the time to sign up for my normal classes which is usually quite time consuming. (**** work)

I recently found a website called http://www.firstaidweb.com/certificate.php and it provides online certification and sends you a certificate via mail.

How reliable is this? Does this lean more towards a fake certification that is not as reliable or respected compared to one from, for example, Red Cross? Is it common to get certification online? Any suggestions other than this?

Thanks!
-Chris
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The Deacon
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#2

Post by The Deacon »

Things may have changed in the thirty odd years since I was certified for CPR, so I'm hesitant to outright label it a fraud. However, I can't see how you could possibly demonstrate your ability to do either chest compressions or breathing properly via a keyboard and mouse and I can't see how one could be legitimately certified without having demonstrated those techniques. Never was first aid certified, but have to think it also has skills which call for hands on demonstrations of proficiency that can't be "webified".
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Creepo
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#3

Post by Creepo »

This is coming from a guy who lives outside the states and I'm asking what's really the point of said certification? What is a piece of paper good for in a real emergency?
(I know it can be advantageous to have when applying for some jobs, but other than that.)

As long as you've received training in CPR and first aid you'll be able to help a person in an emergency. Isn't the real key to refresh your skills every now and then?
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#4

Post by jackknifeh »

Creepo wrote:This is coming from a guy who lives outside the states and I'm asking what's really the point of said certification? What is a piece of paper good for in a real emergency?
(I know it can be advantageous to have when applying for some jobs, but other than that.)

As long as you've received training in CPR and first aid you'll be able to help a person in an emergency. Isn't the real key to refresh your skills every now and then?
Helping a person is the point. However, with our judicial system you have to be careful. If you perform CPR on someone and they don't make it you may get sued by their family. If you are certified by the Red Cross or some organization they may pay for your legal fees and you stand a better chance in court. Also, if your only training was watching movies you may not even know how to tell if someone is really dead and needs CPR. This is a long subject. I was a CPR instructor many years ago and first of all you NEED to have access to at least one of those "dummys" (I mean the maniquin, not the instructor :) ). The maniquins are supposed to be close to the feel of a human body because the chest compressions if too hard will kill (even though the person is already technically dead). Even correctly done you may break ribs but hopefully the person will live.

Jack
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#5

Post by 2cha »

jackknifeh wrote:Helping a person is the point. However, with our judicial system you have to be careful. If you perform CPR on someone and they don't make it you may get sued by their family. If you are certified by the Red Cross or some organization they may pay for your legal fees and you stand a better chance in court. Also, if your only training was watching movies you may not even know how to tell if someone is really dead and needs CPR. This is a long subject. I was a CPR instructor many years ago and first of all you NEED to have access to at least one of those "dummys" (I mean the maniquin, not the instructor :) ). The maniquins are supposed to be close to the feel of a human body because the chest compressions if too hard will kill (even though the person is already technically dead). Even correctly done you may break ribs but hopefully the person will live.

Jack
In PA, the good samaratin laws go even further, requiring red cross certification in order to receive the benefit of civil immunity--check your state laws!!!!!
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#6

Post by JabFynger »

The Red Cross location that I went to for my CPR/AED and Remote First Aid certifications offers an abbreviated course specifically for certification renewal. I think its like an hour or so just to refresh your skills and make sure you can still perform to certification standards. It's also a lot cheaper. I'd check your local Red Cross to see if they offer the same thing (I imagine it's pretty standard) But ya, trying to find time to schedule stuff like that around work is never fun.
"You could have opened that with your hands." "Ya, but this knife cost me $60...the hands were free.":spyder:
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Creepo
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#7

Post by Creepo »

jackknifeh wrote:Helping a person is the point. However, with our judicial system you have to be careful. If you perform CPR on someone and they don't make it you may get sued by their family. If you are certified by the Red Cross or some organization they may pay for your legal fees and you stand a better chance in court. Also, if your only training was watching movies you may not even know how to tell if someone is really dead and needs CPR. This is a long subject. I was a CPR instructor many years ago and first of all you NEED to have access to at least one of those "dummys" (I mean the maniquin, not the instructor :) ). The maniquins are supposed to be close to the feel of a human body because the chest compressions if too hard will kill (even though the person is already technically dead). Even correctly done you may break ribs but hopefully the person will live.

Jack
Oh yea, I forgot you can pretty much sue anyone for anything in the states, of course. That was on my mind but I thought to ask anyway. And yes I'm all for hands on training, videos and such are totally useless IMO without actually doing it afterwards.

I've received CPR training like 3 times within the last couple years and actually got a Red Cross certification from the last one. (The previous ones were more or less un-official, though instructors were ceritified OFC.) And the last instructor emphasised the fact that the card in your wallet isn't gonna resuscitate anyone. :rolleyes:
I'll try and keep my skills fresh and take a course when needed. :)
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#8

Post by The Deacon »

Creepo wrote:I've received CPR training like 3 times within the last couple years and actually got a Red Cross certification from the last one. (The previous ones were more or less un-official, though instructors were ceritified OFC.) And the last instructor emphasised the fact that the card in your wallet isn't gonna resuscitate anyone. :rolleyes:
I'll try and keep my skills fresh and take a course when needed. :)
True, but what the card will do is allow you to apply for, or keep, a job where certification is a requirement. Just like you can't be a lifeguard, at least not here in the states, unless you're Red Cross certified in basic lifesaving.
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c.joe
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#9

Post by c.joe »

Thanks everyone for the input. I asked around more and it is indeed fake. It is not reliable at all and is not official.
JabFynger wrote:The Red Cross location that I went to for my CPR/AED and Remote First Aid certifications offers an abbreviated course specifically for certification renewal. I think its like an hour or so just to refresh your skills and make sure you can still perform to certification standards. It's also a lot cheaper. I'd check your local Red Cross to see if they offer the same thing (I imagine it's pretty standard) But ya, trying to find time to schedule stuff like that around work is never fun.
I will have to look this up! Thanks for letting me know!
The Deacon wrote:However, I can't see how you could possibly demonstrate your ability to do either chest compressions or breathing properly via a keyboard and mouse and I can't see how one could be legitimately certified without having demonstrated those techniques.
Big +1. I already felt it was kind of shady when I went straight to the buy it now page. :)


As for why I want it, it is for two reasons. One is for jackknifeh's reason and the other is for an internship that I am about to work for.

Thanks again for all the input. Again, this website is fake and like what you guys said, there is no way we can demonstrate proper CPR or BFA.

Cheers!
-Chris
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#10

Post by Freediver »

I have to be up to date on my CPR so I have been getting re-certified every two years or so. I always do the American Heart Association CPR/AED course. It is definitely worth it to take instruction from a live person and actually get the feel of doing it, like everyone has mentioned already. The guidelines have recently changed too. The last time I got certified was back in May and a few months ago they changed the guidelines to chest compressions first.
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ceya
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#11

Post by ceya »

Even though the site is fake but is the info?

Most of the CPR is what I remember of it, even though they changed some stuff just recently.

Im going through that site's First Aid.



S/F,
CEYA!
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#12

Post by jackknifeh »

ceya wrote:Even though the site is fake but is the info?

Most of the CPR is what I remember of it, even though they changed some stuff just recently.

Im going through that site's First Aid.


S/F,
CEYA!
Does that web site charge money for a certification? I assume they do. There are lots of scams online now. I almost got sucked into one once and a very observant lady at Western Union saved my butt. I reported it and talked to someone at the FBI on the phone and was told it may have been backed by the Russian mafia. They didn't even take a report from me. I thought that was odd.

About CPR. When I was having to certify every year it was amazing to me how often the number of breaths to chest compressions changed from one year to another. Not every year I don't think but enough to catch my attention. I think as long as you remember the goal is to get air (oxygen) into the lungs so it can be absorbed into the blood and then the chest compressions replace the heart beating to move the oxygenated blood throughout the body, especially to the brain. That's the main thing so if you do 4 chest compressions instead of 5 it shouldn't matter that much. Or that's the way it seems to me.
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#13

Post by JabFynger »

c.joe wrote: I will have to look this up! Thanks for letting me know!
No problem at all. However I was a little off on the details :rolleyes: ... The course I was referring to is called ADULT CPR/AED REVIEW. It is $35 and lasts 3.5 hours... instead of the 5 hour, $45 class for new certifications. (Not sure if they would honor certifications from other entities besides the RC.) Also, if your certification is from somewhere else but you want to get a Red Cross certification, they offer the full class for $35 during March for "CPR Month."
Good luck!
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Re:

#14

Post by TomAiello »

Creepo wrote:
Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:10 am
This is coming from a guy who lives outside the states and I'm asking what's really the point of said certification? What is a piece of paper good for in a real emergency?
(I know it can be advantageous to have when applying for some jobs, but other than that.)
That's it.

I know plenty of people working in medical fields who are required to be CPR certified. They either have tons of daily practice (i.e. paramedics) or are never going to need to do it (i.e. nurse working in a doctor's office) but they are still required to maintain a current certification.

FWIW, my wife got an online certification (she's a medical professional) after probably 20 years of in person classes, and performed CPR last weekend successfully. I think that once your skill level reaches a certain point, the online certification is probably fine. But if you expect to actually learn the skill (with no prior training) from an online course, I'd say that's fairly unrealistic.
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Re:

#15

Post by TomAiello »

jackknifeh wrote:
Sun Jan 23, 2011 9:35 pm
When I was having to certify every year it was amazing to me how often the number of breaths to chest compressions changed from one year to another. Not every year I don't think but enough to catch my attention. I think as long as you remember the goal is to get air (oxygen) into the lungs so it can be absorbed into the blood and then the chest compressions replace the heart beating to move the oxygenated blood throughout the body, especially to the brain. That's the main thing so if you do 4 chest compressions instead of 5 it shouldn't matter that much. Or that's the way it seems to me.
The statistics show that the important thing is that _any_ attempt to give CPR was given. Wrong breath/compression ratio (or whatever) is a pretty minor consideration, compared with just attempting CPR in the first place. There have even been (very few, but real) cases of people successfully performing CPR with no training, after having seen CPR being done on a television show.

I taught Red Cross first aid and CPR courses every week for about two years, but more than 20 years ago, and I'm fairly confident I could still do 'good enough' CPR.
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Re: First aid and CPR certification

#16

Post by James Y »

When I worked as a massage therapist, I had to get certified in CPR every couple of years. One thing I recall the teacher saying was that the chest compressions should ideally be timed in your head to the beat of the song Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees. “Ah-ha-ha-ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive…”

Jim
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Re: First aid and CPR certification

#17

Post by Freediver »

James Y wrote:
Wed Jan 25, 2023 2:11 pm
When I worked as a massage therapist, I had to get certified in CPR every couple of years. One thing I recall the teacher saying was that the chest compressions should ideally be timed in your head to the beat of the song Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees. “Ah-ha-ha-ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive…”

Jim
Yup that’s true about The Bee Gees, still holds up. Oh, and I agree with what I wrote in this thread 12 years ago.
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Re: First aid and CPR certification

#18

Post by Halfneck »

My hospital job has shifted from clinical to clerical now. Formerly an EMT-I, and Army Medic, and actually used CPR on a patient coding. I've watched CPR change over the years in how many compressions to breath ratio, to an emphasis on the compressions. As TomAiello mentioned above, the important thing is that any attempt was made. Whether I was doing a 15/2 or a 30/2 compression/breath ratio, or even just compressions, just as long as it was being done. I've heard the Bee-Gees song reference as well as the Star Wars Imperial March song.

That said, I'd want to make sure the certification was credible. Always had mine done by Red Cross certified instructors while in the Army, and later by whatever hospital I was working at.
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