Despite the increased medical awareness, many people still die due to delayed access to emergency first aid. Everyone relies on medical practitioners to respond quickly to emergencies and save lives. Sometimes, it is already too late when the medical team gets there.
You can save a life before the medical team gets there, and you can do so by learning and updating your BLS skills. This commitment can help you give a family member or a stranger a chance to live longer. If you don’t have these skills, then it is high time you figure out how to acquire them.
This article saves you the burden of searching where to get the skills by exploring some options you should consider. You can choose one or multiple options to help you learn all the expert skills.
1. Enroll For BLS Course
Enrolling in classes and lessons is the only way for an amateur in any life skill to get BLS expertise. The benefit of enrolling in these classes is the accredited certification showing your qualifications. With the certificate, you can easily get jobs like bay watching or working with the Coast Guard for rescue missions.
The good thing about the BLS certification classes is that you can attend them online or in person. Consider online classes if you already have the skills but need a certificate. Otherwise, practical sessions are necessary; hence, consider attending in person.
Before you sign up for any classes, ensure the institution is legitimate and accredited by bodies like the American Heritage Association. Finally, consider an institution that extensively covers all the key areas, including CPR and how to use special equipment like AEDs.
2. Stay Updated about the BLS Guidelines
Various organizations update the BLS guidelines every five years. Therefore, you should read these guidelines to learn the latest skills. Once you register on such a website, they will notify you about the latest skills and techniques and other guidelines.
If you already have skills, you need guidance to update them and avoid minor mistakes. Most guidelines focus on new cases and techniques or previous mistakes. Hence, they can help you avoid unintended mistakes.
3. Practice With A CPR Mannequin
If you attend online classes, you should sharpen your practical and hands-on skills. Therefore, you should practice while recording videos to perfect your skills. Share the video with an instructor or any CPR expert for their comments.
You can use a mannequin in a nearby facility or buy your own. Keeping your dummy will help you maintain your skills by consistently practicing until you become an expert.
A mannequin is also ideal for refreshing your skills if you have been away for a while. It is easier to remember CPR skills if you practice more. Therefore, you need a dummy to remind you to refresh your skills.
You can also learn and try new skills at home if you have a mannequin. The BLS skills may be standard, but there are different techniques when dealing with different types of people. You should be ready to improve your skills through observation and constant learning, then try the new skills at home.
4. Join Awareness Programs
Being part of CPR and BLS awareness programs will help you perfect your skills. These programs organize volunteer and life-saving missions, which are good opportunities to practice and improve your skills.
Some of these programs offer free or low-cost training to volunteers for a given time. The main advantages are experience and practicality. You get to be part of the team, performing various CPR exercises on different people.
If you are a student, summer, and school holidays can be a good time to volunteer and join these programs. Summer is also when the number of people needing CPR is higher. Volunteering will help you save lives and gain the necessary skills to excel at BLS and CPR.
As you join the programs, be ready to learn more than the basic CPR skills. Some of these programs include leaders from the medical field, which is a good opportunity for you to learn more from the experts. You can interact with them, learn by observation, and practice your skills while an expert watches.
5. Watch BLS and CPR Videos
Awareness programs and websites upload different CPR videos to teach the public how to respond to various cases. You can learn by watching different videos and practicing on the mannequin. These videos may include guided training and other key skills, techniques, and aspects you should learn.
Beware of social media videos posted by different people. If you must rely on such videos, ensure they are from an expert. Instead of looking for videos on social media, you can get them from various YouTube sites belonging to accredited organizations.
Videos are a good way to learn since you can rewatch while you perform your skills. You can also download and store videos for future practical needs.
6. Take Classes for Bystanders
Every medical professional must learn all the BLS skills as a requirement for this profession. You can also learn the same skill by joining classes for bystanders.
You can join various sites or medical camps to learn as a bystander. You can sign up for medical camps at various hospitals and medical schools to learn these basic skills. Such programs are open to citizens to ensure they can save someone’s life in medical emergencies.
Conclusion
Being good at BLS requires constant practice and commitment to improve your skills. Therefore, always watch the videos and refresher courses and read updated guidelines to improve your skills.
If you are not in the medical field, endeavor to join a course or BLS awareness program to learn something new and volunteer to save people’s lives with your skills.
