In today’s world, we’re always searching for options that help us learn faster and more effectively, especially when it comes to essential information we can use in our everyday lives. One of the most invaluable skills you can learn is CPR and first aid techniques, as you never know when an accident may occur in which you’re needed to provide life-saving measures.

You may believe that this isn’t important if you’re not in the healthcare profession, but you’d be wrong: every day, millions of people come face-to-face with life-imperiling emergencies, and there’s not always a doctor or nurse around to help. From witnessing a car accident on a rural country road to experiencing a loved one suffer a heart attack at home, there are countless ways in which you may be required to jump in and provide life-saving measures before emergency medical personnel can arrive. This is why it’s so important to learn CPR and other basic first aid procedures – and it’s never been easier to do so than now, with online CPR certification courses readily available.

Why is CPR so important?

CPR isn’t just something you see in movies: it’s an important medical procedure and a person’s first line of defense against death. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation keeps blood flowing through a person’s body when their heart has stopped, which ensures that they do not suffer brain damage from a lack of oxygen. CPR can also prevent the heart muscles from dying as well as ensure the function of other vital organs.

As soon as someone’s heart stops, there’s a limited time period before they experience irreversible brain damage, so the sooner that their heart is restarted, the better. CPR is an effective intervention that can delay this damage while you wait for medical personnel to arrive, and it can mean the difference between life and death for someone who has experienced cardiac arrest.

What is an online CPR certification course?

Much like a traditional in-person class, an online CPR certification course teaches you how to perform basic life-saving measures, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Instead of going to a classroom and listening to a lecture, then watching CPR be performed on a mannikin, you will watch a qualified healthcare professional explain the different procedures that are necessary in a medical emergency. It’s just like classroom training, but it’s more convenient and affordable than traditional training.

What are the benefits of online CPR certification?

The major pros of online CPR training are that you can learn anywhere at any time; you don’t need to worry about showing up at a particular time and place to receive your training, and you don’t need to complete it all in one day. Instead, you can pace yourself and learn a bit at a time every day, going back and visiting lessons that you’re not sure about or taking breaks when you need to. Instead of sitting and receiving all the information at once – which can be overwhelming – you can absorb the lessons slowly, allowing your mind to really cement the knowledge before moving on to the next module.

Online CPR courses are also incredibly affordable, especially when you consider that you’re saving time and money by not commuting to a classroom. Courses cost from $40-$65, and the certification lasts for two years.

What do you learn in an online CPR certification course?

You might believe that it’s only about learning the mechanical procedure of CPR, but these classes are so much more than that! They also cover basic first aid in emergencies, such as what to do if you witness a car accident or find someone overdosing from opioids. You’ll learn the warning signs of a stroke, what to do if someone has a seizure, and how to treat a diabetic experiencing a hypoglycemic episode. Other topics can include how to stop bleeding, what to do if someone is going into shock, the mechanics of injuries, and types of extreme temperature emergencies.  More than that, you’ll also learn how to prevent some common emergencies, such as poisonings, through common-sense precautions you can put into place immediately.

With all this knowledge, you’ll be more prepared to jump into action should you ever see someone suffering from one of these common medical emergencies, potentially saving a life.

There’s no better time than the present to learn how to provide first aid

Online CPR certification courses cover a range of topics, including how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and how to stop bleeding in an emergency. While you might believe that you’ll never need to know how to properly perform CPR or create a tourniquet, you never know what kinds of emergencies you’ll face: it’s better to know it and never use it than to need it and not know how. Online CPR training makes it simple and convenient to learn these vital life-saving skills, leaving you prepared for anything life might throw at you. It’s time to be an everyday hero by taking the time to learn basic first aid.