If you work in almost any area of the medical field or you want to work in healthcare, then you might have to take certain classes to learn the basic skills needed for life support. While you’re in these classes, there are a few areas that the instructor could concentrate on more than others.
Assessment
One of the first things that you’ll likely cover in a basic life support class in Minneapolis is how to assess a patient. When you encounter a patient, you’ll need to check to see if they are breathing or if there are any signs of trauma. You want to ask basic questions to see if the patient knows their name, what day it is, or other details that could indicate a loss of consciousness.
CPR
Another area that you’ll usually cover in a basic life support class in Minneapolis is CPR for adults as well as children. You’ll need to learn the correct number of breaths to administer for each age group as well as the number of compressions to perform. You also need to learn about how to check the airway and for a pulse.
Using Equipment
There are a few pieces of equipment that you might need to use when it comes to life support. One is an automatic external defibrillator. This is typically used after CPR if compressions and breathing don’t work. The machine can deliver a shock to try to get the heart beating again until you are able to get the patient to the hospital.