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The answer is Yes! Given that it is graduation season for High School students around the United States; I believe that there is not a better fitting time and place to have a discussion and increase awareness about training High School students on how to perform CPR. According to the American Heart Association, every hour, 48 people will suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital.1 Of the 48 every hour, 9 out of 10 will not survive.1 If, the emergency dose occur around someone who is trained in CPR, it could double or even triple their chances of survival.1 Currently there are 24 states that have laws mandating that CPR training be required for all High School students to graduate.2 Statistics are great, but there is nothing like seeing and hearing first hand the positive impact these laws are having on the states that have implemented them. Below are three powerful videos showing how states that have legislation passed requiring CPR training mandatory before High School graduation, are creating a safer environment for their community. 1.) http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3802543.shtml 2.) http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/story/d/story/change-is-a-heartbeat-away/24096/xP95jeamgESKw6TgFK5gkw 3.) http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/04/virginia-high-school-students-set-to-receive-mandatory-cpr-training-under-new-law-102447.html As high school students getting ready to enter adulthood, there are a certain set of life skills that they should be given. Within that set of skills, I believe that learning CPR is one of them. The class empowers students and gets them excited to learn about something outside of their normal class schedule. Along with, instilling the confidence of knowing they now have the knowledge to save someone life one day. One single CPR class could truly inspire and change the direction of a High School student's educational career. It could open their eyes to another potential career path to follow when they are in college. You never know, at what moment, something is going to click or sink in for a student, but without a doubt this could be a moment that does. A Message To The Politicians I hope that anyone with political influence would take this message to heart. I want you, the person who has chosen a career to represent the citizens who have elected you to office, the person with the political capital to stand up for the districts they serve and pledge to make their communities a safer place, by creating or supporting legislation requiring High School students to have CPR training before graduation. This does not require not a substantial financial investment, some of the classes that can be offered requires no extra training. If this is a concern though, communities are full of qualified healthcare providers that I guarantee you, that if called to serve their community they would without hesitation. First though, political action must be taken, to make this become a reality. A Message To The Parents And Members Of The Community I highly encourage everyone who is reading this article to take action. Nothing will change unless we increase the awareness and advocate for causes that we believe strongly in. All you have to do is contact anyone who is willing to listen. Pleases share this message with all of your friends and family, along with, encouraging them to do the same. Take this article and send it to your local legislator. If you do not know who it is, at the end of this article there is a link to a website that if your put in your city and zip code, it will let you know who it is and how to contact them. Also, bring this discussion up with the schools teachers, principles and superintendents. Stand tall and let your message be heard. You never know, it could be your own life or the life of a loved one that is saved because of your efforts. Think big; you never know what will change because of a simple email or conversation. Do not let a tragedy, that could have ended differently, occur in your community before action is taken! Take action today! Below is a link to direct you to figure out who and how to contact your legislator. http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/References 1.)http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/CommunityCPRandFirstAid/CPR-in-Schools_UCM_453682_SubHomePage.jsp 2.) http://schoolcpr.com/about/states-where-cpr-training-is-mandatory-for-high-school-graduation/
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Michael M. Heuninckx RN-BSN, is a man on a mission. One who has devoted his life to utilize the gifts he has been given to add value to the world today. Michael currently works in a high volume Pediatric and Adult Emergency Room in the Metro Detroit area and is a graduate student at Oakland University pursuing a Masters of Science in Nursing to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Michael has also published his first book, Code Blue! Now What? Learn What To Do When Your Patients Need You The Most! and is a Nurse Writer for the popular nursing website allnurses.com. Michael also devotes his time to the community volunteering at his church in the childhood ministries program and as member of the churches Medical Team.
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The answer is Yes! Given that it is graduation season for High School students around the United States; I believe that there is not a better fitting time and place to have a discussion and increase awareness about training High School students on how to perform CPR. According to the American Heart Association, every hour, 48 people will suffer from a sudden cardiac arrest outside of the hospital.1 Of the 48 every hour, 9 out of 10 will not survive.1 If, the emergency dose occur around someone who is trained in CPR, it could double or even triple their chances of survival.1 Currently there are 24 states that have laws mandating that CPR training be required for all High School students to graduate.2 Statistics are great, but there is nothing like seeing and hearing first hand the positive impact these laws are having on the states that have implemented them. Below are three powerful videos showing how states that have legislation passed requiring CPR training mandatory before High School graduation, are creating a safer environment for their community. 1.) http://kstp.com/article/stories/s3802543.shtml 2.) http://www.mychamplainvalley.com/story/d/story/change-is-a-heartbeat-away/24096/xP95jeamgESKw6TgFK5gkw 3.) http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/04/virginia-high-school-students-set-to-receive-mandatory-cpr-training-under-new-law-102447.html As high school students getting ready to enter adulthood, there are a certain set of life skills that they should be given. Within that set of skills, I believe that learning CPR is one of them. The class empowers students and gets them excited to learn about something outside of their normal class schedule. Along with, instilling the confidence of knowing they now have the knowledge to save someone life one day. One single CPR class could truly inspire and change the direction of a High School student's educational career. It could open their eyes to another potential career path to follow when they are in college. You never know, at what moment, something is going to click or sink in for a student, but without a doubt this could be a moment that does. A Message To The Politicians I hope that anyone with political influence would take this message to heart. I want you, the person who has chosen a career to represent the citizens who have elected you to office, the person with the political capital to stand up for the districts they serve and pledge to make their communities a safer place, by creating or supporting legislation requiring High School students to have CPR training before graduation. This does not require not a substantial financial investment, some of the classes that can be offered requires no extra training. If this is a concern though, communities are full of qualified healthcare providers that I guarantee you, that if called to serve their community they would without hesitation. First though, political action must be taken, to make this become a reality. A Message To The Parents And Members Of The Community I highly encourage everyone who is reading this article to take action. Nothing will change unless we increase the awareness and advocate for causes that we believe strongly in. All you have to do is contact anyone who is willing to listen. Pleases share this message with all of your friends and family, along with, encouraging them to do the same. Take this article and send it to your local legislator. If you do not know who it is, at the end of this article there is a link to a website that if your put in your city and zip code, it will let you know who it is and how to contact them. Also, bring this discussion up with the schools teachers, principles and superintendents. Stand tall and let your message be heard. You never know, it could be your own life or the life of a loved one that is saved because of your efforts. Think big; you never know what will change because of a simple email or conversation. Do not let a tragedy, that could have ended differently, occur in your community before action is taken! Take action today! Below is a link to direct you to figure out who and how to contact your legislator. http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/References 1.)http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/CommunityCPRandFirstAid/CPR-in-Schools_UCM_453682_SubHomePage.jsp 2.) http://schoolcpr.com/about/states-where-cpr-training-is-mandatory-for-high-school-graduation/
Vlad Magdalin
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