.png)
When swim instructors are working with children and those that maybe afraid of water and getting used to the process of sticking their face in water in preparation to learn how to swim can be extremely overwhelming for them. Individuals can easily become overwhelmed and get excited when learning new things in the water. It is extremely important for swim instructors to be proficient in CPR. This is a personal story below to give you an idea of the importance: Growing up in Arkansas one of the things we always did in the summer time was go to a creek or a pond to go swimming and many times this was a family adventure. And in the middle to late 1970s, all the kids in our community would take swimming lessons in preparation for these adventures. As a young child taking these lessons, I experienced the excitement of learning new things in the water and learning how to swim and how tiring it became. We often times got a little brave and went deeper in the pool than we were supposed to and one of my swim mates got a little too tired and swam away from the group, my mother saw this and jumped in after the child and pulled him to safety. The swim coach came running and realized that if the child had drowned no one would have known what to do. Since the late 1970s, it has become mandatory for swim instructors and lifeguards to become CPR certified. Check with the Red Cross: The first stop for anybody in search of information on lifeguards should be the organization that oversees training, certification and continuing education for most lifeguards throughout the U.S.: the Red Cross. The Red Cross explained that every lifeguard needs to be properly taught and certified in several techniques. It takes at least 25 hours and 20 minutes to complete a traditional in-person training course, though some prospective lifeguards can take a hybrid online course that takes slightly longer. The Red Cross has other courses that have been reconstructed as late as the middle of 2017 with the most recent guidelines. They now have the following courses:
There are courses for all age groups from young children to adults and all levels of swim instructions for swim instructors to waterpark lifeguards. The biggest question one has to ask, “do I know what to do if I have a potentially drowning victim?†If not properly trained a lay person can become a victim of drowning before a rescue even occurs. There are proper protocol and procedures to follow when helping a drowning victim. Reach or throw – don’t go!! Reach or throw a life line to the person rather than go in for them unless you are specifically trained to do so. ALL of the classes listed above will teach you the skills to do such life saving measures for someone in distress. We see a lot of teenagers as lifeguards and swim instructors and they need comprehensive training to keep those learners safe at all times. Find a class today and become trained. #beprepared
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
Barbara Jackson worked through college as a non-traditional student earning her Master of Science degree in health science focusing in health education. Barbara then went on to set for her national credential exam in 2011 earning her CHES (Certified Health Education Specialist) credential as well as being a Licensed Training Provider. Barbara has found her calling as a teacher and began working as a volunteer with the American Red Cross and became a CPR instructor for the Red Cross in 2007, since this time she has earned her teaching credential for American Heart Association and National Safety Council. Barbara is also an adjunct instructor for Arkansas Tech University teaching Responding to Emergencies: Comprehensive First Aid/CPR courses.
More articles by the writer
When swim instructors are working with children and those that maybe afraid of water and getting used to the process of sticking their face in water in preparation to learn how to swim can be extremely overwhelming for them. Individuals can easily become overwhelmed and get excited when learning new things in the water. It is extremely important for swim instructors to be proficient in CPR. This is a personal story below to give you an idea of the importance: Growing up in Arkansas one of the things we always did in the summer time was go to a creek or a pond to go swimming and many times this was a family adventure. And in the middle to late 1970s, all the kids in our community would take swimming lessons in preparation for these adventures. As a young child taking these lessons, I experienced the excitement of learning new things in the water and learning how to swim and how tiring it became. We often times got a little brave and went deeper in the pool than we were supposed to and one of my swim mates got a little too tired and swam away from the group, my mother saw this and jumped in after the child and pulled him to safety. The swim coach came running and realized that if the child had drowned no one would have known what to do. Since the late 1970s, it has become mandatory for swim instructors and lifeguards to become CPR certified. Check with the Red Cross: The first stop for anybody in search of information on lifeguards should be the organization that oversees training, certification and continuing education for most lifeguards throughout the U.S.: the Red Cross. The Red Cross explained that every lifeguard needs to be properly taught and certified in several techniques. It takes at least 25 hours and 20 minutes to complete a traditional in-person training course, though some prospective lifeguards can take a hybrid online course that takes slightly longer. The Red Cross has other courses that have been reconstructed as late as the middle of 2017 with the most recent guidelines. They now have the following courses:
There are courses for all age groups from young children to adults and all levels of swim instructions for swim instructors to waterpark lifeguards. The biggest question one has to ask, “do I know what to do if I have a potentially drowning victim?†If not properly trained a lay person can become a victim of drowning before a rescue even occurs. There are proper protocol and procedures to follow when helping a drowning victim. Reach or throw – don’t go!! Reach or throw a life line to the person rather than go in for them unless you are specifically trained to do so. ALL of the classes listed above will teach you the skills to do such life saving measures for someone in distress. We see a lot of teenagers as lifeguards and swim instructors and they need comprehensive training to keep those learners safe at all times. Find a class today and become trained. #beprepared
Vlad Magdalin
.jpg)
