Yesterday, I had to re-certify for my BLS/CPR. I took a class at a school that teaches CNA/LPN courses and offers "quick certification". I am not even certain if they are accredited.
Anyway, the class was to start at 8:30. The teacher (who works for the school, not an outside contractor) first showed up at 8:40. That was annoying to begin with but not a huge deal. There were three of us who did not go to that school. We were only there to be recertified. There was a physical therapist who was going for her doctorate, a fitness trainer and myself, an LPN. The other six people in the class were all attendees of the school, who were to graduate in six more weeks as CNA's.
Those students all walked in late. Because they were the teachers "regular" students, she help up the class for them. Then, once they arrived, she first began to set up the dummies for CPR practice. By the time the class actually started, it was nearly 9:40am. We were in a room that was literally 10 feet by 8 feet. All ten of us. There was no air conditioning at all. Then, she didn't know how to set up the DVD player and couldn't get it to work. This took another twenty minutes and it was now 10am. What added to the frustration was the fact that the regular students brought in coffee and two dozen donuts for the seven of them (the six classmates and the teacher). They didn't offer us, the remaining three anything. They sat around chatting, drinking their coffee and eating their donuts (or doughnuts) while we were trying to watch the video and take notes. At one point, the student and the teacher were looking through her camera phone at pictures she had taken from when they all went out and "got really drunk" over the weekend. The teacher was included in these photos! I was amazed!
There were parts of the video that were supposed to be paused so that we could be instructed in technique. While the three of us didn't really need the instruction because we were all certified before, she didn't show the others in the class about ANY life saving techniques! She had the nerve to bark at the three of us that we should be practicing our compressions. They were making sex talk, inappropriate for our class of course and pretty much ignoring what we were there for. At one point, the teacher took a picture of our class, from behind, with all our asses ine air while we were doing rescue breaths. She thought it was really funny because one of the girls was wearing a thong and it was sticking out of her scrubs. I was extremely angry, but this person held my BLS card in her hands, so I kept my mouth shut (a very rare thing for me):chuckle
The teacher called about 4 fifteen minute "smoke breaks". During a CPR class??? They all puffed away in front of the building while we three stayed in the class, backed up the video and took the notes we weren't able to hear earlier over all the chatter. When they would return from their breaks, all of them literally stunk up the room! We were in a very warm, small room and none of these people were considerate enough to wash their hands or apply a little lotion or something to make the room breathable! She also scheduled a half hour lunch. So, considering that we started an more than an hour late, took an hour worth of breaks and then a half hour lunchbreak, we didn't exactly get the five hour course we paid for!
When we finally got to practicing compressions, you were supposed to switch back and forth between partners, to prevent fatigue. Instead, she made us do every single set of compressions on our own. We did about 10 sets of 30 compressions individually! We were exhausted, unable to breathe and very upset. There were also no face shields provided and no masks to allow us to give rescue breaths with sanitary conditions. The lab we were in was set up for a phlebotomy class. One of the women laid the boxes of donuts on top of the biohazard box, even while they continued eating them! I was completely mortified!
Finally, she gave out the test. The three of us passed easily, however, the others got a LOT of answers wrong. She passed them anyway, allowing them to go over their tests...WITH THE ANSWER KEY and change their answers!!! The three of us who DID pass were made to wait around for the six of them to change their answers, instead of allowing us to leave with our certification. When they were finally done, the school administrator came in.
Do you believe she made us listen to a 45 minute solicitation speech as to why we should all continue our education at their school??? HELLO??? I am already an LPN bridging for my RN. The physical therapist was in the middle of getting her doctorate and the fitness trainer didn't need a CNA or LPN class! We had to sit there and listen to her address the CNA's about their continuing education. Mind you, NONE of these people passed the BLS/CPR class. Not one.
We are going to encourage these women to be LPN's now? Great.
We were finally able to leave, get our CPR certification cards and get the hell out of there.
I feel that I want to lodge a complaint, not only to the American Heart Association but to the Board of Nursing as well. These people are supposed to be representing the AHA during this certification. And, as far as the Board of nursing goes...I think they would be a bit dismayed to hear about how these people just slid through their classes.
Should I bother to blow the whistle in this case, or shut my mouth and just know NEVER to go back there again for recertification?
I am VERY angry about the situation. Advice?
