Should teachers be CPR certified?

deespoohbear · Mar 19, 2003

Originally posted by susanmary
Exactly what happened to the school system in a city close by. I believe there wasn't a school nurse present -- nurses were split between schools. Kid choked on a hot dog & ended up dying -- no one either knew the heimlich/or did it correctly -- I can't remember. HUGE liability & lawsuit. Ended up with RN in every school. Again, this is soooo sad.

Too bad that it takes a child dying for something as basic as nursing care to be implemented in every school building. Then add in students who are diabetic, asthmatic, allergic to different stimuli (like say, PEANUTS?). And then you have the children with severe medical problems such as CP, autism, and other diseases and disorders. How on earth can a school board expect the school secretary/principal/teacher be adequately equipped to deal with such situations. It would be like asking me to teach an algebra class (now that would be funny!!) or writing out an educational plan for students. Maybe cutting out some of the high priced salaries that the administrators and other top dogs in the school corp make and providing adequate nursing care and decent teachers for the students would be a good place to start.

Enabled · Mar 19, 2003

Our children are a most precious gift. They are our future leaders. I think every school should have teachers certified. If it comes down to one being designated there is going to be a few more needed for back up in the event the primary person is unable to preform. Do teachers require credits for licensure and maintaining there certification? If so this should be tacked on as a necessity. Also, many fire departments will give instructions over the phone that may have helped but at least something was being done. Its true that most of the time we hear about changes is after some terrible tragedy has happened. We need to push for teachers also to be certified. I do also include this with anyone who works in groups as someone else has said. A friend of mine voluteers a couple of hours a week in a private home with patients with dimentia and as part of her "volunteer" discription required that she be CPR certified. It isn't that difficult and it only takes a few hours. Who knows someone might be saving your child and I yours or even you saving your own.

My niece had a friend stay with her with a new baby boy. Joshua was born with a cleft lip and palate and was gaining weight and doing well. A few days after Thanksgiving a couple of years ago the baby's mom went in to check on him as he had not cried for feeding. Well, unfortunately there was aspirate on the bed. My niece and then my sister began CPR immediately but unfortunately it was ruled a SIDS and the did find a heart defect. My sister also an RN insisted that if any of her children had children that they were to be certified in basic CPR. As a matter of fact the prenatal classes also had it as a part of their program at a local hospital.

In addition to school nurses and coaches why can't high school teenagers have it as part of the PE classes and they just might save someone. Unfortunately, there are too few individuals who are not certified. I just checked my card and I had better sign up for renewal.

Enabled · Mar 19, 2003

sr moore, I am aware that this is a very serious subject but how does one lay off a half of a nurse? You would think that the schools would be screeming to have nurses or several trained in CPR as one said to avoid a nasty lawsuit. And what comes out of it nothing. The awards given are nothing compared to the loss of life needlessly by any age. I something happened to my grandnieces as I don't have any children it would be devastating and no money would ever be able to fill the gap in my heart.

Also, everyone go home and hug your kids today. If they are elsewhere give them a call just to say high.

SharkLPN · Mar 19, 2003

My high school actually taught us all CPR as a part of our mandatory freshman year health class. This was awhile ago, and I went to a public school that was fortunate enough to have every levy pass. So we were lucky to have the Red Cross visit the school for the sake of training us.

Though I'm surprized that a teacher wouldn't seek out CPR training independent of work mandating it. I've yet to meet a teacher who didn't really care about their students, and preventing a tragedy is the ultimate gesture they could do.

jemb · Mar 19, 2003

Having been a BLS instructor for 15 years, I can say with certainty that having a CPR card does not obligate you to do anything. An ambulance chasing lawyer could find an excuse to sue whether the teacher knew CPR and didn't save the child, or there was no one in the entire school who knew CPR and could have tried.

I have trouble understanding how an educated person who works with any group of people -- as a teacher, or in an office, retail establishment, or wherever -- would not want to learn CPR. Having an employer pay for the class is a good thing.

Someone mandating that you take the class cuts the procrastination. But why would anyone choose to stand by and watch helplessly as a child chokes on his lunch or a co-worker clutches his chest and falls to the floor?

I first became CPR certified long before I even thought about becoming a nurse. No one else paid for my class, or even suggested that I learn CPR. I was working in an insurance office at the time. I just thought it would be a good thing to know.

BTW, nurses in CA are not required, except by our employers, to be current in CPR training. Do those of you in other states have to verify your CPR training before you renew your licenses?

CougRN · Mar 19, 2003

YES!

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2003

Originally posted by PowerPuffGirl
I'm actually kind of surprised to hear that they aren't. I guess I had always assumed they were.

- C.

:eek: me too!!! YES YES YES!!!! They definitely should be cpr certified!

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2003

And I have to say, that I will ask as soon as spring break is over, if the teachers are certified! If they aren't, then I will definitely make it a point to bring it up to the local hospital administration.... I have a feeling that they would offer a class free of charge (I would hope) to the teachers, and anyone else employed at the school, to get certified! Then, all the teachers would be out would be the $2 for the card.

RN2B2005 · Mar 19, 2003

Teachers should be CPR and First Aid certified, at a minimum. In addition, every school should have at least one AED device available for use.

My husband is a high school assistant principal, and he is CPR, First Aid, and AED certified. All teachers and assistive personnel--including support staff and custodial staff--are required to be CPR certified, a requirement that the school district satisfies by offering multiple CPR classes each year. His high school has three AED devices; one was used last year, a mere four weeks after purchase, to save the life of a coach who collapsed at a football game.

In addition to having all staff certified, all sixth- and tenth-graders in the district are required to take and pass a CPR class, offered by the fire department twice yearly. This means that of 1400 or so students at my husband's high school, about 1200 are certified to perform CPR. The district also subsidizes student lifeguard training and first aid and AED training for interested students.

I don't think we should be so quick to condemn the teachers in this case as cheap (as someone insinuated with the "$2 CPR card" comment) or uncaring--I doubt seriously that they stood idly by as the girl died. My guess is that the district is poorly funded, poorly equipped (why wasn't there an AED on premises?), and the teachers either hamstrung by policy or practise--some districts have regulations forbidding teachers from performing even basic first aid. I kind of wonder what the whole story is here--did the girl have a heart defect or allergy or other pre-existing condition?

Anyway, think about this dead girl every time you vote down a levy or skip an election--your vote directly affects funding, which directly affects "extras" like CPR training for teachers (which, by the way, requires time away from the classroom or the teacher's own time) and AED devices in schools.

ShandyLynnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2003

Ok, for the record, I NEVER said teachers were cheap! I did not intend to "insinuate" that they were when I was talking about the $2 card!

I was proposing a possible solution to the problem if my district doesn't require them to be certified!

Genista, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2003

In California, teachers obtaining their clear credential must show evidence of having completed BLS (CPR) for infant, child & adult. But doesn't it seem silly that this isn't required of teachers with preliminary credentials (meaning that a "new" teacher can teach for several years without the CPR class under the belt)?

http://www.ctc.ca.gov/credentialinfo/leaflets/cl560c.html

CPR should be required of all teachers. Yes, teachers are working in substandard conditions & budgets are tight, but basic CPR should be a priority. Schools should pay for the class for all teachers! CPR isn't difficult to learn, and it's not that expensive, either. I would hate to be a teacher in charge of 20-30 kids & NOT know basic CPR.

I suppose this requirement varies from state to state & from district to district? Scary!

RN2B2005 · Mar 19, 2003

Oh, and for deespoohbear, who thinks "cutting high priced administrators" is the way to go...my husband has two master's degrees and leaves for work every morning at 6:00a. He never gets home before 6:00 p and that's if he's home early. He's on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year, without compensation. During the school year, he goes to football games, basketball games, chess club games--all without compensation. He donates $250 every year to the school booster fund, $50 to the alumni club, $500 to the band fund, because it's "expected". I bake for every bake sale, also because it's expected. He goes to funerals, board meetings, dances, you name it, all on his own time, because it's expected. How often do you bake cupcakes to raise money for your employer, deespoohbear?

If you want quality school administrators, you have to pay for them. Cutting salaries and forcing qualified individuals to find jobs elsewhere isn't going to result in any more money available for "extras" like CPR training and nurses (yes, voters consider school nurses as "extras"). Most schools consider themselves lucky if they have a school nurse on the premises two days a week for half a day (that, by the way, is a "half a nurse"). I don't know a single school administrator or superintendent who makes more than $150,000 per year--a fraction of the average CEO salary, and remember, a school superintendent is usually responsible for far more people and lots more money than the average private-sector CEO.

So go ahead, delude yourself into thinking that there's all these fat cats down at school headquarters, just begging to have their salaries cut. That will make it easier for you to pass the blame--blame that is YOURS, because YOU voted against a school levy-- the next time some little girl chokes to death at your child's school because no one knew the Heimlich. I just hope it isn't your daughter.