If you are a family-owned clinic or some medical facility that wishes to accredit (or renew your PALS license) your employees to be PALS certified, consider enrolling them in an onsite PALS course that is hosted at your site of work.

Onsite PALS Courses

By coming to your place of work, not only will it make organizing the event easier, it will also help to foster a familiarity with procedures in their workplace, and foster a sense of community among staff members.

Pediatric Advance Life Support focuses not just on teaching the individual systematic approaches to pediatric assessment and basic-life-support, but also on establishing and fostering proper team dynamic to handle emergency care situations. What better way to learn how to foster team dynamics than by having your team in place to learn together?

Practice 1-2 rescuer CPR and AED use procedures with staff members who will be more likely to work together in a real-world setting. Practice resuscitation team concept with all members of staff, in case they are needed on-site in an emergency situation.

Learn and be able to discuss rhythm disturbances and electrical therapy use in infants and children. Show, and test each member’s ability to obtain vascular access. Discuss and test their current knowledge about how to manage respiratory emergencies in the facility while other happenings occur.

As with any onsite PALS course, there will be testing stations and also a handbook written test. A score of an 84% or higher is required to pass the test and obtain certification. Individuals must also pass 2 core case scenarios as a team leader (1 cardiac, 1 respiratory), pass 1-2 rescuer child CPR BLS, and 1-2 rescuer BLS with infants. If individuals pass all these requirements, then their certification is obtained and valid for up to two years.

Whether you choose a full PALS course or an updated PALS course (also known as a renewal), we will work with you to train your team to have the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. As opposed to having each member be certified on their own, ask them to do it together. This experience will not only help bond members of your staff, it will also give them the chance to tackle these problems together, in lieu of an actual emergency.

Hosting an onsite PALS course at your place of work will give you as the employer the chance to witness team dynamics, and propose ways to improve them on-site, during activities where there is little risk, and everything to learn.

Observe your team in action, and find ways in which you can help your team-members cooperate, learn, and communicate with each other during team-oriented tasks. Watch how well each member of your team listens and trust the medical advice of the other, and work to establish within them a sense of urgency, care, and respect.

The PALS class is taught with an instructor, and step by step video instruction based to equip your team with the essential steps, experience, and logic to succeed.  SureFire CPR’s team of instructors specializes in onsite PALS courses. Call us today to schedule your training.

The post Onsite PALS Courses at Your Work appeared first on SureFireCPR.

Anyone who works in the medical field recognizes the value of an ACLS certification. Advanced cardiac life support training is invaluable in a medical emergency. People who work in health clinics, hospitals and doctor offices may occasionally encounter life-threatening emergencies. In these situations, quick action is needed to save a life. Thus, it’s imperative for personnel to be up-to-date on their training.  What do you look for in the best ACLS certification?

How to Choose the Best ACLS Class

Here are a few things to look for to make sure that your ACLS certification is top notch:

1. Quality instructors who still work in the field and practice ACLS on a regular basis
2. Small class sizes with personal instruction.
3. Equipment that is top of the line
4. American Heart Association certification cards that are received the same day.
5. Multiple locations and times to choose from.

Surefire CPR offers a variety of life-saving courses, including ACLS certification. Classes are available at different times throughout the year. Whether this is your first time enrolling in an advanced cardiac life support training class or you need a refresher course, our instructors can provide the skills you need to handle an emergency.

There are different ways to acquire your certification. Attend a class at our facility, or bring the instruction to your office. We also offer private in-house training courses. To learn more about ACLS and upcoming classes, register online at SureFire CPR.

ACLS classes are common among people who work in the medical field. Whether you work in a doctor’s office, a hospital, a clinic or emergency response, a background in advanced cardiac life support can be the difference between life and death. But in reality, you may never use the skills you learn in class. A certification prepares you “just in case” of an emergency. However, if you don’t practice these techniques on a regularly basis, you may forget basic skills. For this reason, it’s beneficial to enroll in the best ACLS class.

Advanced cardiac life support training isn’t something you need on a yearly basis. However, if it’s been more than two years since your last class, it is time for your ACLS renewal.  ACLS Classes in Orange County are available at various times. You can attend a class on your own, or with your coworkers. Talk to your employer about group classes. If given the green light, we can bring ACLS classes to you. We offer private home sessions, as well as classes at businesses for groups of 80+.

To learn more about advanced cardiac life support training or to schedule a class, call SureFire CPR today.

The post How to Choose the Best ACLS Class appeared first on SureFireCPR.

Dream Nursing Jobs!

With nursing jobs becoming harder and harder to get, what is the best way to separate yourself from the competition? How can you land your dream nursing job with so many others standing in the same line?

There are jobs out there, but they are asking for that thing that you don’t have yet: experience.  So, if you can’t get hired without experience, and you can’t get experience without being hired, what do you do?

Here are a few tricks that will help you separate yourself from the other new grad nursing students:

• Rewrite your resume.
  • Your first impression is not made when you walk in the room for your interview, it is made minutes before when your interview panel reads your resume. It should be one page at most, and must be very easy to scan quickly to get the main points.  Have your friends or family review it for less than 60 seconds to see if they can give you important highlights. Finally, your resume should be on high-quality, off-white resume paper.
• Improve your resume
  • If you don’t have clinical experience, you can have educational experience. Taking additional courses outside of the standard nursing curriculum will make you more useful when you are hired and it will show the interview panel that you take initiative. Some of these American Heart Association courses include ACLS certification (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support), PEARS (Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization), ECG and Pharmacology, and NRP certification (Neonate Resuscitation Program).  These classes are usually only 1 or 2 days long and some companies offer special student discounts.
• Do your research
  • If you are serious about starting your new career, you must be able to demonstrate it in your interview.  Do you know anything about the hospital or the department that you wish to work for?  A hospital visit prior to your interview is a great idea. This way you can get more information, show extra initiative, and if you’re lucky, maybe meet the people who could be interviewing you.
• Practice your interview responses
  • Interviewers have a standard base of questions that you must be prepared for. These include:
    • Tell me about yourself
    • Why do you want to work for this hospital?
    • What have you done to prepare for this job?
    • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
    • In closing, is there anything else you would like to add?
  • There is a very good chance that some, if not all, of these questions will be asked during your interview. By having the answers to these questions planned out and rehearsed, you will be much more confident with your responses. This confidence will allow your personality to show through and give you an edge over the competition.
• Look the part
  • Just as you have invested in your education, you must invest in your appearance.  When you are called into your interview, you must look professional. This means that new interview clothing is a must.  Nothing will make you feel more confident than new clothing and a new haircut.  You have spent years preparing for this moment, don’t ease up now.

These 5 steps can help you obtain the dream nursing job that you have been thinking about for years. Take the time to follow these steps and you will be treating patients in no time. Good luck!

The post How To Land Your Dream Nursing Job – 5 Easy Steps appeared first on SureFireCPR.

CPR is Important to Get Ahead in Your Line of Work

Choking Situations

Taking ACLS classes in Orange County not only help you learn CPR it will also help you if you run across an adult or a child choking. You never know when an emergency situation might arise and being prepared can save a life.  In addition to choking hazards you’ll learn about different cardiac problems and how to handle them.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training

Understanding what to do in the first moments of a cardiac arrest can save a person’s life. If you haven’t started looking for a good school it’s a good time to start the search. Once you have discovered the appropriate training stage you can begin your classes.

ACLS Certification and What It Can Do For You

You may not realize that certification can help with a few things. Besides those situations that can pop up that you’ll now be prepared for and able to assist with, there may be other job opportunities for you. There are certain care facilities that will want you to have this certification and already having yours will make the interview process that much easier.

The post Why You Should Consider CPR Class appeared first on SureFireCPR.

It is as simple has becoming certified in CPR, that you can save a friend, family member or even a stranger. Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training is not just for medical professionals anymore. The average person can be equipped the knowledge and techniques needed to assist in saving someone’s life. Classes are provided to train people on CPR and the situations in which these procedures can be used to help someone who is experiencing a heart attack; someone is having a stroke; or someone who has stopped breathing due to unknown circumstances at that time.

Do not believe for one minute that you cannot help someone in need if the time came. Get certified. Your friends will thank you.

The post CPR On Your Friends appeared first on SureFireCPR.

Experience. If your office atmosphere is busy and hectic, you might lean toward applicants with ample experience. This can reduce the length of training, wherein the person can quickly jump in and begin completing assignments.

Verify references. Even if you need to fill a position quickly, do not hire a new staff member without verifying his or her references or former employment. When desperate for work, some people will make up references and exaggerate their experience.

Choose an applicant with additional training. Some job applicants broaden their skills by taking advanced cardiac life support training courses and obtaining other certifications. These applicants are an asset to your office because they have the skills to assist in a medical emergency.

The post Tips for Hiring Medical Staff appeared first on SureFireCPR.

Advanced cardiac life support training can provide the training and skills you need to address these types of situations. You don’t have to be an EMT or doctor to assist in medical emergencies. And if you’re the only person around when a patient experiences cardiac arrest, your sudden action can impact whether he recovers or dies.

Knowing how to respond in emergency cardiac situations can keep the patient alive until doctors respond or an ambulance arrives. Every second counts. The more attention a victim receives, the better.

Do you have the skills to save a life? Regardless of your role in a hospital or a medical facility, advanced cardiac life support training can prove beneficial. These classes are regularly conducted in Orange County. Sign up today and join an upcoming class, or contact us to discuss scheduling a group class at your home or office.

SureFire CPR believes in the importance of being prepared to handle various emergencies. For more information on ACLS certification, visit www.surefirecpr.com.

The post Save a Patient from a Heart Attack appeared first on SureFireCPR.

One of the requirements for lifeguards in addition to many other tests, is that they are CPR certified. They must be able to know how to resuscitate a victim who has come close to drowning or been involved in a different kind of emergency. However, since so many people are competing for lifeguarding jobs in SoCal, taking a step beyond CPR classes could give you the edge to get that job you have been dreaming of.

ACLS, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, classes are offered in Orange County that can give lifeguards more preparation for an emergency on the job. ACLS classes will enhance CPR skills in the treatment of cardiac arrest or other cardiopulmonary emergencies. There are many kinds of emergencies that can happen on the beach or poolside, and the more prepared lifeguards can be to respond to these emergencies, the better for everyone. Plus, the one-day certifications make it faster to complete and get on your resume.

The post The Lifeguard’s Edge appeared first on SureFireCPR.

Even though CPR as we know it today was not formalized until the 1950-1960s, the beginnings of resuscitation were being taught as far back as the late 1700s in Amsterdam. Because of the numerous dams in and around the city, nearly 400 accidental drownings were happening on a yearly basis due to people falling into the dams. In order to reduce this loss of life, the Society for Recovery of Drowned Persons was started by community members.

In the late1800s a doctor named Friedrich Mass is reported to have used and documented the first effective and successful external chest compression technique on a human being.

The next major steps came in the 1950s when James Elam and Peter Safar invented mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. This led to the United States military officially recognizing and adopting mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as the methodology by which to bring about an unresponsive victim.

Finally in 1960, the American Heart Association started a program to train doctors on CPR techniques which then started the beginnings of training for the public at large in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Whether you’re interested in ACLS classes or in ACLS certification, please contact us at www.surefirecpr.com.

The post A Short History on CPR appeared first on SureFireCPR.

1. Your infant coughs for longer than 30 seconds.

2. Your infant’s face gets darker or develops a blue tinge.

3. Your infant cries, but there is no sound.

4. Your infant begins flailing.

5. Your infant has to make an effort to breathe.

The post Signs That Your Baby is Choking appeared first on SureFireCPR.