By Valerie Moses
My first introduction to CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) took place when I was in middle school. As pre-teens hoping to make some extra money, my sister and I had signed up for a babysitting course with the American Red Cross in our town, where we learned some skills that could save a child’s life. Then, in my sophomore year of high school, I enrolled in another life-saving course with our local fire department, where I brushed up on my CPR skills as part of a health class.
Of course, four years later, the world of CPR has changed. With the next generation of Red Cross classes on the verge of release, members of the community are learning new methods for keeping victims alive. The Red Cross now teaches compression-only, or hands-only CPR; mouth-to-mouth is usually performed by the more experienced medical professionals. The newly designed classes will change the way we think about CPR and other life-saving skills.
Because four years have passed since my last CPR class, I will certainly need a refresher. I look forward to learning the new methods! To learn more about the classes you can take at your local Red Cross, click here.
American Red Cross Mid-Florida Region 