How to Teach CPR and First Aid

Get Red Cross certification to teach first aid and CPR.

CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a lifesaving technique used to stimulate breathing and keep blood flowing to the heart. It's needed most often in heart attacks or “near drowning” experiences and works to circulate oxygenated blood and keep the brain alive. Simple and easy to learn, CPR and first aid are key survival techniques, making them essential to know and important to teach to others.

Instructions

1. 

   Get all the essential items you need for teaching first aid and CPR.

   Become a certified first aid and CPR instructor. Provided by the American Red Cross and other institutions, a certification in first aid and CPR will let you teach CPR to people of all ages. In five simple steps, you will learn how to administer CPR, defibrillation methods, how to unblock the airway and quick-thinking tips.

2. 

   You'll need a room for instruction.

   After you have completed your courses and chosen a specialization, such as basic life systems, you'll need a location to teach lessons. The American Red Cross will allow you to use its rooms to teach for free, but you must volunteer or work through its first aid and CPR program. This allows the American Red Cross to get an overview of where the public stands in first aid and CPR training. Nonprofit or health care places will also provide rooms to teach in, but it is often more difficult to schedule times, and the rooms can require a rental fee.

3. 

   Use dummies to practice.

   Make sure you have everything needed to administer the course before the first class. Books, face masks, dummies and bandages will be essential in your instruction, and a complete first aid kit is also highly advised. You can show students the basics of the kit while encouraging them to purchase it for their home and CPR lessons. When choosing a place to teach, find out if materials will be provided. The Red Cross will supply all materials except the textbook at no cost, but many organizations require instructors to buy all items themselves.

4. Use all assets to your advantage. When you are ready to teach a first ad and CPR course, ask an instructor to advise. He will help strengthen your lessons with tips on student interaction, points overlooked and teaching methods. The instructor can also provide information to the class if you get nervous. When you feel confident and prepared, thank your instructor for advising and set out on your own.

5. 

   Advertise your course in newspapers.

   Market your teaching skills through local newspapers, Internet hot spots like Facebook, bulletin boards and word-of-mouth. Determine your fee by the cost of your materials and the time it will take to teach the course. Then choose a time that fits your age group and community. You may need to teach CPR and first aid on the weekend because of participants' work schedules.

6. Give a deadline to sign up and review the room you will train in. Dummies and training tactics require a large amount of space, so don’t let too many people into the class. If it fills up, set an automated phone reply to tell people the next date of the course, or pass the students on to another instructor. Although this will take away a student, it can form a profitable alliance with a fellow instructor who may give you her students when a class overflows.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure students are practicing, not playing.

• Give a deadline that gives you time to purchase and gather all materials.

References

• American Heart Association: Basic Life Support

Resources

• American Heart Association