Here’s a mouthful for you: cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It’s the longest way possible to say CPR. These days, a lot people don’t even know what CPR stands for — or that it’s an acronym at all. But that’s OK. Getting your certification in CPR can save a life one day and no one will ever ask you what the letters mean.

What you will learn when you sign up for classes with CPR Austin are the basics, such as how to act in a medical emergency and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED). If you’ve ever thought about taking a CPR class but got sidetracked by work or hobbies, now is a great time to finally check that task off your list. CPR Austin makes it really easy: they offer two classes per week at Createscape’s offices. There’s a morning class on Saturdays at 10am and an evening class on Thursdays at 6:30pm. Administering CPR to someone in distress is probably one of the most important skills a person can have. You never know when a child, coworker or friend will need life-saving chest compressions or assistance getting a shot from their EpiPen.

Here's more information about taking CPR and first-aid classes and getting your certification. 

What Will You Learn from CPR Austin?

You’ve probably heard of the Heimlich maneuver. Heimlich is the guy the maneuver was named for. But that’s not the kind of life-saving assistance you'll focus on in a class like the one CPR Austin teaches. The basic difference between the two techniques is that the Heimlich maneuver is performed on a conscious person that’s choking while CPR is a technique used when the patient is unconscious. It consists of giving chest compressions, rescue breathing, and keeping blood circulating to vital organs. CPR is used to help restore a person's heartbeat and sustain it until help arrives. 

When you sign up for classes with CPR Austin, the following are a sampling of the CPR and first aid techniques you’ll learn:

• Infant CPR

• Clearing breathing pathways

• Stopping or reducing blood loss

• Identifying warning signs of a stroke

• Treating severe allergic reactions, stings and insect bites

• Administering an epinephrine shot (aka, EpiPen)

• Treating poison exposure

• Treating burns to the body

• Protecting broken bones and sprains

CPR Austin Classes Are AHA Certified

CPR Austin's classes are accepted by employers and organizations that require certification, including:

• Hospital and doctor office employees

• Home health aids

• Gym employees

• Daycare workers and teachers at all levels

• Fire fighters

Upon completion of just one class, students go home with their American Heart Association (AHA) certification and Basic Life Support (BLS) card. 

Who Should Take CPR + First Aid Classes

The short answer is everyone should learn CPR and first aid. There are some professionals who are required to have certification in CPR, including teachers, police officers, home health aids, and lifeguards. But there are dozens of reasons why everyone should sign up for this curriculum. If any of the following describes you, then knowledge of CPR and first aid can make you hero:

• Babysitters

• Camp counselors

• Restaurant workers

• Office workers

• New parents and grandparents

• Sports coaches and extracurricular class teachers

• Security guards

• Anyone who works with the public

Taking CPR & First Aid Classes at Createscape

CPR Austin offers a flexible class schedule. They meet Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM and Saturday mornings at 10 AM. Importantly, you do not need to be a member of the coworking space to take classes with CPR Austin — it’s open to the community. See their calendar and register for a session here.  

Here's more information about CPR Austin, including class times and descriptions.