Top 3 CPR Equipment Products to Engage Your Students
For CPR instructors, it’s a common experience to have students walk into the classroom that have taken CPR training over 10 times. Because CPR is a lifesaving technique that is constantly being researched and evaluated, we are presented with new CPR guidelines every five years. Additionally, because CPR is a physical skill it is important that it be practiced for students to retain some muscle memory in case it’s not something they perform regularly. Because of this, most students take CPR every 2 years!
Even though learning how to save someones life should be enough to keep students engaged and awake, we like to go the extra step and make the classroom experience as rich as possible. For this, we have three products we recommend that help you go the extra mile in teaching a great CPR class.
#1 – The Life/form Bariatric CPR Manikin
Have you ever had a macho or strong person in class do compressions on a manikin at a rate faster than the recommended 100-120 beats per minute? First, you need to remind these students that chest compressions should not exceed 120bpm and explain that in doing so they are not allowing the chest to properly recoil and the heart to refill with blood. Faster is not necessarily better in CPR! Next, explain to students that performing compressions at this rate is no easy feat, especially on the average victim of sudden cardiac arrest.
Most victims of sudden cardiac arrest are elderly or obese. As such, practicing chest compressions on a bariatric manakin gives students a unique and realistic CPR practice experience. We recommend the Life/form Bariatric CPR manikin for this practice.
This torso-only bariatric manikin is designed to allow students to better prepare for cardiac events involving older or obese victims. This can be used for both CPR and airway obstruction practice. The torso-only, adult manikin features anatomically accurate landmarks and gives a realistic head tilt/chin lift.
To watch a demo and review of this manikin, see Life/form Bariatric CPR Manikin on YouTube.
#2 – The Act+Fast Choking Trainer Vest
There’s nothing more disappointing than a teacher saying ‘we aren’t going to actually practice this skill.’ Students may hide their enthusiasm, but most people genuinely want to learn and feel confident in their skills. Because it is not safe to practice abdominal thrusts on people, students are often let down and do not feel confident that they could perform this skill in the event a person was choking.
The Act+Fast Choking Training Vest allows students to perform abdominal thrusts in a lifelike and realistic way without needing a manikin. It is adjustable and once size fits all. It can be used while the wearer is sitting, standing, or on the ground. Additionally, students can practice choking self-rescue using a chair or counter. When a student is adequately performing abdominal thrusts, a foam plug will shoot into the air, simulating the relief of an airway obstruction. This device will give your students confidence in their skills.
#3 – The Prestan AED Ultra-Trainer
Most CPR class curriculum just wants to ensure that students know that they have to turn an AED on.
We do not think this is enough. We always recommend instructors have every single student use an AED to practice applying pads on a victim and then pressing the shock button. Every person you train as an instructor, could be a person responsible for saving one of your loved ones lives.
Prestan® is well known in the CPR industry as being a top of the line CPR manikin manufacturer. Likewise, the Prestan AED UltraTrainer™ offers features not found on any other universal AED trainer and is the most accurate representation of how current AEDs in the field perform. The Prestan AED trainer gives a realistic training experience with pad-sensing technology that keeps up with the student while they move through the training steps.
This trainer is easy to use with pre-connected pads and dual graphic adult/child training pads. To switch from adult to child/infant training you press a button indicating practice on a child. The AED trainer is compact and lightweight making it easy to haul around multiples for training several people.
Prestan makes two AED trainers and we recommend both of them, but you can watch this video to help you decide.
Conclusion
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 to start making your CPR classes stand out and be the best class your students have ever taken. You can purchase each of these items on CPRSupplySource.com. Additionally, you can find product review videos on Youtube. Leave us a comment or send a note if there are other products you would like us to review!
