In the more than 30 years that Tanya Brady has taught people how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation, operate an Automated External Defibrillator and administer first aid, she said she has had some rewarding moments.
For example, six years ago she taught a middle-aged woman how to administer CPR during a Waukegan Park District class.
“She told me she was able to use CPR on her dad, and it saved his life,” Brady said. “She came back two years later and said he is doing fine. I feel very happy she was able to learn a skill that had such an impact on her family.”
Brady, who operates her own CPR and first aid training business, completed a blended adult, youth and infant CPR and first aid class for the Waukegan Park District on Tuesday at the Belvidere Recreation Center in Waukegan, teaching seven people lifesaving and first aid skills.
Laureen Grom was one of the students in the class. She is a seasoned registered nurse and currently the school nurse at Zion-Benton Township High School. She was there for a recertification, but said she might need to use any of the skills for students, faculty or staff.
“A school health office is like an emergency room,” Grom said. “You have to take care of what comes your way, and you have to take care of what comes through the door. It could be anything from an emergency to a Band-Aid. You address a lot of needs.”
The students worked in pairs, coaching each other. Grom was paired with Brady. Before coming to the in-person session, the students watched several hours of videos online, learning what to do. When they got to the recreation center, it was time to put their skills into practice.
Grom was practicing administering CPR on a special manikin designed for the purpose. She did 30 chest compressions and then two mouth-to-mouth breaths before repeating the process several times. Brady watched closely, posing suggestions.
Jonathan Cochrane, a recreation specialist with the Park District, said the class is offered several times a year. Some of the participants were seeking certification or recertification. Others wanted to learn the skills to be able to use them if needed.
Along with CPR and AED, Cochrane said participants also learn how to stop bleeding, the proper use of an epinephrine pen, how to help a person choking, and administer Narcan to counter an opioid overdose, among other techniques.
Each participant has a choice of learning how to treat adults, youths or infants. Brady said a blended class is when a person learns how to help all three. The techniques are different depending on the age of the person in need of help.
The first thing to do is make an assessment.
“You determine if the person is responsive,” Brady said. “If they’re not, call 911 and check for breath. Activate an AED if you have one. Begin CPR. You’re buying time by pushing oxygen to the brain to keep it alive until the paramedics arrive with their equipment.”
While Grom is certified to administer lifesaving techniques, she said many times her job is determining what is happening inside a student’s head as well as physically to their body. If they are avoiding class, there is usually a reason.
“Something is (often) going on in their head,” she said. “I may need to refer them to the social worker. We all work together as a team to get to the root cause. Nobody can do it alone.”
