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Northeast employees offered CPR/AED training during In-Service

Northeast employees offered CPR/AED training during In-Service

NORFOLK, Neb. – Less than a week after the importance of having knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) made headlines after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during Monday Night Football, Northeast Community College employees had the opportunity to get trained or retrained on the lifesaving procedure.

The class, CPR/AED Training, was an already scheduled event during the College’s recent 2023 Spring In-Service - a professional development opportunity of workshops and networking sessions for all employees. In-Service is held at the beginning of the academic year and at the start of the second semester.  

Heather Claussen, director of allied health programs at Northeast, said CPR is vital during the early moments of an emergency situation. 

“You have about 10 minutes from the time that a person goes down, and that would be that brain damage is likely. So we really want to be starting CPR within a two-to-four-minute timeframe,” she said. “If we can get people who are on the scene to start CPR chest compressions immediately the chances of survival go up greatly in that first two to four minutes.”

Claussen said if an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available it may be used as well while another person nearby should call 911. An AED is a medical device designed to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to restore the heart rhythm to normal to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Northeast’s CPR/AED and First Aid Training teaches how to recognize and treat life-threatening emergencies including cardiac arrest and choking for responsive and non-responsive adults, children and infants. Claussen said the general public is the target audience for the course. 

In addition to offering free CPR training to any faculty and staff who would like to take it or be retrained, the College offers CPR trainings on a monthly basis in several different formats to the general public. Classes range from traditional face-to-face that includes an instructor, lecture and hands-on training to the newest delivery method - online through simulation with the student then utilizing a high-fidelity mannequin. Classes are held by appointment. 
“This is great for someone who is on a tight schedule,” Claussen said. “They can take their lecture didactic learning online, and then they can come to their skills session with simulation mannequins by appointment when the college is open.”

Northeast Community College regularly holds several American Red Cross and American Heart Association classes online and in person across its 20-county service area.

“I think in most of these situations you need to ask yourself, ’Do I want to be just standing there trying to figure out what to do or actually do something that can save a life,” Claussen said. “In most cases CPR sustains life. Because each minute that that you delay CPR and AED the chances of survival go down by 10%.”

For more information on CPR/AED training courses through Northeast Community College, visit northeast.edu.  


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                                                                                  PHOTO CUTLINE 

Northeast Community College Adjunct Instructor Angela Nuss (right) conducts a CPR/AED training session for some Northeast employees recently on the Norfolk campus. The training took place during the College’s Spring 2023 In-Service.