20 Careers that Require CPR and First aid Training

Ever been to a CPR class?

The American Heart Association estimates that about 100,000 people in the United States suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospitals every year, and less than 8 percent of them survive.

Some of these deaths happen at work and are preventable if colleagues know what to do. In other words, teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation can help rescue more lives.

So what are some careers that require CPR and First aid training?

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Red Cross recommend that anyone who is responsible for caring for children, elderly or disabled people take a CPR course.

From healthcare to fitness and much more, here are some jobs that can benefit from CPR courses.

What Do You Learn in a CPR Class?

Learning CPR and other first aid skills can be a valuable addition to your resume. It can also help you develop the skills needed to be a first responder in an emergency situation. This can give you the confidence to perform well under pressure, especially if you’re someone who has difficulty with stressful situations

In a CPR class, you’ll learn how to perform CPR on adults, children and infants. You’ll also learn how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and how to treat choking victims. In some cases, you may also learn how to perform other types of lifesaving techniques.

CPR classes are typically taught in classroom settings by instructors who have been trained by national organizations such as the American Heart Association or American Red Cross.

The training lasts about three hours to days depending on the course–and hands-on classes include a review of CPR skills with mannequin training. You’ll also go through hands-on practice using human dummies that breathe on command

After completing the course, you’ll receive certification from your instructor that allows you to put “CPR” after your name on resumes.

Procedures in CPR

When a person experiences cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate attention.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is performed by trained individuals to help someone who has experienced cardiac arrest.

CPR involves two primary procedures: external chest compression and breathing assistance.

Chest compression is performed by pushing down on the person’s chest — this forces blood through the heart and into circulation.

Breathing assistance involves placing your mouth over the person’s mouth and nose and blowing into their lungs.

20 Careers that Require CPR and First Aid Training

CPR courses are taught all over the country, but they’re not required for everyone. Here’s a list of some careers that do require this training:

  1. Lifeguard

Lifeguards are often responsible for performing CPR on drowning victims at their pools or beaches. In fact, this is one of the primary reasons why swimming pools require lifeguards at all times.

If someone goes into cardiac arrest in the water, there’s a good chance that they’ll drown unless someone resuscitates them immediately! Many lifeguards also learn how to use AED machines in case someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest while outside of water.

  1. Healthcare provider

The healthcare industry requires all employees to take a CPR course and obtain certification. This includes nurses, doctors, lab technicians, radiologists, pharmacists and many others.

  1. Personal trainer

If you work as a personal trainer, you must have a current CPR certification from the American Red Cross or American Heart Association (AHA). This certification will be valid for two years from the date of issue unless otherwise indicated by your employer or state regulatory agency.

  1. Medical Assistant

While most medical assistants don’t perform CPR on patients, they do need to be able to take vital signs and understand how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator).

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), you’ll need a minimum of an associate degree in order to become a medical assistant.

  1. Massage therapist:

Massage therapist is one of the careers that require CPR and First aid training.

Experts who provide services for a fee must have a current AHA CPR certification card at all times during their employment with their employer. Or on anydate when providing massage therapy services to other individuals within their employer’s establishment or facility.

  1. Respiratory therapist

Respiratory therapists work with patients who have breathing problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea and emphysema.

Respiratory therapists often offer family education on how to manage their loved ones’ conditions at home. They also teach people how to use an inhaler and other devices that help with breathing problems.

  1. Nursing assistants

Nursing assistants who work at long-term care facilities must have current CPR certification (and also be willing to learn how to use an AED).

This is because these facilities usually have more than one resident with medical needs who could suddenly need help breathing or having their heart restarted.

In many cases, these residents will be very old or disabled. These people means they may not be able to help themselves when something goes wrong. The nursing assistant’s job is to help them until emergency personnel arrive on the scene.

  1. Firefighters

Fighting fire exposes you and your workmates to many injury risks so CPR and first aid should be part of your orientation.

Not just that; the law requires firefighters to have current CPR and first aid training in case someone gets injured while fighting a fire and needs emergency care (or dies). This can happen because fires release harmful gases that can make it hard for people to breathe.

  1. Paramedics

The two most important skills for a paramedic are CPR and first aid. These medical professionals are on the front lines of emergency care, administering lifesaving treatment to patients before they arrive in emergency rooms.

They’re required by law to provide these lifesaving techniques to anyone in need. The American Heart Association recommends that paramedics receive CPR certification within six months of beginning work.

Some paramedics also choose to take classes on advanced life support so they can administer medications during an emergency situation.

  1. Daycare staff

The AHA estimates that more than 80 million Americans are involved in child care and approximately one-third of these workers have no formal training.

When children get sick or injured while under your supervision, it is up to you to provide them with care until an ambulance arrives or another caregiver takes over. You need to be prepared for any situation that might arise during a child’s stay with you — including administering CPR if necessary.

Many child care centers require employees to have CPR first aid training. This is especially important if your child care center has a swimming pool or playground, or if you provide care for infants.

  1. Teacher

A CPR and first aid certification can be very helpful in the classroom. If a child has an allergic reaction, you’ll be prepared with the knowledge to treat them until paramedics arrive. In addition, knowing how to perform CPR can help save someone’s life if they collapse during your class.

Lastly, some schools require teachers to have CPR and First Aid certification before they can obtain their teaching licenses.

  1. Bus driver

Driving a bus requires more than just knowing how to drive; it also means being prepared for emergencies that may arise while driving down the road. If an accident does happen, having CPR training could mean the difference between life and death for passengers on board.

Plus, it is a legal requirement in some states.

For example, all school buses in Ontario must be equipped with an automated external defibrillator and trained staff must be available to operate it in case of emergency.

School bus drivers must also have a valid first-aid certificate from the Red Cross or St John Ambulance before they can drive a school bus full-time or during field trips or other activities away from school grounds.

  1. Workplace safety managers

Workplace safety managers are responsible for creating and implementing policies on how to safely operate the workplace. They need to be familiar with first aid procedures in order to ensure the safety of employees.

Employers want qualified people overseeing workplace safety issues, such as dealing with accidents or injuries on site. Employers also want employees who know what to do in case of an emergency.

  1. Coaches and sports trainers. 

It goes without saying that if you’re a coach or trainer for a high school or college team, you need to know how to perform CPR on one of your players in an emergency situation.

This is especially true if you have younger players; it’s also good practice for adults who are overweight or out of shape, because they may be more likely than others to experience cardiac arrest during an athletic event.

  1. Flight attendants. 

Flight attendants are trained in basic life support techniques like CPR and AED use, as well as how to respond in an emergency situation such as an onboard fire or crash landing.

This is another job where knowledge of basic medical techniques could mean the difference between life and death for passengers.

Attendants may also need training in what procedures should be followed if there’s an onboard fire or crash landing.

  1. Correctional staff

This category includes prison guards, parole officers, probation officers and police officers who work in jails or prisons. They sometimes need to administer emergency care to inmates in custody or on the street.

Correctional officers must be trained in basic first aid skills like applying pressure bandages and using tourniquets and performing CPR when necessary — because they may come across inmates who need medical attention.

Electricians work with electricity every day. These technicians are often exposed to extreme heat conditions that could cause heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Having CPR certification helps electricians take care of themselves so they can continue working safely at all times without risking their own health or the health of others around them during an emergency.

  1. Construction workers.