WHO WE ARE 
 

A message from our Vital Skills CPR instructor:

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Hey there,

I am a BSN registered nurse from Southern California! Nursing has been an adventure thus far that has brought me from caring for the people of Los Angeles, all the way to Raleigh, North Carolina. In my profession, I have had the opportunity to broaden my skills on a variety of units, from oncology to the ICU, and have recently found a home in an ED observation unit working in one of the local Magnet hospitals. Now, I am venturing into the realm of CPR. 

But why do I want to teach CPR? For starters, it's essential. Working in a hospital will give you the opportunity to see these life saving measures in action on people. There are real lives at stake and many lives can be cut short if quality CPR is not done quickly and effectively. I've seen many successes and losses. Lately, I have realized that the community is not as prepared as I thought to do CPR. With increasing health knowledge and awareness, even portrayals in movies and TV shows, surely most people know what to do...

 

But unfortunately that's not always true.
 

Recently, a friend of mine's father passed away due to cardiac arrest. When I heard that he didn't receive CPR for several minutes after collapsing with bystanders present, my heart dropped. It wasn't until the paramedics arrived that compressions were started, but at that point, it was futile. 

 

This can't remain true any longer. Healthcare professional or not, there is a true need for people in our community to be aware of how they too can save a life. 

My husband (who also works in healthcare) and I have made a commitment to be "Always Ready". In our professions, we want to feel confident, competent, and prepared to give life saving measures when time is of the essence. And in this, we want to equip others to do so as well.