People experience accidents every day. Such injuries can range from small to large, and in most cases, any type of injury suffered can be treated. Sometimes some of these injuries can occur at the place where you spend the majority of your day: At work. Other times they can happen at home.
As mentioned before some of these injuries can be mild. In other cases, they might be a bit more serious. For instance, the most common types of workplace injuries that occur include trips, slips, falls, vehicle or car accidents, fire, explosions, repetitive stress, and overexertion injuries. In some injury cases, people can suffer a heart attack or any other heart-related ailments. When something like this occurs, it helps to have someone on hand who can perform CPR, or who can operate an automated external defibrillator (AED).
These devices are portable electronic devices that automatically diagnose cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. They help take care of those people who are suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. To operate such a device, you have to be certified. What we’ll focus on today are four mistakes to avoid when taking the automated external defibrillator certification exam.
1. Learn how to properly store the AED device.
When you are taking your APR AED certification online courses, specifically speaking for an automated external defibrillator device, it helps to learn about the proper storage of this machine. As you go through your AED training, you want to know where it would be best to store the external defibrillator. When you reach the portion of your automated external defibrillator exam which focuses on the storage of a device, keep in mind these main points:
- It should take you less than 3 minutes to be able to reach the device
- The automated external defibrillator device needs to be easily accessed
- There shouldn’t be any items that are stored on top of it
Think about placing the device in a well-accessed wall-mounted emergency cabinet. Making sure you understand the proper placement of this type of device is one way to avoid making a mistake on your AED certification exam.
2. Ensure that you learn how to properly place the pads.
One essential part of learning how to operate a defibrillator device is proper pad placement. If you miss this part of your AED certification exam, you might not be able to receive the certification. If the pads aren’t properly placed on a patient, they won’t receive an electric shock. To be properly certified, you need to know this essential part.
Take the comparison of a pharmacist. They need to be as well versed in the world of pharmaceuticals, as you will have to be with operating such a device. For pharmacists this means knowing the right amount of prescription medication to prescribe, keeping up with the best RX coupons deals, finding out which generic drugs are best in terms of prescription prices for a customer as compared to brand-name drugs, and what additional benefits generic medicine provides a user. When you are learning how to properly place the pads using this life-saving device, you are taking on similar responsibilities as a pharmacist who has to know all the ins and outs of their industry.
3. Make sure your AED undergoes maintenance.
Another part of your AED certification exam that you’ll want to avoid making a mistake on is maintaining the AED device. You have to know the ins and outs of what makes the AED device work in the event of a cardiac arrest. You’ll want to check with the manufacturer of these machines to see when it’s best to replace the batteries and the pads for the AED device.
When taking an AED online course, you will be tested on when to carry out maintenance on the device. Make sure to make AED maintenance a part of your monthly first aid checks at your place of business or at your home.
4. Avoid stressing too much during the examination.
Taking an AED certification course can be a bit taxing. You are learning how to take on the responsibility of possibly saving the life of a person. That can be extremely daunting, especially when you are taking an AED certification exam.
The best way to avoid making the common mistake of questioning your first aid abilities is to not stress. Study the AED material provided, be confident in your abilities to utilize this life-saving device, and then get your AED certification.
