I Saved A Life And Training Made The Difference

By Christiana Adams I saved a life. I never thought it would happen to me, but it did. And, thanks to the great education process at Salem Health, I was prepared and confident to step in and assist. I’m employed at Salem Health in Salem, Oregon, as an emergency department technician in the Emergency Department and provide direct patient care. At the time of the incident, I was a unit assistant in Labor and Delivery and typically didn’t work with patients. I was, however, still required to complete CPR training, something for which I give Salem Health a lot of credit. In fact, I had just completed a new type of CPR training just nine days before my life-saving encounter. I love to run, especially in scenic settings. On this particular June day last year, I decided to tackle Lacamas Heritage Trail in Camas, Washington. My run had gotten off to a good start and was uneventful, but as we all know, things can change in the blink of an eye. Before me on the trail were two men, also sharing a passion for running. One of the friends, a facilities administrator with 25 years of CPR experience, was speaking with 911 while simultaneously performing CPR on his best friend, who has asthma and went into cardiac arrest when he stopped to use his inhaler about a mile down the trail. I often wondered what my reaction might be if presented with an emergency. Would panic and anxiety hit me, or would I take action? Now I know. I jogged off the trail, identified myself and asked if I...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news