So I finally did it. After years and years of saying to myself “I’m going to take CPR classes” I ultimately got around to it (and work gave me the day off and paid for the class too!). What really persuaded me was not only for the safety of my family but also hearing a story from a guy at work how he actually saved a sixty-something year old woman’s life at his kid’s t-ball game. Talking to him was really inspiring.
I have to admit I was pretty apprehensive at first thinking they’d show nothing but blood, guts and severed fingers, but that wasn’t the case; as I soon found out it really isn’t as unpleasant as people think. The part that really threw me off was that about a quarter of the class was reviewing California’s “Good Samaritan Laws” and avoiding getting sued from our state’s famous out-of-control trial lawyers (the ones who go after First Aid responders). Yes, can you believe it? It really is sad; reviewing cases, like in which some extremely overweight diabetic can have a cardiac arrest, be unconscious, you come along do CPR until the paramedics show up 20-30 minutes later. And the family sues YOU for trying to save the person’s life. The instructor gave a current stat saying that 80% of the time, you’ll likely end up using this stuff on a friend, neighbor, or family member just because of the fear of getting sued.
At the end of the class, I came out pretty confident on what to do if I were put in that situation of watching/finding somebody who had “gone down”. But also really wondering if I should just walk away from any strangers who might need help with that idea of getting sued stuck in my head. The instructor did say that it was my choice and that’s about the only way to insure you can’t get sued for anything these days.
I guess I’ll just have to decide at the moment if that time ever comes. Maybe I should carry a small waver form on my keychain along with the mini disposable Red Cross CPR Face Shield… just in case.