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IN 2016,
Faith Regional Health
Services and Nucor in Norfolk
embarked on a mission to make
sure that every school in the region
has an American Heart Association’s
CPR in Schools Training Kit
™
. The
program enables students to learn
the lifesaving skills of CPR in just
one class period. One kit can train
hundreds of people.
“We were really drawn to this
project,” says Matt Blitch, Nucor
Rolling Mill Manager. “Our partner-
ship with Faith Regional gives us
the opportunity to give to the com-
munity and impact as many people
as we possibly can. I like how it
involves the youth in the commu-
nity. We are able to reach out to
many communities in northeast and
central Nebraska.”
According to Jenny Simmons, RN,
chest pain and stroke coordinator at
Faith Regional, taking hands-only
CPR kits to the schools to teach
students in grades 7 and 12 is one
way to equip our communities with
the basic knowledge and skills to
save a life.
“About 80 percent of cardiac
arrests occur in nonhospital settings,
often at home, with fewer than
10 percent of victims surviving,” says
Simmons. “Basic CPR can sometimes
be enough to keep a person alive
until first responders arrive.”
The CPR training involves watch-
ing a video that covers information
about recognizing when someone
is having a heart attack, calling
911 and performing CPR until
emergency responders arrive. CPR
instructors demonstrate how to do
chest compressions while students
practice on inflatable mannequins.
Training began in February 2017,
with a goal to visit 54 area schools
this year. Some schools already
participating include Elkhorn Valley
Schools, Tilden; Trinity School and
Madison Public School, Madison;
Elgin Public School; Battle Creek
Public School; St. John’s Lutheran
School, Battle Creek; Chambers
Public School; Stanton Public School;
Crofton Public School; Atkinson
West Holt Public School; Pierce
Public School; Osmond Public
School; and Wakefield Public School.
“As seniors graduate and move on
to their next phase of life, they will
find themselves in many social situ-
ations. Being able to respond in the
case of an emergency without being
afraid is the training we want to
give these students,” adds Simmons.
CPR
training kits
for schools
“About 80 percent
of cardiac arrests
occur in nonhospital
settings, often at
home, with fewer than
10 percent of victims
surviving. Basic CPR
can sometimes be
enough to keep a
person alive until
first responders
arrive.”
—Jenny Simmons, RN
Jen Rystrom, RN, and Sandra Qualset, APRN, teach seventh-graders
CPR at Elkhorn Valley Schools in Tilden, Nebraska.
14 FAITH REGIONAL
HEALTH SERVICES
54
area schools
this year.
Our goal is
to visit