Henry County Medical Center - CPR in the Schools

Overview

CPR in the Schools is an annual high school CPR training program in Henry County, which was initiated by the hospital’s nursing staff. Upon completion of the training, each student receives a skill that will last a lifetime. The classes began as part of the Wellness Classes at an area high school with some ninth graders. It has become something done for the entire ninth-grade class, with the goal of having all youth in Henry County being able to save a life. Given that the county is ranked number one in heart disease deaths in the state, having this skill is vital.

Impact

In 2007, the program’s first year, 237 students were trained and five nurses became certified to teach CPR, providing their time to the youth. It was a total community effort, with the hospital, the Healthcare Foundation, the HCMC Auxiliary, many businesses, and a school Endowment Fund working together to make the training happen. To date, more than 1,500 ninth-grade students have been trained in CPR.

Challenges/success factors

Finding enough instructors to teach the classes is challenging. The program began with five instructors who had to teach the ninth grade in sections, which was also a challenge because it took approximately four days of teaching to cover the entire grade the first year. Another challenge was finding enough manikins for the first class. The program has purchased additional manikins and partnered with Coordinated School Health and others so that enough manikins are available to teach four sections of ninth graders all in one day. The dedication of the project founder and other dedicated educators make this program successful and sustainable.

Future direction/sustainability

They plan to continue the program in Henry County each year with the possibility of teaching a renewal class for the 11th grade and passing the program along to other school districts in Tennessee by presenting it at the Rural Health Association Conference in November. This program has been funded through private donations as well as public entities and local grants.

Advice to others

Hospitals that want to start a similar program would need to have a good working relationship with a local school; access to manikins and certified CPR trainers; a space large enough to hold the class, such as the gym or a multi-purpose room; and a source of funding. Each child receives a t-shirt and a certification card from the American Heart Association. CPR books are provided to the classes in the weeks prior to the CPR class for review and study, then collected and re-used the following year.

Contact: Tory Daughrity
Director, Marketing & Public Relations
Telephone: 731-644-8266
E-mail: tdaughrity@hcmc-tn.org

The American Heart Association has additional Basic Life Support resources.