Ashley Bryant

Attention
I. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), there are more than 350,000 out-
of-hospital cardiac arrests a year, here the United States.

A. 90% of these cardiac arrest victims will die due to lack of immediate
intervention (AHA, n.d.).

B. If CPR is performed within the first few minutes, the persons chance of
survival could double, even triple (AHA, n.d.).

*When witnessing a life or death situation, a situation that could dramatically improve
with just a bit of knowledge and application, what would you do?

Thesis Statement: Today, I’d like to discuss the importance of resuscitation itself, as well
as the importance of obtaining the knowledge to be able to perform the act.

Need
II. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation or CPR, is a lifesaving technique that is used when someone
suffers from a stopped heart beat or has no breath.

A. The goal is to continue the oxygen and blood flow to the brain and vital organs during
trauma (Mayoclinic, 2018).

B. Without help, a person could see brain damage within just a few minutes, and death
within 8-10- before professional help even arrives (Sifferlin, 2015).

* Although the idea of having someone’s life in your hands can be a bit intimidating, there is no
time to second guess (Mayoclinic, 2018).

Satisfaction

III. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
looked at 4,961 cardiac arrest cases between the years 2010 to 2013 in North
Carolina.

A. During that time, the state launched a campaign called The Heart Rescue
Project, which encouraged bystanders to initiate chest compression along with
the use of external defibrillators (JAMA, 2015).
Ashley Bryant

B. After completing the study, the data showed that the number of people
with cardiac arrest who got bystander CPR along with the use of defibrillators
by first responders increased from 14% to 23.1% (JAMA, 2015).

* This leads us to believe that if given the knowledge, the application could follow when
the occasion presents itself. Zig Ziglar, an American author and motivational speaker
once said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great”.

Visualization
IV. A little over 5 years ago, I was working as a nurse’s assistant in my local old folks
home when I witnessed for the first time- a heart attack. It was completely
unexpected and a bit stressful to say the least. Barbara was her name. She had been
living in the facility for almost 8 years at the time. Her son came to visit often, almost
every day in fact. It was he who came sprinting down the hallway to find someone-
anyone who could help his mother. His expression and demeanor once he reached the
front desk, will forever be engraved in my memory. All four CNAs (myself included)
and the Nurse ran down to room 26 at the end of the hall. A good 3 minutes had
passed from him witnessing the initial indication that she was suffering an attack.
When we arrived at the scene, it was clear she had fallen into cardiac arrest- her face
was pale, her lips- blue, chest fluttering. She was completely unconscious. As trained,
after checking the scene, we cleared the area and laid her flat on the floor. We then
took turns performing chest compressions until the medical personal arrived. Despite
how unresponsive as she was and how unpredictable the outcome felt, we kept going.
She lived. 2 years later, she would pass due to complications from MS.

A. Now, according to the Utah Administrative Code, we had to be CPR certified

to work our positions (UAC, 2018), but imagine if by law we all had to be,
period? The lives that would be saved. What if Barbara didn’t survive? What if
your uncle, your grandpa, your mom, your friend… what if they were put in this
situation, and could not pull through on faith alone?

*We shouldn’t feel hopeless in such a vulnerable situation, we must take action.

Action
V. CPR courses are extremely abundant year round, whether it be online or in class with
a professional instructor. I’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of just a couple classes
offered around in Salt Lake and Sandy here in the near future for under $50, in
addition to reliable online options starting at $25- provided by The American Health
Care Academy and The Red Cross. All that’s left is your commitment.

B. It’s brief and inexpensive, but the education received will last you a life time.
So go! Find a course! Sign up for the course! And be confident in your potential
to save a life.
Ashley Bryant

Thank you.
Ashley Bryant

Works Cited

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): First aid. (2018, February 16). Retrieved April 04,
2018, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/ART-
20056600?p=1

Carolina Malta Hansen. (2015, July 21). Cardiac Survival After Bystander and First-
Responder CPR Intervention. Retrieved April 05, 2018, from
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2397833

CPR Facts and Stats. (n.d.). Retrieved April 04, 2018, from
http://cpr.heart.org/AHAECC/CPRAndECC/AboutCPRFirstAid/CPRFactsAndStats/
UCM_475748_CPR-Facts-and-Stats.jsp

CPR/First Aid Certification. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2018, from

https://healthcare.utah.edu/wellness/services/classes-workshops/cpr-first-aid.php

Sifferlin, A. (2015). Why You (Yes, You) Need to Learn CPR. Time.Com, N.PAG.

Utah Administrative Code. (2018, March). Retrieved April 08, 2018, from
https://rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r432/r432-100.htm#T7