CPR recertification... what to expect?

Question

I took a lifeguarding class last year and it was so traumatic for me because I was so afraid I would fail. So basically I was miserable through the entire class. Tomorrow is my recertification for CPR. It is a 2 hour course... so will they teach us everything on the test before we take it? Should I be really nervous? i get so anxious i start to cry, so i want to get rid of any anxiety i may have... what will the test be like?

Answer 1

Gee not worth it to get upset. I mean first of all CPR is only effective in a small minority of cases ( you can ask the exact percent but it is like 20 or so) Maybe if you ask questions you will feel more confident. Important thing to remember is the chest compression rate.  Its not healthy for you to get so stressed over it. I mean if you are truly a lifeguard, you cant start to cry when someone drowns; so either talk yourself into a way of lessening your anxiety or do something else. You are probably better than most and will do a better job just because you are so conscientous so they are lucky to have you.

Answer 2

Where I take mine, they always go over what is gonna be on the test. Just be calm and you will be fine. Good luck

Answer 3

In the Red Cross, the recertification for 'CPR for the Professional Rescuer' (the CPR portion of Lifeguarding) comes in two versions- a 4.5 hour 'Review Class' in which you see all the videos and discuss stuff before the test, and the 2 hour 'Challenge Class' in which you do your homework before the class, show the skills, and take the written test.

In our version, the original CPR class was 8 hours long- no way can we cram all of that into a 2 hour class and re-cover all the info.

Test anxiety is common in Red Cross classes- but the tests are not designed to be tricky, they are just a way to make sure you were paying attention.

Take it slow, read the questions well, eliminate the obviously wrong answers, etc. There are no penalties for guessing, so make a mark beside the questions you are not sure on. A lot of them are actually answered in later questions.