"Neighbor" Certifications: HA and Cos Join to become Certified
by Amelia Hogue, junior Cosmetology
At LCCTC, we work together to make sure we prepare our students for tomorrow’s world of work!
Recently, the Health Assistance shop completed their annual CPR and First Aid training; this makes sense that they would partake in this training, but did you know that the Cosmetology students collaborated with HA to also become certified in CPR and First Aid? In total, there were 55 LCCTC students who can now claim to be CPR and First Aid certified!
Anita Yoder has been coming to LCCTC to train students in CPR and First Aid since 2014. She has recently retired from from Noga Ambulance Service, Anita continues to show her passion for health care.
Anita was not the only person making sure we were properly completing each task,assisting Anita with the training was Mr. Pavia, Mrs.O’Donnell, Mrs. Cepro, and Ms. Sumner.
Mrs.Cepro feels that it is a necessity to have her students trained; this additional certification can help students become even more hireable. She states, “CPR and First Aid training is a real asset to the Cosmetology students. In the typical work day of the Cosmetologist clients of all ages are served. The chance of a medical emergency occurring is very possible. The fact that our Cosmetology student’s can provide CPR and know what steps to follow to best help their clients in a medical emergency is fantastic.”
Mrs. Cepro also showed interest in obtaining her own updated CPR certification -- once she finished assisting her students earn theirs.
So why is it important to help students become trained in CPR/First Aid? Mr. Pavia responds, “Health Assisting students must have CPR and first aid to hold just about any job in the medical field. Aside from it being a requirement for jobs, we feel that it is imperative for CPR training to be known for the community.” This is because many times, it takes several minutes for ambulances to respond, those minutes are crucial in doing compressions and keeping blood circulating, giving oxygen to the brain.
Mrs Cepro agrees. ‘We want as many people in as many different settings to be prepared on how to do good, effective CPR. I think it is awesome that cosmo students can join in for the additional training.”
CPR/First aid training not only teaches how to do compressions; it also teaches how to recognize and treat emergencies before becoming life threatening.
It’s important to note that this certification takes a lot of work to accomplish; it is more than a signature on a card and a pat on the back. Typically it will take one full shop day to do the CPR portion with an additional day to complete the First Aid certification. Just like any healthcare training, it is a blend of theory followed by hands on application
Certifications last two years from the date of completion. LCCTC offers the training to our sophomores HA and Cos students.This will ensure that students are current and up to date on their cards for the clinical portion of the class.They then have the opportunity to renew it their senior year so they are ready to enter the workforce with active certifications for two additional years after high school.
“This is the second year that the Cosmetology shop has joined with Health Assisting to have students become CPR and First Aid certified,” states Mrs. O’Donnell. “Both shops share the common issue that injuries or emergencies may occur in the work setting. The students were very attentive and they all passed their certification exams. It was a great couple of days.”
Becoming certified was a lot of fun, too; students enjoyed a bit of music from the 70s as they practiced chest compressions! Did you know that compressing to the beat of “Staying Alive” ( By:The Bee Gees} could actually help save a life?
CPR and First Aid training is a real asset to the Cosmetology students. In the typical work day of the Cosmetologist clients of all ages are served. The chance of a medical emergency occurring is very possible. Using both theory and hands-on practice, students were taught how to respond properly and what to do in the event that a stroke, injury, cardiac or respiratory arrest occurs. The fact that our Cosmetology student’s can provide CPR and know what steps to follow to best help their clients in a medical emergency is fantastic.
CPR and First Aid are certifications that help students be ready for just about any situation. All of the students trained were very excited that Anita came into to train them in something so important, and now these certified students are even more job-ready!
