As “school paramedics-to-be” it is our mission to help our patients. “Stayin’ Alive” is not only our motto, “Stayin’ Alive” is also a pop song written by the Bee Gees. Its rhythm – 104 beats per minute – is perfectly suited for use when learning and practicing CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 

On the first weekend of the second epoch, on the 13th and 14th of November 2021, a group of 60 students from 10PLUS and grade 11 at College, attended the first module of our “Sanitätshelfer” training, which focused on how a patient with a cardiac arrest should be treated. The training not only included how to perform chest compressions on the patient, but also how to apply an AED (an automated external defibrillator) and how to provide oxygen with a resuscitation bag. What we found especially interesting in the CPR training was learning about the different things we must bear in mind, for example, when treating a new-born or a child as our patient. In pairs, we practiced the resuscitation method at different stations. In addition to CPR, our instructors explained hygiene and safety rules to us, as well as how to apply a pressure bandage to stop critical bleeding. 

Even though we had to wake up at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday and therefore could not get a lot of rest on the weekend because all our attention was focused on the sessions, the training was definitely worth it, and we were happy to learn how to help people after they have had an accident. 

Eileen Mühe and Ariane Hellenbach, Abi1