Learning How To Save Lives At New Beginnings

New Beginnings – A Home for Mothers offers group classes to the mothers residing in the program every Thursday night. For one of our Thursday night group sessions, a group of three nursing students from Wisconsin Lutheran College educated staff and residents on choking prevention and infant CPR.

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The nursing students are a part of the Nursing Association on the WLC campus, and one student, Lori Bowman, served as a Resident Assistant at New Beginnings in 2015. We were excited to see Lori and to learn about the importance of choking prevention and first aid. 
 
As a part of the presentation, the students brought in a life-like doll that we used to practice CPR. One of our mothers, Jasmira, was brave and practiced on the doll in front of the group! The essentials that we gathered from the presentation can be broken into 3 main parts:

Choking Prevention
Foods that pose the greatest danger for small children as a choking hazard include hot dogs, nuts and seeds, grapes, popcorn, raw vegetables, and peanut butter. Parents should also watch out for household items that can pose a choking risk including marbles, pen caps, small batteries, coins, and balloons.

Infant Choking 
If a child is choking, he or she will not be able to talk, cry, or breathe. For infants younger than 1 year, first aid for infant choking includes alternating between giving 5 back slaps and 5 chest thrusts. An important note is that 911 should be called FIRST.

Infant and Child CPR 
Should the child become unconscious, begin infant CPR. The three steps for infant CPR include (1) Open Airway, (2) Give Rescue Breaths, and (3) Give Chest Compressions. Again, 911 should always be called first.
 
The nursing students gave staff and residents a handout that details all of the life-saving steps. Please follow the link below to view the handout:
http://www.wheatonpediatrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Choking-Prevention-and-First-Aid.pdf.
 
We would like to thank the nursing students at Wisconsin Lutheran College for giving such an informative and professional presentation. The staff and residents at New Beginnings learned vital information that could help save lives!

Group Night is held at New Beginnings.  Every Thursday, we meet as a group to discuss important life skills and educational topics.  Discussions are led by community volunteers and can cover a broad range of topics.

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