First Aid, CPR, and AED for the Office Professional — Bookkeeping / Office Administration

Objective. Students will perform adult CPR with AED operation and deliver basic first-aid interventions—including control of bleeding, response to choking, and recognition of stroke and heart-attack symptoms—to the skill standards of a nationally recognized certifying organization.

Why Office Professionals Need First Aid and CPR Skills

Medical emergencies do not wait for a hospital setting. Cardiac arrest, severe bleeding, choking, and stroke can occur in any workplace. The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross both document that survival rates for cardiac arrest increase dramatically when bystanders begin CPR immediately and use an AED within the first few minutes. As an office professional, you may be the first—and only—trained person on the scene. This lesson teaches you to act quickly, correctly, and safely until emergency medical services (EMS) arrive.

Recognizing a Cardiac Emergency and Activating EMS

Before you touch a patient, make the scene safe and assess the victim. Tap the person's shoulder firmly and shout, "Are you okay?" If there is no response and the person is not breathing normally (gasping or no breath counts as not breathing normally), call 911 immediately—or direct a specific bystander to call—and send someone to retrieve the AED. Note the time: every minute without CPR reduces survival odds.

Heart-attack warning signs include chest pressure or pain that may spread to the arm, neck, or jaw; shortness of breath; cold sweat; and nausea. A heart attack victim may still be conscious and breathing. Call 911 and keep the person calm and still.

Adult CPR: Compression and Ventilation

Don nitrile training gloves and a face shield before contact with the manikin or victim. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest (lower half of the breastbone), cover with the other hand, and compress:

Depth: At least 2 inches, but no more than 2.4 inches for adults.
Rate: 100–120 compressions per minute (roughly the beat of the song "Stayin' Alive").
Full recoil: Let the chest fully rise between compressions; do not lean on the chest.
Minimize interruptions: Pause compressions for no more than 10 seconds at any time.

For ventilation with a face shield or pocket mask, tilt the head back, lift the chin, and give one breath over one second—enough to see the chest rise. Two rescue breaths follow every 30 compressions (30:2 ratio). If you are untrained in ventilation or the victim's airway is not manageable, hands-only CPR (continuous compressions) is acceptable until EMS arrives.

Operating an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

AEDs are designed for use by non-medical personnel. The steps are the same regardless of brand:

1. Power on – Open the case; most units turn on automatically or via a button.

2. Attach pads – Expose the chest and apply the electrode pads as shown in the diagram on the pads (one below the right collarbone, one on the lower-left ribs).

3. Analyze – Stand clear and let the AED analyze the heart rhythm. Do not touch the victim.

4. Shock – If a shockable rhythm is detected, the AED instructs you to press the shock button. Shout "Clear!" and confirm no one is touching the victim before pressing.

5. Resume CPR – Immediately after the shock, resume 30:2 CPR. The AED will prompt you to continue and will re-analyze after approximately two minutes.

Never use an AED near standing water or a flammable atmosphere. Remove medication patches from the chest before placing pads.

Controlling Bleeding

For significant bleeding: don nitrile gloves first to protect yourself from bloodborne pathogens. Apply firm, direct pressure with a clean cloth or gauze pad and do not remove it—add more gauze on top if blood soaks through. Maintain steady pressure until EMS arrives. For deep wounds where direct pressure is not controlling blood loss, wound packing (pushing clean gauze into the wound cavity) and continued pressure may be necessary. Tourniquets for limb bleeding are a skill taught in advanced bleeding-control courses; follow your certifying organization's current guidance.

Responding to Choking

If an adult is choking but can cough forcefully, encourage coughing and do not interfere. If the person cannot cough, speak, or breathe:

1. Tell the person you are going to help.

2. Give five firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.

3. Deliver five abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver): stand behind the victim, make a fist just above the navel, cover it with your other hand, and thrust inward and upward.

4. Alternate five back blows and five abdominal thrusts until the object is expelled or the person becomes unconscious. If unconscious, lower the person carefully and begin CPR, checking the mouth for a visible object before each breath.

Recognizing Stroke

Use the acronym BE-FAST (or FAST, depending on your certifying organization) to recognize stroke:

Balance – sudden loss of balance
Eyes – sudden vision changes
Face – facial drooping on one side
Arms – one arm drifts down when both are raised
Speech – slurred or strange speech
Time – call 911 immediately; note the time symptoms began

Stroke is a time-critical emergency. Do not give the person food or water.

Office First-Aid Kit Basics

OSHA's general industry standards require employers to provide first-aid supplies adequate for the hazards present. A standard office kit typically includes adhesive bandages in assorted sizes, gauze pads and rolls, medical tape, disposable gloves, CPR face shield, scissors, tweezers, cold pack, and first-aid instruction guide. Check the kit regularly: replace expired items and restock after any use. Document inspection dates on the checklist kept inside the kit.

Safety Reminders for This Lab

Always wear nitrile gloves and a face shield during manikin CPR practice.
Clean manikin faces with the disinfectant wipes provided between users.
Do not use real AED pads or real shocks; use only the designated training AED units.
If you have a physical condition that prevents full compression practice, notify the instructor immediately for a reasonable accommodation.

Key terms10

Cardiac arrestA sudden loss of heart function in which the heart stops pumping blood effectively, requiring immediate CPR and defibrillation to improve survival.

AED (Automated External Defibrillator)A portable electronic device that analyzes heart rhythm and delivers an electrical shock to restore a normal heartbeat during certain cardiac emergencies.

Compression rateThe speed of chest compressions during CPR, standardly 100–120 compressions per minute for adult victims.

Compression depthThe distance the chest wall is pressed down during each compression; for adults the standard is at least 2 inches and no more than 2.4 inches.

Heimlich maneuverAbdominal thrusts delivered from behind a conscious choking victim to create pressure that forces a foreign object out of the airway.

BE-FASTA stroke-recognition acronym standing for Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, Time—used to quickly identify stroke symptoms and prompt a 911 call.

Direct pressureThe primary method of controlling external bleeding by pressing a clean cloth or gauze firmly against the wound without removing it.

30:2 ratioThe CPR cycle of 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths, repeated continuously until the victim recovers or EMS takes over.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for first aidBarriers such as nitrile gloves and CPR face shields worn by the rescuer to reduce the risk of exposure to blood or other bodily fluids.

Shockable rhythmA type of abnormal heart rhythm, such as ventricular fibrillation, that the AED can treat with a defibrillation shock.

In class: Practice hands-on adult CPR on manikins in pairs, rotating compressor and ventilation roles, until each student completes a full two-minute cycle meeting depth and rate criteria; instructor provides real-time feedback using a feedback manikin or rate counter. · Operate a training AED unit through a simulated cardiac-arrest scenario: power on the device, follow audio prompts, deliver a simulated shock, and resume CPR—repeated twice per student until the sequence is performed without hesitation. · Rotate through four first-aid stations—(1) bleeding control with direct pressure and wound packing, (2) choking/Heimlich maneuver, (3) recognition and 911 communication for stroke using a stroke-recognition acronym, (4) reading and restocking an office first-aid kit to OSHA minimum requirements—and record findings on a station checklist.
Materials: Adult CPR manikins (one per two students), training AED units, first-aid kit meeting OSHA general industry minimums, training gloves (nitrile), face shields for CPR practice, course manual from American Red Cross or American Heart Association (current edition), station checklist handouts.
Check: Each student passes the hands-on skills check administered by the certified CPR/first-aid instructor: correct compression depth and rate on manikin, successful AED sequence, and correct choking intervention; written knowledge check passes at 80% or higher; students who do not pass skills check receive additional practice and a second attempt within the same class week.

Practice check8

Answer each question, then check it. Nothing is recorded; this is your own practice.