June 3, 2025 • 6 mins
More than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year. Now that school's out, West Michigan kids will be away from teachers and coaches trained in CPR, making it crucial for parents to learn. Syreeta Drake, nursing advisor at Montcalm Community College and with the Grand Rapids Black Nurses Association joins us to discuss the importance of CPR and gives us a demonstration.
More information can be found here: https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/cpr-facts-and-stats
More information can be found here: https://cpr.heart.org/en/resources/cpr-facts-and-stats
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We had some spooky stats just before bottom of the
hour news about kids on summer vacation not being around
as many folks trained to do CPR or know what
an AED device even is. So it's CPR and AD
Awareness Week and in studio with us nursing instructor at
Montcalm Community College and a member of the Grand Rapids
Black Nurses Association, Syreta Drake, thank you so much for
(00:22):
coming in today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you for having me this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
When you do it right, talk to us a little
bit about how important CPR is. It's and it's not
that hard if you learn how to do it right,
but it is a fighting chance that a lot of
people need.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yes, it is because what you're doing when you do
CPR correctly, specifically the compression part, you are actually using
the sternum your body to press against the sternum on
your ribcah to be that heartbeat. So the heart is
a muscle and so you're compressing it. And each time
you compress it, you allow the blood to circulate through
the buy and keep the organs perfuse. So it's really
(01:02):
life saving.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm always amazed when we talk health and we talk stats,
it blows me away, But I want to read this
and then get your reaction to it. Globally, cardiac arrest
claims more lives than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia,
auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Yes, that's incredible to talk about how important this is.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, that's very staggering.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And that's why you know we're out here doing the
work and specifically talking about how with bystander CPR or
what we call hands only CPR, where you just have
to push hard and fast in the center of the chest,
anybody could be taught to do that right on the spot.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
We're doing a Facebook live of this and you have
a prop so for those that are going to be
watching this on Facebook, and we'll make sure that we
send it out and use our social media. Can you
just show us? I mean, Sandy and I my wife
have been through the class. We know to look for
the zyphoid process and then there's an optimal distance in
(02:07):
the But you just said center of the chest and
push hard and fast. So what does that look like?
Speaker 3 (02:12):
So what that looks like? And here I have my
mannequin who is name. Yes, I call this mannequan ciceroa.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Just because I like the.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
SISS but yeah, because Cicero CPR. But I use the
mannequin who has a breast attachment because also what we're
finding now in the latest research that sometimes females that
the statistic is rising where they are least likely to
get bystander CPR.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
And I think it has something to do with the breath.
Oh okay, So because you don't know where to press.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
But so if a person is down and you just
find just the center, which would be typically in the
middle of like what would be the nipple line. But
if you can kind of visualize that, and so you
just take your dominant hand and you want to use
gravity to help you. So if you take the hill
of your palm here and then you make your hand
this way, and then you interlock your non dominant hand
(03:08):
and you just push down hard, hard and fast.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Again, we're gonna facebook live this suit you can shut.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
So what you would like to do, though, ideally, is
to be up and over. So I would need this
to be a little bit you know, loor, right, which
is why we usually have people they're usually down on
the ground.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
If they have a event, you usually call nine one
one two to help with that, right, just so put
your speakerphone on, throw it down and just do the thing.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
And that's beautiful because we live in a age where
we have phones and if you put your phone on
speaker and down nine to one one, the dispatcher even
can talk you through your process. Right, So don't ever
think that you're alone. We're hugely connected in this world.
And so let's use that to save life.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Do you people have to be concerned? And you mentioned
bystanders in with female victims or even let's say elderly too,
like for someone like myself, if a people worried about
like hurting that person because of their pushing too hard,
especially elderly, I would.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Say, yes, that is a valid concern. But what I
would like to say is if a person's heart isn't beating,
that we would call that clinical death. And if you
don't help them, they have no hope, right or no chance.
And so typically what could potentially happen might be a
fractured rib or something of that nature, but that can heal.
(04:26):
But if their heart is not beaten and they have
no signs of life, what hope do they have at all,
like at least there will be a chance of recovery.
So that's a valid concern because we're humans and we care.
So the other part of caring is if we can act,
push hard and fast in the center of the chest,
and then maybe we could help save that.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Person's I woult a quick follow up depending on the
age obviously in the size, but for children, do you
not lock then as far as what you just demonstrated
there because of them having a smaller chess plate, or
what's the adjustment to do there?
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah, there's a couple of adjustments, So that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
You could still lock. Sometimes people just use one hand.
But it's the how deep you go. So for children.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
You want to be at about two inches and for
adults it's at least two inches. So you really want
to gauge it by the size of the person. And
so also with that is you want to allow the
chest to do what we call a full recoil. So
as you compress down, you wanted to come back up.
So if you think of the heart, and it's not
this way, but just to simplify, like a sponge, if
(05:28):
you have a sponge, you continuously squeeze it. You don't
allow it to open back up, then you don't get
the best results. So, like with the heart, if you
allow the chest to fully recoil, then you allow blood
to re enter the heart. So when you compress again,
you are actually getting that blood back.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Out to the organ.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You're acting like the heart. You're pumping.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
You're pumping.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Find your community center that throws one of these things on.
Go to the American Heart Association's website and you'll find
a ton of information about doing that. We so appreciate
you coming in today. Syreta Drake is nursing instructor at
Montcom Community College and Grand Rapids Black Nurses Association. A pleasure.
You're a lifesaver. We appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Oh, thank you, thank you very much
We had some spooky stats just before bottom of the
hour news about kids on summer vacation not being around
as many folks trained to do CPR or know what
an AED device even is. So it's CPR and AD
Awareness Week and in studio with us nursing instructor at
Montcalm Community College and a member of the Grand Rapids
Black Nurses Association, Syreta Drake, thank you so much for
(00:22):
coming in today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thank you for having me this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
When you do it right, talk to us a little
bit about how important CPR is. It's and it's not
that hard if you learn how to do it right,
but it is a fighting chance that a lot of
people need.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Yes, it is because what you're doing when you do
CPR correctly, specifically the compression part, you are actually using
the sternum your body to press against the sternum on
your ribcah to be that heartbeat. So the heart is
a muscle and so you're compressing it. And each time
you compress it, you allow the blood to circulate through
the buy and keep the organs perfuse. So it's really
(01:02):
life saving.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm always amazed when we talk health and we talk stats,
it blows me away, But I want to read this
and then get your reaction to it. Globally, cardiac arrest
claims more lives than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia,
auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Yes, that's incredible to talk about how important this is.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Yeah, that's very staggering.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And that's why you know we're out here doing the
work and specifically talking about how with bystander CPR or
what we call hands only CPR, where you just have
to push hard and fast in the center of the chest,
anybody could be taught to do that right on the spot.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
We're doing a Facebook live of this and you have
a prop so for those that are going to be
watching this on Facebook, and we'll make sure that we
send it out and use our social media. Can you
just show us? I mean, Sandy and I my wife
have been through the class. We know to look for
the zyphoid process and then there's an optimal distance in
(02:07):
the But you just said center of the chest and
push hard and fast. So what does that look like?
Speaker 3 (02:12):
So what that looks like? And here I have my
mannequin who is name. Yes, I call this mannequan ciceroa.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Just because I like the.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
SISS but yeah, because Cicero CPR. But I use the
mannequin who has a breast attachment because also what we're
finding now in the latest research that sometimes females that
the statistic is rising where they are least likely to
get bystander CPR.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
And I think it has something to do with the breath.
Oh okay, So because you don't know where to press.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
But so if a person is down and you just
find just the center, which would be typically in the
middle of like what would be the nipple line. But
if you can kind of visualize that, and so you
just take your dominant hand and you want to use
gravity to help you. So if you take the hill
of your palm here and then you make your hand
this way, and then you interlock your non dominant hand
(03:08):
and you just push down hard, hard and fast.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Again, we're gonna facebook live this suit you can shut.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
So what you would like to do, though, ideally, is
to be up and over. So I would need this
to be a little bit you know, loor, right, which
is why we usually have people they're usually down on
the ground.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
If they have a event, you usually call nine one
one two to help with that, right, just so put
your speakerphone on, throw it down and just do the thing.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
And that's beautiful because we live in a age where
we have phones and if you put your phone on
speaker and down nine to one one, the dispatcher even
can talk you through your process. Right, So don't ever
think that you're alone. We're hugely connected in this world.
And so let's use that to save life.
Speaker 4 (03:49):
Do you people have to be concerned? And you mentioned
bystanders in with female victims or even let's say elderly too,
like for someone like myself, if a people worried about
like hurting that person because of their pushing too hard,
especially elderly, I would.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Say, yes, that is a valid concern. But what I
would like to say is if a person's heart isn't beating,
that we would call that clinical death. And if you
don't help them, they have no hope, right or no chance.
And so typically what could potentially happen might be a
fractured rib or something of that nature, but that can heal.
(04:26):
But if their heart is not beaten and they have
no signs of life, what hope do they have at all,
like at least there will be a chance of recovery.
So that's a valid concern because we're humans and we care.
So the other part of caring is if we can act,
push hard and fast in the center of the chest,
and then maybe we could help save that.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Person's I woult a quick follow up depending on the
age obviously in the size, but for children, do you
not lock then as far as what you just demonstrated
there because of them having a smaller chess plate, or
what's the adjustment to do there?
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah, there's a couple of adjustments, So that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
You could still lock. Sometimes people just use one hand.
But it's the how deep you go. So for children.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
You want to be at about two inches and for
adults it's at least two inches. So you really want
to gauge it by the size of the person. And
so also with that is you want to allow the
chest to do what we call a full recoil. So
as you compress down, you wanted to come back up.
So if you think of the heart, and it's not
this way, but just to simplify, like a sponge, if
(05:28):
you have a sponge, you continuously squeeze it. You don't
allow it to open back up, then you don't get
the best results. So, like with the heart, if you
allow the chest to fully recoil, then you allow blood
to re enter the heart. So when you compress again,
you are actually getting that blood back.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Out to the organ.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
You're acting like the heart. You're pumping.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
You're pumping.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Find your community center that throws one of these things on.
Go to the American Heart Association's website and you'll find
a ton of information about doing that. We so appreciate
you coming in today. Syreta Drake is nursing instructor at
Montcom Community College and Grand Rapids Black Nurses Association. A pleasure.
You're a lifesaver. We appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Oh, thank you, thank you very much
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