Applying Work to Passion

By Leesa Ostrander

I mentioned previously that I teach CPR and safety classes. These classes are taught with a standard curriculum and have to cover the federally necessary information.

With this said, I have been certified CPR trained since I was 15, now deep in my thirties. I have been in dental and healthcare and have gone through OSHA training every year and CPR/AED training every two years. This is a lot of time in lecture about how to save a life until EMS arrives.

A few years ago an opportunity came to teach these classes. I was excited, scare and nervous. I had weeks of heartburn over standing in front of the community, doctors, nurses and everyone and teach the about saving a life. How could I teach them to save a life when I had never done it?

I am lucky to not have used the skills, yet do not feel qualified to teach it. I began teaching the class. I felt even more inadequate. I enrolled in EMT training. Loved the training and the knowledge that came with understanding how to keep a heart beating. I did learn other skills to help in my current path as a CPR instructor.

I then kept my path and opened my own business. Again, I was excited, nervous and scared. Now, I have other instructors working for me. I look at the training and still see it as hours of lecture with little new information and updates. This system to me was less effective. After sitting through courses, continuing education and many recertification classes, lecture is not the way to retrain new information on skills known for many years.

I spent sleepless nights thinking up ways to train and have the information swell into a need to gain the knowledge and share the passion I have. I found a plan.

I was excited, nervous and scared.

Turns out the plan works. We learn the training all hands-on in scenario based situations. Very exciting, lets me get to discuss in deeper detail and lets the person choose how much more they want. The participants like it.

So why does this relate to my pursuit of writing?

Sometimes I have to search deeper into why I write. Push past the excited emotions, calm the nervous emotions and conquer the scared to get to the passion to share.

My role in teaching CPR training has led to an opportunity to write for an online site in safety training. I think today I will continue to strive to gain knowledge and the joy of the journey.