Averett University professor advocates for AED devices on campus after cardiac arrest
DANVILLE, Va. (WFXR) — One nursing professor with Averett University is spreading awareness about Automated External Defibrillators or AEDs after experiencing cardiac arrest.
It all started on Valentine’s Day in 2023. Averett associate nursing professor and simulator coordinator, Karen Oaks said she was on the Riverview campus when she started experiencing a sharp pain in her back. While she attributed it to muscle strain at the time, she later learned that the pain was caused by a heart attack.
The professor said without the quick thinking of her fellow nursing colleagues and their prior knowledge of where the AED devices were on campus — she wouldn’t be here today.
“I’ll never forget the ER doctor telling me if it wasn’t for the aed you wouldn’t be here, and that’s just something I’ll never forget. And I’d just like to help as many people as I can,” Oaks recalled.
Oaks says only about 10 percent of people who have a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital survive — due to the need for a defibrillator. The first three minutes after a cardiac arrest are crucial to reducing the chance of neurological damage.
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Since her incident, she has advocated for more AEDs to not only be brought to the Averett campus and the surrounding businesses but to other college campuses as well.
“I was lucky but I also want other people to be lucky too. As a nurse educator, I know that you don’t have to be a nurse to do CPR or to be able to use the AED,” Oaks said.
Oaks said everyone should at least know the location of an AED in case of emergencies. In the future, she also hopes to work with the Compression and Shock Foundation in Roanoke to help provide AEDs to areas in Danville that may not be able to afford them.
The professor said, since her heart attack, Averett University’s nursing educators have also been able to spread awareness by using their simulators to teach students, staff, and professors about CPR and how AEDs work. She advised other college campuses to do this as well.
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