First aid is an important skill that most people should have. It is an unfortunate reality that accidents will always occur. For anyone who experiences an accident, whether they are involved or merely a bystander, it is an unpleasant experience. As a bystander it can be even more unpleasant if you are unable to do anything can create a feeling of helplessness. Having even a basic understanding of First Aid can change the situation. With a basic practical understanding of first aid a bystander can help an injured individual until emergency personal can get there.
Many people underestimate the importance of first aid experience. The major benefits cannot be overestimated as they can give the person who needs help valuable time until the professionals can get there. In some cases, a person may ingest a substance that is potentially hazardous or is experiencing a serious issue, such as a heart attack. In these situations, having knowledge of first aid can let a bystander turn into a support person. When an accident occurs, or health issue arises there will always be bystanders wanting to help. However, majority of people do not know the correct actions that need to happen to help the individual who is in trouble. With first aid experience you can ensure that the correct actions are taken.
First Aid is split into three different levels, with each level creating more in-depth knowledge of various emergency situations. The first level sets the groundwork for critical skills and knowledge on how to handle different emergencies. Certain industries require their employees to complete the different levels of first aid, although it is dependent on the industry as to what level should be completed. There are a variety of places to do training, however, there is always a combination of written and practical exercises that need to be completed.
The first level of first aid training aims to cover the basic knowledge required in emergency situations. While different courses will differ slightly the overall curriculum will be the same.
The overview of level one is as follows:
- An introduction and basic principles aimed at providing the base knowledge on why first aid is important and how to protect yourself physically and legally.
- An understanding of the different anatomy that makes up the human body along with the terminology.
- How to assess the individual requiring attention and the surroundings.
- How to perform resuscitation on adults and children. Also, how to treat an individual who is struggling to breathe due to having their air ways blocked.
- A basic knowledge of wounds and bleeding with the correct way to prevent blood loss in a safe manner.
- Assessment and treatment of different types of burns.
- How to identify and stabalise fractures and sprains.
- The basic procedures and steps to take when a head or spinal injury has occurred, and the shock that results from this.
All of these topics will be covered in a course and assessed before you can go out feeling prepared to help in various emergency situations. This level only covers the basic knowledge and if you want to further your abilities and knowledge it is required that you also do the level 2 & 3 courses.
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