Have you ever wondered why first aid training is considered so important? Sure, people who take the course claim it is worthwhile. But will you ever use your training?
We asked firstaidtrainingcalgary.com for some details on why such classes are important. They gave us five key reasons that we explore below.
Your Training Can Help In Many Ways
First aid training is not just about saving lives. Obviously, that is an important reason for taking the course. But you can do so much more with your skills.
Below are some of the outcomes of taking this training:
- First aid provided immediately can reduce recovery time
- Quick first aid can reduce potential for long term disability
- Your training helps you remain calm in crisis situations
- Learning the associated acronyms makes recalling steps for care easier
- Training instills confidence in your skills
You Can Help the Patient Stay Calm and Comfortable
Accidents, injuries and illnesses frequently cause mental trauma that leads to additional pain and suffering for the patient. Even when the individual does not need to go to the hospital, a first aid provider can help relax the patient to enable them to feel better more quickly. In your classes, you learn easy techniques like ice pack application and correct bandaging. You also learn how to stay cool, calm and collected during a crisis. As a result, the injured person feels safer and less anxious.
You Can Prevent the Crisis From Worsening
Some situations call for immediate first aid to keep the injury from worsening. In fact, many patients can look fine one minute and then rapidly deteriorate. By knowing first aid, you can stabilize the hurt individual until emergency medical services arrive. You learn how to provide care with first aid tools and materials or by improvising with the raw materials around the scene. Also, because you know what information to collect about the patient’s condition and how the injury occurred, you can quickly update EMTs when they arrive. This saves precious time toward the injured person’s survival.
You Become More Confident in Your Skills
Learning basic first aid and practicing your skills in a group setting gives you the confidence you need to properly administer first aid. With a deeper understanding of what to expect in emergency situations and how to deal with the circumstances, you can focus on tasks at hand during real-world situations.
You Learn How to Improve Your Own Life
In first aid training, you learn that you need to keep yourself safe and healthy in order to help others. Through healthy living, better decision-making and other wellness choices, you can keep yourself from needing the type of aid you provide to others. It also makes you more aware of your surroundings, a critical skill during a crisis.
Why do people avoid first aid education?
There are multiple reasons why people avoid getting trained in first aid. These reasons are highly individualized. But they typically fall into one of the following categories:
- Too busy to take a class for skills they may not use
- Do not know where to take a class
- Think they know enough to save someone in a crisis
- Believe accidents only happen to other people
The reality is that you will use the skills you learn and practice in your first aid course. You may not need to assist someone with an injury in your lifetime. But, knowing you can help a friend, coworker, family member or stranger certainly provides great peace of mind and confidence. You also use the skills you learn in other areas of your life, not the least important of which is passing on some of your knowledge of how to save a life.
