First Aid .... good or bad experience?

Hi, my name is Chris, I run a First Aid Training Company in Somerset. Currently on holiday in sunny Cornwall (well it's stopped raining for the moment anyway!) Thought I would ask people's opinions on First Aid Training. What are your experiences? What do you like about them..... and what do you hate (or at least find boring or annoying?)
We try to make sure everyone taking a First Aid course with us has a fun, but valuable learning experiece, so let me know what YOU think makes a good First Aid course and what you think could be improved on!
Hope you are enjoying the sunshine, wherever you are, and keep safe!
Chris Curtis, Akesis Medical Services Ltd, First Aid 4 Life.

Welcome along to the forum, Chris.

You shouldn't even be logged on, if you're on holiday.

Log off! Enjoy the sunshine as it's currently in short supply, and stay safe.

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Working holiday! Will definately be doing some surfing and sunbathing this afternoon though!

Welcome aboard Chris.

Must admit, well overdue some first aid training. I remember having to do an annual refresher every year, and it was always the most boring mundane course going. Sat in a stifling classroom with someone rattling off lots of facts, figures, 15-2 etc, yawn, compression dressing for this, xyz dressing for that, yawn yawn.

Where as the fire course we had to do every year was fantastic, instructors would set fire to things, and we would have to put out different kinds of fires. Great fun.

Suppose you can't really chop peoples arms off for practical demos, but maybe some fake wounds and more practical would have made it less boring?

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Steve

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My workplace First Aid certification has expired, unfortunately right now it's a bit too pricey for me to get it renewed, and it's not really a priority seeing as I work alone.

This is very hypocritical of me because bad "First Aid", administered by people who shout "I know First Aid!" when what they mean is that they sort-of remember bits of a one-hour session at their Boy Scouts group twenty years ago, is one of the banes of my life.

I do think First Aid courses are a wonderful thing, done properly. I did my first ones while I was still at school and I found it very positive, even though so far I've never had to use any of it.

There is often a bit of an issue with accessibility. I and many of my friends are disabled and we get really angry with First Aid instructors insisting that we *must* kneel on the floor, *must* give the dolly enthusiastic breaths and chest compressions until the green light goes on, and so on. Yes, if faced with an actual human being whose life is in danger, we will bounce to the floor and do the best we can for as long as physically possible, even if it's painful, even if we sustain non-life-threatening injuries, even if it means we end up requiring time off work to recover for several days afterwards and have to pay to hire in extra help at home. However, for the training runs, would it really be so bad to allow people who make their particular needs known to have the 'patient' on a table instead of the floor? Offer us kneeling pads? Allow us to just do half a dozen compressions on the dolly? Because seriously, we're expected to get straight back to work after this course. Training should not involve injury.

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Hi Steve
I absolutely agree with you! I have been to so many boring First Aid classes in my life, which is why I set up a First Aid Training Company that does exactly what you suggest! We always include casualty simulation, ranging from simple wounds, to diabetic emergencies to amputations! The students love it, it keeps a course fun as well as instructive, but most importantly, it actually makes students face 'real life' situations and gives them the confidence that they'll be able to cope in a real emergency!
Thanks for your input and I'm glad we seem to be on the right track when it comes to a really valuable learning experience!
Thanks again
Chris

Hi Mary
thanks for your message. Really sorry to hear about the difficulties you have encountered when on First Aid courses. We have lots of people who have difficulty in getting to the floor, it may be they have a disability of some kind, or simply they have had a knee op or a bad back at that time. It really shouldn't be a problem to be able to practice CPR with the mannikin on a raised platform, such as a table, the last thing you want to do on a First Aid course is for someone to injure themselves!! As you quite rightly state, in a real life emergency anyone who has the correct training will do their utmost to help a casualty, and if that means all they can do is phone 999 and possibly instruct someone else, then that is far better than doing nothing!
As a lone worker, it would depend what you do of course, but generally a one day EFAW course would be sufficient for you.
Please ignore all those 'would be' helpers who bluster in shouting that they are 'First Aiders' and know what to do, 99.9 times out of 100 they are more of an obstruction and hinderance than a help. Anyone who really knows how to help offer it quietly and DO NOT try to take over!
Hope you get a better experience on your next course!
All the best and thanks for your input.
Chris