Whether you’re working or volunteering and required to take a first aid course, hoping to do a big hike or other potentially hazardous activity, or simply want to be better able to deal with whatever life throws at you, First Aid and CPR Training is a valuable opportunity that can be immensely useful for many people. You are probably wondering what organizations or companies can help you get this training and what you should expect from a course.
What Organizations Provide First Aid, CPR, and Safety Training?
There are a wide variety of organizations and companies that can provide you with this kind of training. Some courses are for beginners, while others cover more advanced topics or specific scenarios. Some courses are free to the public, while others require a fee. You should make sure to check with the organization or company you intend on learning from to see what kind of skills will be taught and whether they suit your intended purposes.
One of the most well-regarded and effective organizations that provides this kind of training is the Red Cross. They provide courses ranging from basic First Aid, CPR specific sessions, and training for specific skills and scenarios, such as lifeguarding or babysitting. Red Cross provides both online-only, classroom-only, and mixed-format classes, with prices ranging from around $40 for online-old basic First Aid to around $300 for advanced certification in specific fields such as lifeguarding. There are many ways to get discounted classes, however, such as taking the course through a library or nonprofit institution.
What is Commonly Covered in a First Aid Course?
Many basic first aid courses will cover a wide variety of topics, including CPR, with the expectation that you will seek further training if you have a specific area where you want more knowledge. CPR training will often cover the different types of CPR used for different ages, the use of AEDs, and how to identify choking or cardiac arrest. Other first aid topics include common safety scenarios that you may encounter in your everyday life, such as bleeding, burns, shock, respiratory distress, and poisoning. The first course you take will only cover the absolute basics, so if you’re looking for a more in-depth coverage you should look into specific types of classes, such as Wilderness First Aid or First Aid for Childcare, or an intermediate First Aid course.
You will also learn how to recognize and assess the needs of unresponsive individuals or individuals who are unable to communicate their source of distress. You’ll also learn what aid you can be expected to provide and what aid is best left to an EMT or other medical professional.
How Can You Use Your First Aid Training?
While book learning is all well and good, there’s nothing like hands-on training to help reinforce your knowledge and give you more experience in an emergency scenario. There are many First Aid courses that will include a hands-on aspect, which can include practicing CPR and AED use on silicon models and working in a hypothetical scenario as a part of a team with other First Aid students. Hypothetical scenarios are the closest we can get to actual real-world experience in a controlled classroom environment, so you should choose a course that includes these aspects if you want to get this sort of experience.
There are many professions and volunteer positions where having First Aid and CPR training is a definite plus. Consider looking for experiences where your training, expertise, and experience will be seen as an advantage, such as volunteering with school groups or summer camps. FIrst Aid training isn’t just a practical exercise for your everyday life, it can open new doors to enrich your life even further.