Could you provide first aid in an emergency?
Most people understand the importance of first aid and how it can be extremely useful in certain situations. Despite this, studies have shown that just 5% of adults in the UK have the skills and confidence to deliver first aid in emergency situations.
So, why do so few people know first aid?
- They are too busy to take the training
- They feel like they already have enough knowledge
- They don’t know where to go for their training or how to organise a booking
- They think accidents happen to other people and are unlikely to happen to them, their friends, family and colleagues
Sadly, we have seen all too frequently how easily accidents can occur. The mindset of ‘it won’t happen to me’ is a dangerous one to fall into; if everyone thought like this, no one would be first aid trained at all!
Recent events, like the cardiac arrest suffered by a fan in the Newcastle vs Tottenham Hotspur game, highlight the importance of having first-aid trained individuals nearby. Here at Vital Workplace Training, we take first aid very seriously.
We’re going to explain the importance of basic first aid training and list five reasons why you should learn these essential skills.
It’s about more than just saving a life
We’ve all seen those movie scenes where the protagonist provides mouth-to-mouth and the patient resuscitates at the last second, coughing up half of the ocean in the process. Yes, it looks dramatic and impressive, but that’s not always what first aid is about.
Sometimes, first aid can help to simply calm someone down and prevent them from becoming anxious or upset. By doing this, you can keep a situation under control and prevent things from escalating. You won’t look as cool as the movie stars, but the role you play will be just as important.
In some more serious scenarios, first aid can also reduce recovery times. Keeping a patient in a comfortable position or preventing them from losing excess blood will make it easier for medical experts when they arrive. This could also make all the difference when it comes to minimising the chances of temporary or long-term disabilities.
You’ll give others the confidence to provide care
When accidents happen, it can be normal for those nearby to freeze either in shock or simply because they don’t know what to do. In these situations, people tend to follow what they see others do.
Knowing how to act and being able to calmly take control of an emergency situation will help others to come to their senses and help too. Assessing a situation, determining what should be done and providing clear instructions are all essential skills you will learn on a basic first aid course.
Learn to promote safe and healthy living
When you learn first aid training, you also become more aware of what can cause basic accidents and how they can be prevented. Having this knowledge will give you a greater idea of the potential hazards around you. This can help you improve health and safety in the workplace, in public or even at home.
You can use your new knowledge to minimise risks and encourage others around you to do the same. This creates a safer environment for everyone, making it less likely that preventable accidents will occur.
If everyone minimised the risks around them, there would be fewer accidents and fewer call-outs for emergency services. Thus, you are freeing up the time of ambulances and making life easier for emergency workers. When you look at the knock-on effect of accidents, knowing first aid really makes a difference in the long run!
You’ll have the tools to keep situations under control
In some extreme cases, you might find yourself in a situation where a patient’s condition is rapidly deteriorating. This might be because of heavy blood loss or a serious head injury. In this scenario, there might be little you can do to make the patient better unless you are a medical expert.
While you can’t always make things better, you can prevent them from becoming worse. With basic first aid skills, you’ll know how to put pressure on a wound or assess the extent of a head injury, which can be crucial in treating a patient. Even your ability to relay key information to medical workers could make the difference between life and death.
You can increase patient comfort by providing emotional support
Whether you’re dealing with minor injuries in children or more serious incidents, patients can easily become distressed. Some people might not like the sight of blood or be queasy about broken or fractured bones. Even if you successfully treat an injury, that might not ease an individual’s worry or stress about the situation.
By knowing how to calmly speak to a patient, you can make them feel more relaxed and prevent the feeling of anxiety from becoming overwhelming. During a first aid training course, you will learn how to deescalate situations and provide support to panicked patients to help them calm down.
Are you ready to learn first aid?
Now that you know a few more benefits of first aid training, it could be time to finally make the leap and bring your knowledge up to speed. Once you’ve learned how to help others, you’ll feel empowered and more confident that you can react in emergency situations.
Whether you’d like to learn about emergency first aid at work or basic life support for when you’re out and about in public, we can help. We provide a range of first aid training courses in Essex, working across Colchester, Chelmsford and Braintree.
By personalising our courses, we make sure you only learn the content that is most relevant to you. Feel free to contact us today to arrange your first aid training session and learn more about basic first aid skills.