OBJECTIVES OF FIRST AID TRAINING

1. To preserve life

The first goal of first aid training is to instruct people on how to preserve life by carrying out series of emergency first aid procedures. For example, undergoing a first aid training will teach you that the first thing to do when you encounter a casualty is to make sure their airway is open. If you see an unconscious person, the training teaches you how to perform a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Learning how to preserve life is always the first and overall aim of first aid training. Also, this includes preserving the life of the person giving the first aid. You will be taught never to put yourself or anyone around you in danger. You will be trained to conduct a survey or assess the risk level in the surroundings, check and remove anything that can endanger your life or lives of people around the situation. If the situation is too dangerous and you cannot remove the casualty from danger or you cannot approach the situation, you should stay back and call for professional help.

2. To prevent worsening or deterioration of the situation

The second objective of first aid training is to avoid further worsening or degradation of the condition of a casualty. For example, you should ask a person with fractured bones not to move or place them in a position that will prevent them from having further injuries. Also, things, like covering a casualty with a blanket, or applying a bandage to an injury, or knowing pressure points and applying pressure to control bleeding, are all simple first aid aimed at preventing the victim’s condition from getting worse. Also, preventing worsening and deterioration include making the area surrounding the patient safe by removing the dangers around, putting a patient in a more secure environment or position, and calling for immediate specialist help.

3. To promote recovery

The final goal of first aid training promotes the recovery of a victim. First aid when given to a patient before professional medical help arrives, significantly promotes the long-term recovery of a condition or injury. For example, knowing how to apply cooling to a burn injury will promote early healing and lower the risk of long-term scarring in a burn patient.

When you undergo first aid training, you will know what to do in different situations ranging from minor cut injuries to bone fractures. You will learn how important it is to provide assistance to a casualty until professional medical help arrives. Promoting recovery is also achieved by arranging for immediate emergency professional care.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this training the participants will be:

• able to recognise life-threatening situations
• able to offer vital assistance before more experienced help arrives
• able to provide single-person CPR on an adult, child and baby
• qualified as a workplace first aid person