Have you had any First Aid Training?

[Stringmaker]

Absolutely.

In theory there should be one available in all public places. I'm going out of Stansted tomorrow on business so just out of curiosity I'll see if I can clock it.

 

[santaman2000]

We did the CPR drill on adult, child and baby dummies, and I think the mood changed when we were working on the baby.

You can joke about the other dummies having no arms and legs, but the baby was complete, clothed and pretty realistic. Lying it down and doing chest compressions with two fingertips was a sobering experience I hope I never have to do for real...

Yeah we had to do all 3 to qualify also. The thought of having to do it on a baby is indeed a frightening one.

 

[John Fenna]

I have held some sort of first aid cert for over 20 years.
The most aplicable for Bushcraft that I have done are the Remote Emergency Care ones at level 2.
My mate is the trainer (he is a member here as well ) and slants the scenarios to the bushy type of accident when I am on a course

 

[Stringmaker]

The trainer on my course threw in a couple of scenarios for me too.

A nice deep incision wound and a dry burn (not at the same time!).

On the front of the reference book we were given was a list of all the topics we would be covering; one of the participants looked up and said "I've had 16 of those"

We let him drive off first at the end of each day...

 

[Gray]

Im first aid trained in work, we have our own instructors, a 4 day course which i really enjoyed. It goes hand in hand with first on scene training.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

I had to do CPR on the baby dummy as I ran out of the building to get help, a school group was there and they started screaming 'that man's kissing a baby' I explained it was just a dummy, held it up by a leg upsid down and they screamed more !

Luckily the teacher realised it was a dummy and calmed them down, phew.

You need to do refreshers every three years as protocols, techniques and procedures etc are all tweaked and adapted after research eg Tourniquets breath ratios etc.

 

[santaman2000]

I had to do CPR on the baby dummy as I ran out of the building to get help, a school group was there and they started screaming 'that man's kissing a baby' I explained it was just a dummy, held it up by a leg upsid down and they screamed more !

Luckily the teacher realised it was a dummy and calmed them down, phew.

You need to do refreshers every three years as protocols, techniques and procedures etc are all tweaked and adapted after research eg Tourniquets breath ratios etc.

Our certification is only good for 2 years over here for first aid; only one year for CPR.

 

[Stroller]

I did basic first aid a lifetime ago in Africa. The basic mindset is jump faster than the snake, don't **** around with buffalo or do anything stupid, or you die. Not many people could afford flights or multi hour trips to medical care, assuming it was of reasonable standard.

In contrast, the Appointed Person's course pretty much says keep the heart going and call an ambulance, it is a couple of minutes away and the casualty should survive.

An interesting contrast in perspectives, but along with the clingfilm and training, a decent mobile phone and awareness of reception is vital in a firtsaid kit.

But I still prefer not to get bitten in the first place.

 

[Epona]

I've done Scout, Guide and St Johns courses on a fairly regular basis. It's all good.

I also try to get all the kids that come through my groups (pack and troop) to complete a first aid course. I regard it as good citizenship!

The automatic defibs are a brilliant piece of kit -- we're trying to raise money for one in our village since we're half an hour from the nearest hospital.

 

[ged]

... How many of you folk are either trained or qualified in some context?

Started doing first aid courses with my dad when I was about ten. He was a miner, and I think in mining communities first aid was always considered a basic life skill.

I've done quite a few courses since then: at school, at work, for personal refreshers, and for my Yachtmaster's.

All my qualifications are now fairly old, so they have lapsed. I'm on the list for our next work course.

 

[SCOMAN]

I've done a 'Casualty Care Course' through work. It focus' on maintaining airway, stopping or restricting bleeding through dressings and tourniquet, triage and keeping an individual well enough to hand over to the professionals when alongside. Our kit also has a few other drugs in them, no opiates just a few limited drugs not normally found in a St Johns kit. We also use O2 including bag valve mask, and Entonox for pain relief. I obviously do not bring the work kit with me when I head out for a dander. I do go out and train with it regularly largely during informal training sessions with teams. The thing I have found both for myself and for others is regular structured training, it does self confidence a world of good and with someone observing from the side offering critique keeps you on track. I've had to use it twice both for bikes coming off the road and both thankfully successful. The last one I did I had a nurse standing at the side watching me, when she announced she was a nurse I offered for her to take over, she pretty much stepped back then quietly departed as the ambulance arrived. I'm sure she had good reason but i did find it slightly bizarre.

 

[Wild Thing]

I have been certified at varying degrees for the last 30 years. It's good that we have to requalify as it keeps us on our toes.

First aid is taught more practically than it used to be, no more ring bandages to treat a foreign object protruding from a wound.

Only had to do CPR once in anger on an adult casualty, but ultimately lost him. Lost count of the number of cut knees, elbows and bangs to the head i've treated, but the feeling inside of knowing that you have helped someone in theit time of need is priceless, and well worth the hours of training.

So IF you haven't done a First Aid course, DO ONE SOON. You won't be disappointed.

 

[bushwacker bob]

Yes, I like getting someone's heart going; can still do the mouth-to-mouth but not the pumping to any effecive level.

:aargh4::aargh4::aargh4::yikes:

 

[Skaukraft]

I am a semi active member of the Red Cross, and have the basic first aid training from them. I also got the mandatory off shore/marine training.
Regular first aid training will never be a waste.

 

[ExHelot]

Over the course of several years I had umpteen hours of combat trauma and triage training while serving in the military. I've found most of it useful and it's a real confidence builder when going out with a group, especially with family. I'd advise everyone to get training on basic first aid. If time and resources are limited I would recommend a course in sports first aid since most hiking injuries are similar. Hyper/hypo-thermia, frostbite and burns are the other common life threatening injuries encountered. Each person in the groups I go with, carries a small 'personal' first aid kit and someone carries a larger 'group' kit.

 

[Manacles]

I'm a Cub Scout Assistant Leader so am required to have first aid training and regular renewals. I have to confess to having been a little skeptical to begin with, but within an hour of the start of my first course I realised there was so much useful stuff, not just for Scouting, but for my family at home that I really embraced it, and if I left Scouting for any reason I would continue to regularly update my learning.

For the record I carry a middling sized first aid kit that I bought from Cotswold Outdoor in the car/on holiday/trekking/scouting etc and have found that I have never needed to exceed the (at first glance) comparatively few items in the kit - but I may just have been lucky so far

 

[presterjohn]

I've been doing FAW courses for the last 16 years or so. It is amazing how much they have changed in tone. The first couple were like mini O Levels and really harshly marked. Now they are a lot more easy going and they want you to have the confidence to have a go. The last incident I attended (at a Zoo) five of us first aiders turned up at the foot of a collapsed women in about 2 minutes.

 

[jacko1066]

I think first aid training is a great idea in theory.

Iv done about 3 courses during my lifetime.

2 work related and 1 for football coaching.

My footballing coaching first aid had Ne run out, I was coaching men by the way.

Like I say in theory they are great, but my experiences are quite different.

On all 3 courses I found that the chaps were there because they had to be, yes they went through everything in detail, but they didnt inspire anyone on the courses at all. No hands on training ie with a dummy in CPR etc.

I'm not saying all the instructors are the same, bit especially the work instructer, first thing he said is that we would be finished as quickly as possible as he didnt want to be here too long as he had a long drive home.

To renew my football first. Aid, it needs to be done through our local Fa, at a cost I £50, I would love to give it another try but I just any afford to pay that and it wouldn't be fair on the lads who are paying the subs every week to pay it either.

Unfortunately the don't recognise first aid courses by other providers, and come to think of it they also don't accept crb checks for other organisations either.

I would love to do a course that really inspires me, but unfortunately whenever iv come across a situation that needs first aid applied all iv ever done is used what iv read and pretty much used commen sense.

Cheers
Steve

 

[santaman2000]

I think first aid training is a great idea in theory.

Iv done about 3 courses during my lifetime.

2 work related and 1 for football coaching.

My footballing coaching first aid had Ne run out, I was coaching men by the way.

Like I say in theory they are great, but my experiences are quite different.

On all 3 courses I found that the chaps were there because they had to be, yes they went through everything in detail, but they didnt inspire anyone on the courses at all. No hands on training ie with a dummy in CPR etc....

Were they certificated courses? Over here 1st Aid and CPR are two separate courses but BOTH require hands on training. The CPR on a dummy and the 1st aid on each other (including an approved carry of the casualty over 100 feet to safety) to be certified.

 

[mrcharly]

The last one I did I had a nurse standing at the side watching me, when she announced she was a nurse I offered for her to take over, she pretty much stepped back then quietly departed as the ambulance arrived. I'm sure she had good reason but i did find it slightly bizarre.

Nurses are told to be very cautious about stepping in to offer medical assistance (liability and litigation, you see). Unless she's specifically trained, she'd have had no more emergency care training than you have yourself.