Learning First Aid!

I recently attended an in-person first aid course. I retake this course every three years and have done so for the last 17. Even so, I felt slightly nervous—could I remember how to resuscitate? Would I give a wrong answer? What do all the acronyms mean?

As it turned out, our trainer was fantastic, instantly putting us at ease with a frank and casual teaching style.

Yes, I remembered how to deliver CPR and how to help someone who was choking. No, I did not remember what DRSABCD meant. (If you’re wondering, it stands for Danger, Response, Send (for help), Airway, Breathing, Circulation, and Defibrillation.)

I left the training feeling confident and eager to share the trainer’s stories and advice.

On the drive home, I started thinking. I attend these courses because of my job, but many people have never had any first aid training at all. It seems unthinkable that such a large percentage of our population lacks the knowledge to respond in an emergency. While some actions might come instinctively, understanding the practical steps and procedures could make the difference between life and death.

Why aren’t we teaching these skills in schools? Even reception-aged children could learn the basics, like the recovery position. Teaching how to help someone who is choking or how to administer an EpiPen is straightforward and could easily be incorporated into the curriculum. If our children practiced these life-saving techniques as regularly as their times tables or spellings, we could remove the fear and uncertainty surrounding first aid. We might even empower them to save a life one day.

Since originally writing this blog, I’ve discovered something wonderful: a local Brownie group recently spent an evening learning about first aid in a Restart the Heart session, including how to use an EpiPen. How fantastic is that