Chances are good that with the dawning of a new year, you are looking for something new in your life to herald in a change and expand your skill set and place in the world. Now is the perfect time to book yourself on a First Aid course and learn the basics of providing First Aid in any situation, from the home to providing emergency First Aid for life-threatening events.
Learning how to perform CPR correctly is the difference between potentially saving a life and watching helplessly as someone dies unnecessarily. Can you imagine the level of guilt and remorse you would experience if the worst-case scenario happened before your eyes and you had no idea how to help in the most basic way possible?
Could you live with your guilt if you watched someone drown because you have no idea how to perform CPR, and all it takes is three hours of your time?
We all take life for granted in ways we don’t stop to consider until an event occurs directly to one of our loved ones that forces us to focus on how grateful we are that we have our health and fitness in good working order. Taking a proactive approach to learning First Aid and CPR before they might be required should start in primary school and stay with a person for the duration of their life.
Unlike the maths or science you are taught in school that is forgotten weeks later, learning how to do CPR and respond to any accident or incident as the First Aid responder is a skill that, once learned, will stay with you for life.
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How Long is A First Aid Certificate Valid
Once you learn CPR and basic First Aid, you retain those skills for life. You do not need a piece of paper that certifies you to practise First Aid to give First Aid unlike Barista Courses where you require certifications. Anyone can render CPR or First Aid to someone in need so long as they do not intentionally make the situation worse for the casualty by trying something they have no idea how to do correctly.
In fact, the process of certification for even the most menial task is only a recent occurrence in line with a corrupt education system seeking more money from people by issuing ‘certificates’ for completing a course that the governing body has approved as a standard minimum level required for all people to do that task. That said, there are some benefits to having current First Aid certification or at least obtaining it once in your life.
In Australia, CPR-only certification lasts one (1) year before requiring a refresher course. It has to be about the ‘money’ as this is one skill you never forget once learnt. A basic First Aid certificate is valid for three (3) years before recertification is required.
There is an imaginary push for people to become First Aid certified as part of their pre-employment or vocational demands. In some cases where you are dealing with the public, it can be advantageous to have valid First Aid certification should a shopper suddenly have a heart attack in your store or trip and fracture their pelvis.
It is also a requirement, not a preference if you work in the education sector or a vocation undertaking a role that exposes you or your colleagues to the potential for high-risk injuries on the job, such as in the construction industry, as one example.
Volunteer organisations also benefit from their volunteers having a current First Aid certificate but are more than content with previous experience and certification, even if it has lapsed.
The moral of this story is simple. If you have never been taught how to perform CPR and physically practised your skills on a CPR manikin, you have not been taught CPR. While anyone with an IQ above 100 can watch a video and have an understanding of how to perform CPR, there is a technical skill required to do it correctly, at the right rate, for a consistent period of time without a break.
One of the first things to go wrong in CPR is with the giver growing tired, they stop compressing the chest to the correct depth required, and as a result, the heart valves cannot open to push the blood around the circulatory system. That means that the CPR being given is ineffective and has the same benefit to the casualty as not doing anything, all while exhausting the person providing the CPR. That is a lose-lose situation easily avoided by taking a First Aid Course.
What does A First Aid Course Cost in Australia
There is no set price, and research into the most suitable Registered Training Organisation in your state will be required. They typically cost around the $100 mark, with some organisations offering guarantees to undercut their rivals by a percentage on the day when a written quote is provided for the same course with the rival.
CPR-only courses average $45-50 and take approximately three hours to complete.
Basic First Aid courses include CPR as part of their course material and can take longer to complete. The amount of time will depend on several factors, such as previous experience and existing knowledge skills. First-time learners may choose a course that is delivered in two parts, the first being at home in their own time and conducted by reading the course material and then doing an online test/quiz/exam before undertaking the second part with face-to-face instructor-led training, demonstrations, and assessment for certification.
These courses typically take between 6-12 hours to complete in full, with the largest part of the time being down to how quickly the individual can read, understand, and retain the information before completing the test. There is no right or wrong amount of time.
Typically, the average person can complete the course across two days. One for the theory side and exam component, the other three-four hours for the practical demonstrations and certification on the day.
In theory, in most cases, you cannot complete the course on the same day due to the need to pass the exam and then be scheduled onto the next course available in your area. Be aware of any organisation that sells the belief they can certify you in only six hours. It is six hours on paper for someone already well-versed and fluid in their skill set.
The two halves of the course are only taught on the same day if all of your course is conducted face-to-face. Your specific RTO will have their course options available for selection, and no two are exactly the same.
First Aid Knowledge Saves Lives
As any doomsday prepper will tell you,
“It is always better to have the skill set and not need it, than need it and not have it!” .
First Aid is the embodiment of that statement. We hope that you learn the First Aid skills needed and never find yourself in a position to use them to save someone’s life. We also hope that you are not one of the people who read this article and do nothing about it, then happen across an event in which you could have saved a life but were unable to do so.
In 2023, take the time to do something for yourself and the world by taking a First Aid course that could make you a hero to someone!
Also read: 4 Tips You Should Never Forget When Buying Your Loved One a Wheelchair
