Why should you learn first aid?

With these thoughts in mind, here are our top 13 reasons why you should learn first aid.

1. First aid courses can save lives

We aren’t exaggerating when we say that first aid saves lives.  A Manchester University study* in 2016 showed that first aid was only attempted in around half of all cases, despite someone being at the scene of the accident before the arrival of the emergency medical services 96% of the time. It was also found that up to 59% of deaths from injury may have been prevented if first aid was given before the emergency medical services arrived.
 

2. First aid courses can prepare you for anything

If you have the knowledge, skills and confidence that a first aid course gives, then you will feel equipped to deal with whatever the future holds.  Your first aid skills and knowledge will be useful anytime, anyplace, anywhere, for a work colleague, a friend or family member, or a stranger in the street. You can read our top tips for dealing with seizures or strokes.
 

3. First aid courses can reduce pain

If you know how to move someone in pain, and correctly bandage and dress their wounds to support the injured area, this can significantly lessen the amount of pain they experience.

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4. First aid courses can reduce time in hospital

First aid training will give you the knowledge to prioritise injuries. This will provide you with the information to establish whether someone needs treatment and if that should be given by a doctor, a pharmacist, a paramedic or at a hospital.
 

5.  First aid courses can help the emergency services

The information that a well-trained first aider can communicate when the emergency services arrive on scene can aid the patient’s treatment and recovery.
 

6. First aid courses can reduce recovery time

Competent first aiders who react rapidly to an emergency situation can not only save lives but may also reduce the recovery time of the patient.
 

7. First aid courses can lessen the number of accidents

If you are a trained first aider you will be more aware of hazards, particularly in the workplace, which may lead to fewer accidents. If you can spot potential risks, they can be prevented.
 

8. First aid courses can make you feel empowered

We have all heard that ‘knowledge is power’, and this is particularly true in first aid training.  Having first aid knowledge will give you the confidence to know what to do in an emergency situation.
 

9. First aid courses can help with calmness, clarity and confidence

First aid training means that you can cope in an emergency with calmness, clarity and confidence. Staying cool, calm and collected will mean that you can offer support to the injured person and help prevent them from being frightened, which has been found to alleviate pain extremely well.
 

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10. First aid courses can challenge and inspire you

Sometimes being pushed out of our comfort zone is a good thing.  The stories and anecdotes we hear on our first aid courses are both inspirational and challenging.
 

11. First aid courses can help build great teams

In a business, the health and wellbeing of staff is of paramount importance and can lead to better relationships, enhanced communication and improved results.  First aid training provided in the workplace can even be used as an excellent team-building exercise, as well as reducing the number of accidents (see point 7). To find out if your company complies with the law, check this out.
By the way, did you know UK business can save £8 billion per year by implementing better mental health wellbeing support in the workplace? Every company will consider having a physical first aider, but what about a mental health first aider too?
 

12. First aid courses ensure first aid kits are used properly

To access it quickly, first aiders should know where the first aid kit is located, saving time and reducing the impact of the illness or injury (See point 6). Trained first aiders will know exactly what should be in the first aid kit and will be able to maintain it properly so they can to use it efficiently in an emergency. If you’d like to know what should be in your First aid kit, click here. 
 

13 First aid courses can open new opportunities

When you read the bios of our trainers, there is a consistent pattern that they became First Aid trainers because they first undertook a First Aid Training course.  Even if being a trainer is not your ‘thing’, you could volunteer at sporting events or music festivals with your new skills.

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Learn First Aid

At First Response First Aid Ltd, we provide practical, hands-on first aid training courses that will give you all these skills and more!  You can find out more about our courses here, or for more information, give us a call on 01543 372888. 

Don’t put it off, invest 3 days of your life to help learn to save somebody else’s!

*The research commissioned by the British Red Cross and carried out by Manchester University in 2016 asked more than 2,000 UK adults about their knowledge, confidence and willingness to intervene in these 3 potentially life-threatening first aid emergencies: -

i)helping someone who is bleeding heavily
ii) is unresponsive and breathing
iii) or is unresponsive and not breathing.

Only 1 in 20 people would feel knowledgeable, confident and willing to act in those three scenarios, 95% would not.  How about you?

At First Response First Aid Ltd, we provide practical, hands-on first aid training courses that will give you all these skills and more!  You can find out more about our courses here, or for more information, give us a call on 01543 372888.