You are sitting in a restaurant and having a wonderful time with your family. Everything about the place, its delicacies and ambience has successfully set a happy mood around you. Suddenly, your little daughter, who was enjoying a meat preparation seconds before appears disturbed. Her entire face turns red and holding her throat, she seems unable to breath. You realize that she is choking due to some small part of meat that may have got stuck inside her throat. You want to help your child and release her from her agony. However, you are clueless as to what is to be done. Luckily, someone in the restaurant knows the basics of first-aid and helps your girl to throw the meat piece out. He saves her and you are eternally grateful to him.
Now, let’s rewind the scenario to the point where you realized your daughter was choking due to the meat piece. Any idea how the ensuing events could have been changed? Instead of panicking and wondering what is to be done, you could have taken the much needed initiative. You could have been in the stranger’s place who helped your daughter out of this situation, had you undergone first-aid training beforehand. It is not only this situation, but a basic knowledge of first-aid can get you out of many such incidents. That is why it is considered one of the vital and unavoidable skills that people need to be trained on.
First-aid is nothing but the initial assistance given to a person suffering from a sudden illness or injury. It is the first check, after which the patient can be taken to a hospital for further assistance, if required. In the above mentioned situation, instead of getting frightened what you could have done is put your hands around your daughter’s waist and find the exact spot for giving her abdominal thrusts. Repeating the thrusts for four or five times could have helped her throw up the meat piece. It is basically what that stranger in the restaurant must have done. But since, you were not aware of this simple technique, you couldn’t help you own daughter.
A course in first-aid doesn’t only include a simple technique like the one mentioned above, but it also includes series of other techniques that suit different emergencies. Only when you have taken first-aid training in Nanaimo, you can rest assured that if such an incident occurs, you will know the necessary steps to be taken. First-aid courses come in various curriculums. So, you have the liberty to choose the exact kind of training you want to have. There are public and workplace courses, and then there are group and bespoke first-aid courses with each having sub-division as well. Say, public courses can be divided into two target groups – for baby and children, and for adults.
On the other hand, workplace first-aid training can include short courses on emergency, pediatric, annual skills update and requalification. Every first-aid course is valid for a certain time period, after which you are expected to apply for requalification in order to stay updated on the latest techniques. It is not mandatory for you to do so, but keeping yourself up-to-date with the latest procedures can definitely do no harm. So, whether it is a fresh course you are enrolling or a re-qualifying course, you also have the choice of going for the basic training or an advanced course.
A basic training involves learning to apply direct pressure on a cut to stop bleeding, using an adhesive bandage, CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation and so on. Advanced course, then again will give training on invasive procedures that carry a risk of further injuring the patent as well as the provider. As a result, it needs time and care to acquire advanced skills. Regardless of the kind of first-aid course you select, training in one kind is essential to sail through a frightening situation like above. Emergencies and accidents don’t happen with notice. These come all of a sudden. So, it is better that you stay prepared beforehand to handle those with care, rather than run amok asking for help.
There are several providers of first-aid training in Nanaimo who can impart the knowledge you require. Take a look at some of such providers in the area and select one that is reputed enough, suit your requirements, and learn the basic ropes of first-aid from them.