When we get injured, regardless of the seriousness the first medical help that is given to us is first aid. This may be a simple cleaning of the wound or something more complicated like CPR. First aid is most definitely the first assistance given to a person and the term itself suggests just that. The importance given to first aid is because of the efforts taken to preserve life or to reduce the damage caused by the injury. Things to keep in mind is to get assistance from the First aid certification holder to be better and safer side.
While first aid can be administered by almost anyone in case of minor injuries, one needs professional help when the matter is serious. Basic principles such as using disinfectants or applying pressure on the wound can be learned by life experiences and do not require much effort or precision. In serious cases, providing life-saving first aid requires practice and training. Most often, during an accident, we don’t usually have doctors or ambulances nearby. While it usually takes some time for emergency medical services to arrive, there is a need for people trained in first aid to take care of the victim right away. Such training can be received by way of first aid certification.
What is First Aid Certification?
Most times first aid does not require training. Maybe you can use something your mother taught you or something you learnt in school. But a certification is useful during emergencies. Emergency departments are expensive and busy. The average time spent in an emergency department visit is over 3 hours. Many folks don’t want to go to the hospital if they don’t have to go. The very idea emergency services go to waste when it is not effective in doing what it is supposed to do.
First aid comes in handy during situations where there is an urgent need to treat an injury. It can help people in times where the injury is not serious enough to go the hospital but still requires some medical care. First aid training can help anyone in their daily routines and always keep them prepared in case of danger. Most importantly, first aid training may just save your life or the life of someone you love. Good first aid training helps you recognize and treat life-threatening conditions and injuries.
A simple course in first aid may take less than a day or two to complete. They train you to initially assess the victim and diagnose the seriousness of the injury while also having an idea of what you can do to treat it. Most importantly, first aid certification can help a person determine whether he needs to go to the hospital or not and consequently save time and money.
Who can get the First Aid Certification?
The beauty of first aid is that anyone can be a certified first aid technician. You do not have to be a doctor or a nurse to get the certification. With a regular refresher of the technique and keeping track of the changing procedures and protocols, one can be certified to provide first aid in case of an emergency.
When certified, you can help out in case of emergencies and save your loved ones or anyone else around you. Helping victims can reduce the extent of their injuries and may even go as far as to save their life. In India, the lack of Emergency Medical Services calls for a serious need of first aid technicians who can help victims on the scene.
How to Get First Aid Training?
Training in general first aid is easy to get. Any local hospital or Red Cross Society may provide first aid courses for free or at low rates. You can also get a certificate online by attending online training courses on First Aid or CPR. Commercial training is common for training employees in the workplace to perform first aid in case of emergencies. Many community organizations also provide a commercial service, which complements their community programs.
Emergencies are not something that we may think about every day. As much as we hope that they will never happen, one needs to be prepared in case it does happen. Basic CPR and first aid are essential, especially when we have children or old people around us. The importance of first aid is not realized until an emergency occurs. A first-aid certificate can never go to waste and may come of use in situations you may not realize.