The importance of first aid training cannot be stressed enough.
Soon after the completion of her maternity leave, work was slowly becoming a routine for Joanne Thompson. It was her third day back after dropping off Millie, her nine-month daughter, to the nursery. However, it wasn’t more than a few hours later when she had received a phone call informing her that Millie was taken to the hospital in a critical state. She had choked on shepherd’s pie at her nursery and was rushed to hospital as sufficient remedial first aid wasn’t provided on time. Later, Millie was pronounced dead.
It was deeply saddening when we read about Millie in the news. Being an organisation that provides abundant courses on child safety, and one of them being first aid, the initial thought that sprang to mind was ‘if only they had first aid training’. Maybe things would have been different today – the importance of first aid training cannot be stressed enough.
We believe that early years settings may have one or two members of staff trained in first aid and therefore, may not see it as a priority to train others. With regards to Millie, if more than one person was trained in first aid, they may have been able to help her until the ambulance arrived. Having numerous staff members trained in first aid confidently assures all staff as well as the families of the children that help will always be available if a child needs urgent attention.
Furthermore, first aid training is not merely limited to an educational setting. Knowledge and training of first aid means that you are able to use this under any circumstance – whether it’s at work, at home, or on the go. Many people would assume that they rarely face an incident where first aid training would be relevant. However, a recent study by St. John’s Ambulance shows that thousands of people are dying each year in situations where basic first aid could have made the difference.
EduCare offers a First Aid Essentials course within the EduCare for Education training licence, which aims to provide the confidence needed to react to an incident when a child urgently needs help. The online course comprises three major learning modules: 1) providing basic life support; 2) handling life-threatening incidents; and 3) dealing with day-to-day incidents. EduCare for Education aims to make the learning simple and provides reassurance that emergency first aid can be provided by any staff member at the scene of an incident. Furthermore, the EduCare for Education licence provides every staff member with unlimited access to 15 other training courses – from safeguarding to other duty of care issues – all year round.
Learn more about delivering first aid in an educational setting, providing basic life support, handling life-threatening incidents and dealing with day-to-day first aid issues in our First Aid Essentials online training course – available on its own or part of an EduCare for Education training licence.
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