Is First Aid training a “tick-box” exercise?

A few years ago, I was sat with a colleague (also friend) during a training session on emergency battlefield medicine.  He turned to me and said, “So as I understand it, we are the goalkeepers until the medics arrive”.  

I didn’t think about that conversation until recently when I was delivering a First Aid at Work course to a commercial client and one of the learners said, “It’s ok if we forget, an ambulance will be around the corner”.  

This hit a nerve for a few reasons but also, a few things fell into place:  

First - my approach to training has been moulded and developed over two decades in the Military, often in preparation to operate in some of the world’s most dangerous environments, this often meant that training was geared around worst-case scenarios.  Preparing for the worst meant we could adapt to any complex scenario that we were faced with. 

Second - as I now work on UK emergency response ambulances, I find myself being sent to more and more jobs that could be fixed with some simple First Aid and a drive to A&E.  More awareness of basic First Aid is needed. 

Third (and most crucial) - in more serious cases, the initial few minutes response to an individual in need of medical assistance could make all the difference. 

I used my colleague’s phrase to explain to the learner that an ambulance would likely be, at best, 6 minutes away in the most life threatening of situations and longer for less severe cases.  The First Aiders are the ‘goalkeepers’ – until the paramedics/doctors arrive.  They call the shots – and this means that First Aiders not only require basic medical training but also the ability to take control of any number of scenarios with empathy, self-confidence and leadership skills. 

This was not to scare the learner, but to impress the importance of genuinely understanding why we learn these basic skills. 

This is why the training that we (Invictus Strategic Solutions Ltd) offer is not just a tick-box exercise.  Our training ensures that our learners are able to implement what they have learned with confidence – we use real scenarios interspersed with genuine timelines and outcomes.  We make sure that all of the theoretical knowledge that is taught is underpinned and backed up by hands-on, practical, scenario-based exercises.  We want anyone that goes through our training course to feel confident and equipped to be able to handle any medical emergency scenario. 

Visit the testimonials on our website to see the feedback we have received from the individuals and companies that we have delivered First Aid and Mental Health training to.