- Because, there's almost nothing more important...
Most people understand how to put a bandage on a cut, and they may have some cursory knowledge about how to stop excessive bleeding and respond to other emergency situations. But most of us don’t have robust knowledge in first aid, CPR, or other emergency skills.
Learning and mastering the art of first aid can be beneficial in a number of different ways. But why is this the case and how do you learn it?
Why Learn First Aid?
Basic first aid and CPR are critical skills that can help you in a number of situations, regardless of who you are or what your circumstances are.
- Emergency preparedness. Arguably the most important benefit of learning first aid is preparing you for potential emergency situations. This is somewhat obvious; if you’re able to respond to someone who has suffered a serious injury, you might be able to save their life or keep them alive long enough for help to arrive. But there are also some less obvious benefits of emergency preparedness. For example, the knowledge you gain in learning first aid can help you put together a better first aid kit for your own home, prevent certain actions and activities that could lead to injury, and even help you survive in a catastrophic incident.
- Resume development. If you’re certified in first aid, CPR, or any other emergency-handling skill, you can list it on your resume. Certain employers have a preference for candidates who know first aid, and certain positions strongly benefit from candidates who know first aid. Even if it’s not a pressing concern in your chosen industry, it could distinguish your resume and make employers prefer you over other candidates.
- Environmental safety. When someone knowledgeable in first aid and CPR is in a given environment or community, it instantly becomes safer. For example, if you’re a member of a family of five, your family becomes much safer just by having you and your skills in the vicinity.
- Better decision making. First aid teaches you not only about the techniques likely to mitigate injuries and save lives, but also how to make appropriate decisions and set appropriate priorities in tense and stressful situations. This can help you become a better decision maker, and one who can handle stressful situations more easily.
- Confidence. In line with this, developing your skills in the world of first aid can give you more confidence and self-esteem. You may carry yourself differently once you feel capable of providing life-saving measures in an emergency.
How to Learn Basic First Aid
How do you learn basic first aid?
There are more options than ever before.
- Formal certification. There are many formal certification programs that can give you all the information and experience you need to become capable in the field of first aid. However, you’ll usually have to pay for this experience.
- Live classes. Similarly, you can attend live classes and learn the basics of first aid, CPR, and other topics. It’s often highly beneficial to get this hands-on, practical experience.
- Online videos. If you’re not interested in formal certification, but you still want to learn the basics, there are plenty of online videos that can teach you the fundamentals. Just make sure you prioritize videos from trusted sources with reliable information.
- Books and online guides. Countless books and online articles are also available to flesh out your knowledge in this field.
Keys to Success
These are some of the most important keys to success in learning basic first aid:
- Optimize for retention. Your goal shouldn’t just be to plow through learning modules or finish watching a video series; it should be to fully remember and be able to apply what you’ve learned. Otherwise, you may not be able to act in the face of an emergency. Take notes and commit to reviewing them at regular intervals.
- Get live practice and feedback, if possible. There’s nothing wrong with learning something from an online video or a written book, but first aid is generally something that needs to be applied through action. Accordingly, you should get at least some live practice and feedback from a trained professional, if possible. This way, you can correct anything that you might be doing wrong.
- Refresh your skills periodically. Sometimes, first aid and CPR standards evolve. Even if they don’t, your memory can deteriorate. For both reasons, it pays to refresh your skills periodically and undergo some retraining.
Learning first aid is something that can benefit almost anyone, whether you’re interested in it for the resume boost or just to make your house or workplace safer. Since there are so many ways to learn first aid these days, there’s no reason not to consider pursuing it.