It is a proven fact that the most basic of first aid skills can saves lives as well as improve the quality of life and recovery from both minor and major accidents. This article provides a brief discussion as to the importance of first aid and some of the vital elements required to make first aid as impactful as it can be.
What is basic first aid
The first arrivals at any accident scene who are able to provide the necessary first aid advice as well as practical assistance are regarded as basic first aid. We see them as St Johns ambulance volunteers, private medics at sporting events and games and at school sporting events. These have become essential skills to have and to share in our communities.
It’ll be as important to have these skills as it will be to have the first aid supplies and there is nothing more essential in the workplace as well as the home than an up to date and well stocked first aid cabinet.
Where first aid is critical
For many it is just at extreme activities and outdoor events and sports that you would expect to see a first aider. This is in fact a massive misconception. A first aider or even simply first aid advice and signposting is an essential at all workplaces, schools and activities. It is a basic human need since we never know when or where an accident will happen. As a principle, wherever people normally gather for entertainment, work and socializing, there must be access to or information of a first aider.
On arrival at the scene of an accident it is about making the patient or injured party as comfortable as possible, while you await the professionals, and thus (although it can save lives) first aid is also quite simple and arguably a social responsibility.
Communication is key
Understanding basic first aid means not only being able to assist in emergency situations by using your first aid skills, but having a greater awareness of emergency situations also means that you are able to communicate better with emergency services when they arrive. Staying with the patient and conveying vital information about how the injury was sustained, what first aid has been administered and how their condition has changed since the injury is also part of helping to make their treatment more effective and could be the difference between life and death.
The difference between a lengthy recovery or a long-term disability or illness can be simply determined by the nature of the first aid received after an accident or injury. First aid is a life saver, but also does more than save lives in that it can create a sense of calm in an emergency. It has been a somewhat forgotten skill in the workplace and society as a whole and perhaps it is articles such as these that will serve to re-energize the First Aid field and create an appreciation of how important first aid is.