Bags First Aid

A summary of the one day paediatric First Aid course

First Aid Courses

The course began with an outline of the format of the day and introductions. The aims of First Aid and where to find support if having to deal with traumatic situations was also covered.

Thinking of a real life accident scenario the need to keep safe was highlighted and before long we were all doing the famous Bags “danger dance”.

We all practised the recovery position after being shown how to assess response, open a casualties airway and check breathing. Because this was a paediatric course we also covered airway opening and recovery position differences for a baby.

We learnt about emergency calls; the european emergency number, what information is needed and how to use our mobile phones to locate ourselves in an emergency. Great advise on free apps to download!

Before stopping for a morning break we covered bleeding, well I should say external bleeding. Hands on practise with dressings and tips on what to do when First Aid kits aren’t available.

Falls, fractures, crush injuries and things resulting in internal bleeding was next. We looked at what items can be added to First Aid kits to help support and keep casualties warm and how to recognise and treat shock.

A thorough session on First Aid kits both from a legislative point of view but also practical suggestions for personal kits.  Kits and replacement supplies were available to buy over lunch break.

Before a practical session where we acted out various scenarios we covered burns and in particular how serious they can be for babies.

The practical was great fun. No one knew what they were going to have to deal with and it was a real confidence boost to see how the skills we had learnt enabled effective treatment of our casualties in a calm and timely manner.

Lunch was a great opportunity to meet the other participants who all either worked in childcare or looked after their own children. We were able to purchase any First Aid supplies that we needed.

Using adult, child and baby mannequins we practised treating choking. It is something that really worries everyone so it was reassuring how straightforward the procedure is.

With the course focusing on babies and children we then looked at asthma, poisoning and anaphylactic shock. We all got to practice using Epipen and the other adrenaline auto-injectors.

The training ended with CPR. Again baby adult and child mannequins were used to show the differences in resuscitation for all ages of casualty. Additionally we got shown use of an AED, automated external defibrillator.

The course came with a supporting handout and we got certificates on the day which are valid for the next 3 years.