Whether in school, homes, or at the workplace, first aid training remains one of the most important subjects.

Accidents could happen at any time and even the smallest of injuries could lead to severe pain. Some accidents could even be fatal.

First aiders can help to stabilise a person in the time between an accident occurring, and health professionals arriving, but their skills are not only handy in serious situations.

Other cases that might require first aid attention include insect bites or a respiratory health condition flare up.

But why would you need this knowledge when you can simply drive the patient to the hospital? Here are some of the reasons to join institutions like Australia Wide First Aid for a short first aid course.

1. It encourages safety awareness

In as much as first aid is always administered after an accident, one of its core principles is prevention. It’s better to be safe than to be sorry, right? Well, during your training, this will definitely be emphasised a lot.

The knowledge of first aid promotes one’s sense of safety towards themselves and those around them.

One leading cause of accidents is lack of awareness with regards to your surroundings. For instance, not being watchful enough in a factory walkway surrounded by sharp metals. First aid training encourages awareness in such areas to ultimately reduce accidents.

2. It saves lives

More often than not, accidents occur in areas where there is no immediate access to professional medical services.

Keep in mind that even a 10-minute period can cost a soul, especially those involved in a grisly accident. Statistics show that at least 150,000 lives are endangered due to lack of first aid skills.

Therefore, a little first aid knowledge can go a long way in saving a lot of lives. Apart from ensuring that the situation doesn’t worsen, it also gives the doctor a better chance of successfully treating the patient.

3. It prevents a condition from worsening

Even with all the necessary self-care tips and precautionary measures in place, accidents are always going to happen one way or another.

Many people have little to no idea of what to do if they find themselves in such situations. For instance, what should be your course of action when your colleague is bleeding profusely after an accident? Cleaning the area, stopping the bleeding, and covering the wound are all part of the standard first aid procedures.

Unfortunately, many people have a vague idea, at best, of the steps to follow when such responsibilities fall in their hands.

First aid training aims to arm everyone, especially those working in accident-prone areas, with the required skills to deal with mild and serious injuries. The objective here is to ensure that the affected area doesn’t worsen either due to over-bleeding or exposure to germs.

4. It improves the patient’s comfort

Pain and discomfort are some of factors that contribute to an accident victim’s agony.

With basic first aid skills, you can help reduce this suffering while the patient awaits a professional doctor. Again, this is something that you probably already know, but the dos and don’ts here are quite important.

Remember, your colleague, friend, or whoever requires your first aid services, is usually in a fragile state. Therefore, any wrong move could easily worsen the situation.

However, when first aid is administered correctly, the patient is more likely to be in a stable condition until the necessary treatment commences.

5. It breeds confidence

As earlier mentioned, any wrong action during the first aid process could cause more pain, and might even be fatal.

For this reason, many tend to panic when called upon to help someone who’s in a critical condition.

The objective of first aid trainers is to breed confidence in everyone to be able to handle even the most critical of conditions. It’s not only about the skills but also your mindset.

Remember, that particular accident victim’s life could depend on how you go about helping them. Therefore, pressing the confidence instead of the panic button can go a long way in saving lives.

Knowing first aid could save the day

First aid knowledge may not seem critical when you don’t need it, but it can have a huge impact on a person’s chances of survival after an accident.

By putting your new first aid skills into practice, you could save a person’s life, or at least minimise their discomfort.

First aid training can also help a person’s confidence, which will come in handy if they’re called upon to help during a critical situation.

Of course, prevention is better than cure, and first aid trainers advocate for that. But in case of an unprecedented accident, your first aid knowledge could save the day.