First Aid training

[kro]

It was discussed at work the other day, that I should re-sit my First Aid Cert. Remembering the last one I attended, with it's "role playing" form of "teaching", which I, and 90% of the punters there despised, and found patronizing, and stupid, I got on the phone, and started calling the training companies.

Hello, I want to sit a FA course, how much are they?.
Yes we do sir, they are $XXX.XX
Uh huh, does your instructor insist on using role playing as a training method?
Splutter, cough, uh yeas, I think she does use it fairly often.
Ok, thanks anyway, I'll keep looking.
Wait sir, what's the problem?, what is the problem with role playing?
Because I was hoping to attend a course based on FA training, not on method acting, my company would be upset if they found out I was squandering their money on acting classes.
Thanks for the info, I will keep looking.

Now with Nelson being fairly small, these places are eager for your business, so I had several of those conversations, and didn't find one vendor who would just get up on stage, and show me with slides/pics, demos what I needed, and despatch me 1.5 hours earlier due to the absense of acting scenes, that noone took seriously.

I am going to call the same companies today see if the answers are different.

[WRT]

Because I was hoping to attend a course based on FA training

A course based on Fuck All training?

[skelstar]

Did you have a bad role-playing experience when you were young?

[The Pastor]

FA according to renegade master.

STICK A PLASTER ON IT YOU WUSS.


If they can't move, might pay to take them to one of those hostpital things.

[Macktheknife]

Not sure what your experience of First Aid training was previously but from the examiner side the only way to ensure competency in a person is to see them perform the actual technique on the manniquin correctly. It is required to be a demonstrated skill, not 'they were in the room and were told about it'.
Might pay to be very specific with the companies and get details of the 'role-play', maybe go along and view one of their courses to see for yourself.

[kro]

I am not meaning the practice of chest compressions, and breathing, for CPR Mack, I would expect they need to see you do that, and I fully agree with it. I mean the " hey buddy, are you OK, can you hear me, I am a trained first aider, and I'm here to make your injuries 10 times worse", that kind of crap. All they need to do is say to any reasonable adult "see if the victim is conscious, and if so, explain that you are a trained FA'er, and proceed". I hate having to act it out, it's like freaking drama class.

On the subject, apparently there is a non-condescending class available in Nelson. Hurrah.

[Oakie]

Yeah. I did mine a few weeks back and it is a bit of a pain doing the scenarios. However, I learnt so much more from actually doing the stuff than just being told about so I found them to be really worthwhile. Apart from the practical knowledge of doing it, it gives you the confidence of knowing that you can actually do it for real.
Reality is that when you do strike situations requiring first aid you do get the people doing stuff that the instructors get trainees to act out. (hysterical bystander, screaming victim, the person who gives bad advice etc).

[heyjoe]

At my workplace we have seen a number of training providers conduct the training for staff. Once the full course is done, it is just a one day one to keep current cert up to date.

Currently using Red Cross. I personally find them very good. I have seen some that have been lesser quality in the past and other places of work. Having a trainer who is NZQA certified is good as it helps with the quality of training. Even then, some are better at it than others.

I think the role playing bit is a bit over the top if it is like a drama class. I guess there needs to be some verification that the student can demonstrate the required technique ie CPR or rescue breathing and show they know the routine for checking an unconscious person etc. I don't mind if technique is all that is required but I don't like seeing it as a theatre sport event.