Ideally, a first aid instructor should also have amazing interpersonal skills. They should be compassionate, patient, great communicators, and know how to manage diverse classrooms.
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Part 1 We attended the Halifax Franchise Expo this past weekend, and one thing was abundantly clear the inequalities in first aid training are unnecessary and in desperate need of an overhaul.
Last week, we left off on number three of the five barriers I see to people taking first aid training. Number three, it's too complicated, and I leave feeling less confident. We have touched on this a little bit in the last two comments. If you make something overly complicated or use terminology above the participants' reading grade level, they will most likely leave feeling confused and not confident.
I've said it before, the old way of doing things does not work and does not provide higher retention rates. We live in a world where attention spans are less than 10 minutes at a time. Having somebody sit for 14 to 16 hours in a classroom listening to an instructor drone on while switching power points is not conducive for adult learners.
Why online learning could change the face of first aid.
Why is better equipment essential to retention?
In 2013 Canadian Red Cross approached the CSA group in an attempt to create a national standard for first aid competencies and training. In April 2014, the advisory Council received strong support from regulatory members to create a national standard. There were 15 invited experts to the October 22, 2014 workshop.
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates have pretty well stagnated since 2012. That’s a DECADE with pretty much ZERO improvement!
Let’s talk standards. There are no standards out there today that specifically say: “Ok, here’s what you need for equipment and here are the areas instructors need to be proficient in.” There’s no outline that tells you what you should be doing or best practice for different components of your courses. There are no specifics on what should be done, or how training courses should progress through different levels of instruction.
We’re going to start our story in 2013, when the Canadian Red Cross approached CSA Group looking to help create a national standard for first aid competencies and training.