So today was day 1 of 2 of my first aid course (Standard First Aid for Health Care Providers – it includes CPR for Health Care Providers) and it went stellar. The instructor is so enthusiastic (instructors are volunteer-based, according from what he said) and everyone seems pretty cool. We had to introduce ourselves at the very beginning and I was the second of the students there so I was all like “…. Hi, I’m Michelle. I’m taking this course for nursing school applications…” (my voice got considerably softer by the end, haha) and then the instructor prompts me with “And have you ever taken a first aid course before?” (Answer: Yes, in grade 10 as part of the gym requirement and in Girl Guides, whoot – but even more years ago!). Everyone seemed super nice, and the course went fairly well. The instructor tossed one of the CPR-learning dummies into the wall, head first,

But yeah, the course has been going great so far. I learned about artificial respiration, CPR (and two-rescuer CPR), basic scene management, cardiovascular disease (and what to do) and how to use an Automated External Defibrillation (AED), which was really interesting to learn (and when my instructor said that they were idiot-proof, he wasn’t lying). Most of it was review from previous knowledge, but the group of people was basically a mixture of two groups: people taking a CPR course (1 day) and people taking the Health Care Provider course (2 days). So we (HCP people) had to learn age differences for both groups, as well as slight differences in what to do for various activities. So it got a little confusing on the test when it got to the very nit-picky details regarding exact ages and such. But overall, the test was quite easy (have another test tomorrow). Definitely liking it though, despite my wrist basically refusing to work after the first round of practicing chest compressions. My left wrist just got really stiff and really warm, which sucked (to say the least).

The most useful advice given to us from the instructor was that if we find someone trying to flag down help on the side of the road to not get out of your car and instead offer to call for help from your car only (and never, ever, ever unlock your doors or open your window more than necessary). Same with finding someone unconscious on say, a train platform – report it to an official, but don’t touch them. He told us so many horror stories of people stopping to help others and then getting mugged and nearly beaten to death, and how he had a friend who tried to help an ‘unconscious’ man on a train platform and the ‘unconscious’ man stabbed him in the leg with an used syringe needle.

I was basically bursting with excitement over the day’s activities when I got home and naturally my parents asked me about the first aid course (thus far). My dad was commenting on how I’d probably get sued for helping someone that needed first aid, and I told him that in BC, there’s a ‘Good Samaritan Act’ that protects people from getting sued for performing first aid (within the realm of their abilities – provided that they don’t take money) and he just shook his head and said “That’s how the system gets more money!”. Oh, and then he asked if I had to use straws at all (ahem, in his words “for cut blood vessels to reconnect them”.). My family has all decided that my father will never be performing first aid on any of us. Because apparently he thinks it’s a-okay to use plastic drinking straws to reconnect cut blood vessels… Guess he’s never heard of applying pressure? Not sure.

Anyways… The course is going quite well, but the last/second day is tomorrow. I did get quite a bit done after I got home from the course (ate dinner, went all “wtf” at my father for asking if we use plastic drinking straws, did an online quiz for my organic chemistry class – yay?, and read a chapter in my psychology text).

Questions:

  1. What is the most interesting thing that you’ve learned today?
  2. What is something fun or productive that you plan on doing tomorrow?
  3. What is a career that you really want and dream about?

Hope you all have a great Saturday and an even better Sunday!

One Response

  1. I’m so glad you are liking your course. Sounds like you learned some really great lessons today. You definitely have to be really careful out there. Isn’t it horrible that, in trying to be helpful, you can be robbed or mugged or even worse? It’s hard to think about, isn’t it?

    1. I learned nothing today, really.
    2. Fun? Well, I’m going to start playing Aion tomorrow.
    3. I have always wanted to pursue musical theater and I plan to do so one day.

    I am sick, so my weekend is not really enjoyable, but I do hope that you enjoy yours! 🙂

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