First Aid Certification

First Aid courses prepare individuals to react responsibly and apply basic medical care in the event of an emergency. Daycare providers, camp counselors and some school professionals are required to maintain updated first aid certification as part of their job description so they can be prepared if an emergency arises.

Significance

• With proper training and a first aid kit, first aid care can treat and prevent infections of minor injuries like cuts, scrapes, burns and bruises. In some instances, such as when someone is choking or loses consciousness, the skills that were learned in a first aid certification course could save a person's life. CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training can be taken as a separate course or as part of first aid training to supplement emergency preparedness in the event of cardiovascular distress or breathing emergencies.

Providers

• The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization that provides first aid certification courses at chapter locations nationwide. It provides specialized first aid training courses for businesses, communities, and emergency rescue professionals, as well as wilderness first aid training for scouts. The courses provided at the American Red Cross are given by certified instructors. Red Cross certification is recognized nationwide and meets the requirements for OSHA's guidelines for first aid.

Online Certification

• The American Red Cross also provides an online first aid certification option. The course option provides individualized training for interested individuals who wish to learn from the comfort of their own home at their own pace before performing a skills check with an instructor at a local Red Cross training facility. Athletic coaches and babysitters may be interested in this option because they frequently work with small children and should be prepared in an emergency situation.

First Aid Kits

• A properly stocked first aid kit can help an individual provide proper care in the event of a minor emergency. A first aid kit should contain adhesive bandages, sterile gauze, an eye shield or pad, adhesive tape, elastic bandages, sterile cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs, latex gloves, a cold pack, safety pins, a finger splint, thermometer, scissors, hand sanitizer, blanket and a first aid manual. The kit also needs basic medicines like antiseptic solution, antibiotic ointment, sterile eyewash, calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream.

Expert Insight

• Although first aid certification can prepare an individual to care for minor injuries, certification should also help him to decide when a doctor's attention is required. Conditions like jagged wounds, facial wounds, deep cuts, and a temperature of 100 degrees or more all require the professional care of a doctor.