The Benefits of Parents Having First-Aid Training

Written by Jana Angeles 

Safety is a big priority for all parents. Whether it’s at home or outside, it’s known by default that parents have a duty of care to all their children. First-aid training is optional to most people, except for those working in the health industry where it’s mandatory. However, parents are encouraged to learn about the benefits of what it means to be first-aid trained. It could mean being able to attend to emergencies faster, especially when they’re kids are involved. This article explores the benefits of parents being first-aid trained and how it could help their family: 

Having first-aid skills could save lives  

In a first-aid training course, individuals learn skills in CPR, wound management and what to do when someone ends up having an asthma/anaphylaxis attack. Having skills in first-aid can assist parents in being able to attend to emergencies faster and help improve the health outcomes of a person who is unconscious. The impact in helping another person when they are unconscious could make a difference. An emergency situation can happen at anytime and it may involved a parent’s child. First-aid training helps people be able to act quickly when it’s most critical.  

Knowledge in wound management 

Children are generally quite active and there will be situations when they could break their arm, fall over or accidentally burn themselves. Parents who undertake first aid training will gain skills in wound management and they will identify the different practices involved to help the healing process of the wounds. It also gives them the knowledge of safely banadaging and medicating wounds while following the appropriate hygiene measures.  

Greater prevention in hazards and risks 

Parents who do first aid training will find themselves being able to identify the hazards and risks while outside or at home when it comes to their kids. This will encourage them to take a good look at their home and see if there are unsafe spots for their children that could potentially lead to dangerous situations. This is important for parents who have pools in their backyard. This could help them make sure that their gate locks meet the safety guidelines to prevent a swimming pool accident from occurring which involves their children.  

Keeping families safe 

First aid training can help parents keep their families safe from hazardous situations. When they do find themselves in an emergency, being able to assist their families wherever they are could help improve their health outcomes. Every day is a new day but there will be times where children can get involved in accidents, which puts their lives at risk. Parents who are first aid trained can benefit from being able to attend to emergencies faster, while also providing further assistance before an ambulance arrives. This is vital in the situation where a child is in critical condition and a parent has to wait for paramedics to assist. Knowing skills in CPR or wound management can help delay the process of a child’s health getting worse before arriving at the hospital.  

CPR has helped parents in real life 

In 2016, it was reported on news.com.au that mother Natalie Beale had to perform CPR on her child Chelsea. Chelsea was only four days old but her airways were blocked due to choking. Since Natalie was first aid trained, she was able to clear what was causing the choking and perform CPR immediately before the ambulance arrived. After just eight minutes, Chelsea was breathing better and re-gained colour in her skin. Being first-aid trained has helped parents assist their children in real life. If Natalie had not acted quickly the way she did, it could have put Chelsea in a much more critical condition. CPR is a vital skill all parents should consider learning about, especially for their toddlers and babies. Choking hazards can happen at anytime and knowing how to clear airways and perform CPR could assist children faster in emergency situations.  

Overall, parents who aren’t first aid trained are encouraged to do a course for their young children. Emergencies can happen at anytime and knowing how to do the basics such as CPR, wound management and controlling an asthma/anaphylaxis condition could benefit parents to assist their children faster before an ambulance arrives. This could also help them react and know what to do instead of panicking when their children’s lives are at risk.