Often times it is terrifying during an emergency if you don't feel like you are confident enough to do something. 36% of Canadians are not first aid trained, which could contribute to our extremely low out-of-hospital heart attack survival rates. We really need to dive in and look at why people do not want to take first aid training?

 

I can give you the top 5 I hear regularly 

 

1. First aid training is boring

2. It's too time-consuming and takes way too long

3. They overcomplicate it, and I still end up leaving there having no clue what to do

4. It's too expensive

5. There's a test at the end, and I don't read or write the best

 

Let's take a minute and think about those five points and break them down. The first point, as my slogan says, why should training to save lives bore you to death? Why is there not a better engaging way that the participants feel like they are immersed in the program and targeted to meet their specific learning styles? 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. 

 

Our focus is limited to 10 minutes or less, and sitting for two or three hours at a time does nothing but make people zone out and think about all the other things, like what I need for groceries and what I am cooking for supper. So, the question is how can you capture their attention, how can you create an unboring course? The answer is honestly pretty simple, create something that hits all of the learning styles. Add in some humour, a joke here or there and applicable real-world scenarios. 

 

No, this isn't going to be as fun as going to a carnival, movie, or whatever other extracurricular activities you might have. The whole idea is if you can create something that is engaging and isn't completely claw your eye out boring, participants will pay attention and actually learn something valuable. 

 

The second most common complaint, but I get it; it's too time-consuming. I can agree with this for basic and intermediate first aid training. Here's the thing you're not a doctor, nurse, or paramedic. Your job is to keep the person alive and comfortable until EMS arrives. There is absolutely no need for participants to memorize and know all of the medical terminologies during a first aid class. All that they need to know is your pump on a chest hard and fast to make all the circulation flow around and keep the brain alive. 

 

If anything, the Canadian Standards Association may want to look at a fourth level of training instead of the three they currently have. It's challenging for participants to memorize two full days of training and remember all the contents three years later when their certificate is up for renewal. However, if we can simplify the content and get to the point and not drag it out and be so concerned about memorizing all of the technical components, the ability to perform during an emergency situation would be higher. It would also give participants the confidence that they know they can do something to help in a situation instead of doing nothing or panicking. Most workplaces only require employees to assist during an emergency situation for a brief period. Further to that, various levels of training should be specific to industry and hazard assessments. Elevated risk professions should require more advanced training and more frequently, whereas somebody working in a grocery store only needs the basics of First Aid to assist during an emergency situation.