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The School of First Aid offers two free online first aid training courses to anyone who wishes to learn how to provide first aid during a medical emergency.

In this Bleeding Control Course, you will learn the six ways to stop bleeding. You will learn about Direct Pressure, how to apply a Hemostatic Dressing, how to pack a wound, how to use the techniques of digital pressure and digital pinch to stop traumatic bleeding, and how to deploy and apply a tourniquet.

This course includes the algorithms that explain each bleeding control method that you can download and print. Each section is explained with concise, to-the-point video presentations and demonstrations.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion that you can download and print. Register for this free course here.

Learn how to provide Hands-Only CPR

In this free online first aid training, you will learn how to recognize when CPR is required, the proper form and technique for performing hands-only CPR, and how you can practice your CPR skills at home using a pool noodle.

Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion that you may download and print.

Enroll in this free course here.

Learn more about the School of First Aid’s onsite and online courses in Wilderness First Aid here.

Less than eight weeks into Summer and graduates of the School of First Aid’s Online Wilderness First Aid Course are having a positive impact on people’s lives.

I have received several emails from graduates reporting how they are applying their Wilderness First Aid training.

Illnesses and Injuries Identified and Treated include:

• Ruptured eardrums from a diving incident.
• Alllergic reactions – Two seperate cases, a bee sting and a food allergy.
  • In both cases, the patients have a history of anaphylaxis but quick thinking by the graduates, and patients did not require their EpiPen.
• Cuts requiring pressure dressings – Three reported cases.
• Pericarditis – inflammation of the heart lining. The patient reported crushing chest pain and was presenting with the signs of a heart attack. The graduate correctly diagnoised the patient and provided rapid transport to the camp hospital.
• Food Poisoning. The graduate correctly diagnoised food posioning verus gastroenteritis (stomach flu).
• Ankle Fracture. The graduate applied a leg splint and the patient was carried to the trailhead for transport to the hospital.

What graduates are saying:

“The way you organize and present Wilderness First Aid using algorithms make it so easy to learn. This is my third WFA certification and the first time I can say that I really feel confident that I can apply what I learned. Best course ever!”

– Linda B.

“Just follow the diagrams in the book. The book really makes understanding Wilderness First Aid easy to learn and remember.”

– Dave K.

“I can not compliment you enough for your excellent material and your awesome personality.  You were a pleasure to meet, work with and learn from.   I was nervous but after a few minutes felt so comfortable and confident.    I will be purchasing your course for some of out youth staff who take our kids backpacking in the next few months. “

– Matt K.

Be someone’s hero. Learn more about the School of First Aid’s Wilderness First Aid Courses here.

I am writing the 2022 Edition of Wilderness First Aid Made Easy and writing the scripts for the updated Online Wilderness First Aid Courses.

New additions to the book include this Viral and Bacterial Illness table that is a must-have for every camp and outdoors program staff member and scout leaders. Viral and bacterial illnesses are dangerous in an environment where campers are in close proximity. This download will help you to identify the most common viral and bacterial illnesses.

You can download the table here.

Most people don’t have the time to attend a two-day, sixteen-hour Wilderness First Aid Course. The Online Wilderness First Aid Course makes training convenient and available on your own terms.
The School of First Aid’s Online Wilderness First Aid courses covers over thirty topics using concise, to-the-point presentations, illustrations, demonstrations, and downloadable handouts. This course is an entire Wilderness First Aid Course that you can enjoy without spending an entire weekend in a classroom.

Save 20% on all courses for a limited time with Coupon Code WFA20.

Online Wilderness First Aid Certificate and Certification Courses are available now at the School of First Aid.

Backstory

Wilderness First Aid training is applicable anytime when someone is complaining of an illness or is injured. The following scenario will allow you to practice identifying and treating an illness.

A tornado cut a five-mile-long path of destruction through your neighborhood. You and your neighbors are working together to help each other find and collect personal possessions. A non-profit, disaster response organization brought box lunches and bottled water to the neighborhood about two hours ago.  It’s approximately 2:00 PM, 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 C), 90% humidity, and sunny.

You have been working with your next-door neighbor, Sean since 9 am. He is 42 years old, 5 foot 9 inches tall, and weighs approximately 200 lbs. Your neighbor complains that he feels nauseous and his upper back is starting to hurt. You suggest that you both sit down in the shade, take a break and drink some water.

You notice that Sean’s skin is pale and moist. 

While you both rest and drink water, you explain to Sean that you graduated from a Wilderness First Aid Course and a big part of the course is deciphering illness signs and symptoms, You tell Sean that you may be able to help if you can ask him some questions.  Sean agrees.

SAMPLE History

You ask Sean SAMPLE History questions.

• Signs and Symptoms – Nausea and pain in the upper right back near the shoulder.
• Allergies – Seasonal allergies
• Medications – Allegra for seasonal allergies. 
• Past Medical History – Sleep apnea. Uses a CPAP nightly. You ask if what he is feeling now has ever happened before.  Sean says he can’t remember.
• Last In – Box lunch at around 12 noon. Cold cut sandwich with mayonnaise, potato chips, and the chocolate chip cookie. Sean has been drinking bottled water all day. The bottle he drank at lunch was his fourth bottle of the day. You ate the exact same lunch.
• Last Out – He peed right before lunch and his pee was clear with no smell. He says he pooped this morning and it was normal.
• Events Leading Up to the Present Crisis – Cleaning up the neighborhood since 9 am and feeling fine until about an hour after eating lunch. After lunch, he felt nauseous and he started feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in his upper right back.

Vitals

You ask Sean if you may take his pulse. You explain that just like when we visit the doctor, this is part of understanding why a person is not feeling well.  Sean agrees.  He tells you the pain in his upper right back shoulder is increasing.  Remember, we never tell the patient that we are measuring their respiratory rate. Patients have a tendency to slow down their breathing if they know their respiratory rate is being measured – another nugget of information you’ll learn in the Wilderness First Aid course.

• Heart Rate: 76
• Respiratory Rate: 16
• Skin Presentation: Pale, Cool and Moist
• Level of Consciousness: A+0x3
• Time: 2:15 PM

Physical Exam

You explain to Sean that you learned in the first aid class you attended that nausea is sometimes caused by an abdominal organ not functioning properly.  You explain the technique you learned in class about dividing the abdominal area into four quadrants, gently pushing in and quickly releasing pressure in each quadrant. If there is something wrong Sean may feel pain.  You explain that this could help understand if Sean has a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. You did a great job in explaining your training because Sean agrees to lay on his back and allow you to examine him.

You start with the Left Lower Quadrant, slowly pushing in and quickly releasing pressure. Sean reports no pain. Left Upper Quadrant – no pain. Right Lower Quadrant – no pain.  Right Upper Quadrant – Sean complains of pain when you push in. You push in again on the Right Upper Quadrant and Sean asks you not to push again. It hurts.

Conclusion
What is possibly wrong with Sean?
Let’s evaluate the clues we discovered during our exam.

Skin. The weather is 80 degrees F (27 C), 90% humidity and sunny. Sean has been working since 9 AM.  His skin should be Pink, Warm and Moist.  His skin is presenting Pale, Cool and Moist. Sean is vasoconstricted. This is your first clue that something is wrong.

Last In/Last Out. Sean has been drinking all day, so he is probably not dehydrated. However, he reports that he began to feel nauseous and began feeling a sharp pain in his upper right back near the shoulder. That is your second clue that Sean may have a serious illness.

Physical Exam.  In our Wilderness First Aid courses, we teach that anytime a patient complains of nausea and/or abdominal tenderness, perform a physical exam of the abdominal area.  Divide the abdominal area into four quadrants that are created by drawing a vertical and horizontal line that intersects at the patient’s belly button.  Then gently push into each quadrant and quickly release pressure.  If the patient complains of any pain then the patient needs to seek definitive medical care.

Diagnosis. Using the flow diagrams in Wilderness First Aid Made Easy you are directed to Page 11,

Abdominal Pain Considerations where you learn that Sean possibly has gallstones and needs to see a medical professional. Gallstones are not a medical emergency so you encourage Sean to see a doctor as soon as possible.

How did you do in diagnosing the patient? Do you want to learn more?

The Online Wilderness First Aid Course covers all of the topics in a traditional, onsite Wilderness First Aid Course. You can learn more about the Online Wilderness First Aid Course here.