First Aid Course: First Aid And Travel

A first aid course is a wonderful tool for everyday life, but its effectiveness only multiplies during travel. First aid training doesn't just physically prepare a traveller for the possibility of a medical emergency on the trip, it does so emotionally as well, helping reduce stress and make the overall experience more enjoyable.

This article is brought to you by EMCARE, a provider of certified emergency response training, and includes a description of why exactly first aid is so important during travel, what the course covers, and three reasons why it's going to change your travel experience for the better.

First Aid Course For Travel: Why First Aid Matters When Travelling

Travel is a wonderful thing that enriches our lives with new experiences and lasting memories, but it's not without its hitches. Alongside the challenges of travel, including looking for accommodation, booking flights and overcoming language barriers, there also exists a heightened risk of accidents and health issues. This is because during travel, we tend to make the most of our days by embarking on adventurous activities, trying new foods and meeting lots of people.

Along the course of these joys, we're just far more likely to injure ourselves, tax our bodies beyond their limits or contact new pathogens. Common travel related ailments include dehydration, food poisoning, heat stroke, insect bites, sprains and more. The problem gets exacerbated by the fact that we're often far away from familiar medical facilities, making the help we need elusive. This can make travel more intimidating than it already is, but it doesn't have to be this way.

First aid training gives you the tools you need to become more medically self-sufficient when travelling, giving you and your travel partners peace of mind when exploring unfamiliar environments to their fullest.

First Aid Course For Travel: Overview of the EMCARE First Aid Course

The EMCARE first aid course is designed to cover a wide range of medical emergencies, with the purpose of stabilising an injury until the patient can be passed on to relevant medical professionals for more intensive care. Some of the key focus areas covered in our course include the treatment of wounds, fractures or breaks, choking, burns, allergic reactions and CPR.

Our course doesn't just take a theoretical approach to first aid, integrating a strong practical aspect of the training that allows the contents of the course to be more effectively applied in real-world scenarios. We also aim to develop more than just skills, but also confidence, allowing our students to remain calm in the face of crisis. Upon completing this course, you will receive a widely recognised certification that will, without a doubt, benefit you as a traveller.

First Aid Course For Travel: Skills That Help Travellers Stay Safe

While there are instances when medical help is simply unfamiliar during travel, there will be other cases where there simply is no immediate medical access. In these cases, a first aid course will be an invaluable tool in helping handle a medical situation.

In the case of a minor injury or illness, you'll likely be equipped to handle the entire situation by yourself, using the skills you've learned during training to resolve the issue. Remember that even the most minor wounds - scratches, grazes and cuts - may devolve into bigger issues if not properly handled in time, as infections are always a possibility.

Should you be facing a more serious medical crisis while separated from medical care, your job will be to keep the patient stable until help arrives, which may take a while in these situations. Fortunately, your training covers more than just the immediate treatment of injury. It will instil within you a larger awareness of medical response, teaching you how to identify relevant medical authorities beforehand, and how to contact them should the need arise.

First Aid Course For Travel: First Aid Kits and Travel Preparedness

A first aid course will teach you just how important a first aid kit can be, and how to make the most of it. A part of that will be learning how to adapt a first aid kit for different scenarios, including a variety of travel-specific ones.

Whether you're travelling internationally, to an urban setting, a rural one, a humid or arid one, the exact contents of your first aid kit can be adjusted to suit each perfectly. For example, if you're going to be entering a rural desert environment, you'll want to pack extra rehydration packs and equipment for treating animal bites or stings. The EMCARE first aid training will teach you exactly how and when to use each of the available items, making your first aid kit a true lifesaver's tool.

First Aid Course For Travel: Building Traveller Confidence Through Training

With first aid training under your belt, your confidence as a traveller will have soared. The mere fact that you're prepared for these stressful situations will work wonders to reduce stress. You'll have been empowered not only to help yourself, but also to help others, making you the perfect travel companion. At the end of the day, this added sense of security will help to make your travel experience more enjoyable, preventing the fear of a potential emergency from holding you back on your holiday.

Conclusion

In conclusion, first aid training is a priceless asset to any traveller, who can rest easy knowing they're prepared for any medical emergencies thrown their way. It's a skillset that's especially valuable during these times, as we tend to test our physical limits during travel and introduce ourselves to plenty of new pathogens and situations.

So far from familiar (or any) medical assistance, a first aid responder is the first port of call for the addressing of minor injuries and the stabilisation of more serious ones. Book your own EMCARE first aid training, and get ready to become to ultimate confident traveller.