Year 10 Health and Social Care students learn essential first aid skills

For part of their GCSE level qualification in Health and Social Care, 28 Year 10 Health and Social Care students participated in five hours of first aid training. Delivered by Langtons Medical Training, the students were assessed in specific first aid skills and they all  successfully passed.

They performed a number of first aid procedures and had the opportunity to become proficient and confident at responding to an emergency where they had to identify whether CPR was required. They learned how to perform CPR, request a defibrillator and had the opportunity to experience how a defibrillator is used in response to an emergency.

The first aid training enabled the students to experience a simulated choking incident with the use of a “choking vest”. This enabled them to practise responding with essential first aid to the incident including the close reality and taxing response of performing abdominal thrusts.

The students also had the opportunity to simulate the experience of responding to anaphylaxis and experienced the use of two different types of epipen. In addition, they were challenged to successfully practise placing a casualty in the recovery position whilst constantly offering reassurance. Students evidence this by making it quite a noisy activity!!

In training to respond to injury resulting in bleeding from different parts of the body and applying pressure, the students developed their bandaging skills,which proved to demonstrate a variety of levels of proficiency. However the trainer said: “If it helps to stop the bleeding, that is essential first aid.”

Other first aid skills learned included responding to shock, burns and scalds.

Mrs Dawson, Lead Teacher for Health and Social Care, said: “The students all engaged in the training with enthusiasm and were determined to become confident in the first aid skills that not only contribute to their success in their GCSE, but importantly make them more valuable and  responsible young members of society. If any of the students were now faced with a first aid incident they have all said that they felt more confident to  be able to respond quickly and appropriately to help others in their community.”