Rules That First Aiders Must Live By

1. Assess The Situation

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When first-aiders arrive at an emergency scene they must first assess the situation, find out how many people are injured and try to find out what has happened in order to get a better understanding of how they can help. They need to work out if it is something they can deal with or if it is something that they'll need to call 911 for.

2. Is The Situation Safe?

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This is part is SUPER important, if they arrive at the scene and the situation is still dangerous to them and other civilians or patients, they must call 911 to guarantee everyone's safety. If the situation is safe, they can proceed to help out with first aid and treatment of the injured patients.

3. Find Out What Caused The Accident

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It could be that the person was injured through no fault of their own, or it could be that they were ill and had a fall. Finding out has cause the accident is really important as the first aider can adapt to whatever the situation might be. If someone has had a fall at work, was it something that could have been stopped or was it just an accident on the patients part?

4. How Many People Are Involved?

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The first aider is required to find out how many people are involved in the accident. How many people are injured, how many saw the accident, was anyone at fault for causing the accident? These are all questions they need to ask should they need to report what has happened to their employer or to emergency services.

5. Protect People From Danger

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First aiders have a duty to protect patients and people involved in an accident to the best of their abilities from any potential or current danger. This could involve giving presentations at work on how to keep safe in the workplace especially if there is potential to be injured from work equipment. This could also mean trying to calm an angry situation down or calling 911 to let the cops handle it.

6. Call 911 If They Can't Make The Situation Safe

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If a first aider arrives at an accident and it is clear that tensions are high or if the person who caused the accident looks like they might try to hurt themselves or someone else, they must call 911 to deal with the situation. First aiders are NOT there to arrest people or put themselves in danger, which is why they need to call emergency services who are trained to handle these types of situations.

7. Wash Hands

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All sorts of bacteria, dirt, viruses and diseases can be transferred via our hands. If a first aider is dealing with someone who has an open wound, or if they need to touch the patient in any kind of way they MUST wash their hands before attempting to deal with the situation.

8. Rub Hands With Alcohol Gel

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If the first aider cannot get to a restroom to wash their hands, they must use a quick-dry hand soap or alcohol gel to sterilize their hands to make sure that they do not transfer any germs or bacteria to the patient. The patient might already be injured or hurt and this can be made worse if the first aider hasn't sterilized themselves prior to helping.

9. Prevent Infection Between Them And The Patient

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It is super important for the first aider to prevent infection between them and the patient, especially if the patient has open wounds or is vulnerable to viral infections that can be passed through touch or the air. Along with making sure their hands are clean, it is advised that first aiders wear surgical masks to help prevent transmitting illnesses through their mouth or breathing.

10. Wear Latex-Free Gloves

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If the first aider can't get to a restroom to wash their hands, or doesn't have immediate access to alcohol gel to sterilize their hands, they must use latex-free gloves to treat the patient. It must be latex free as some people can have an allergic reaction to latex and their might not be time to check with the patient beforehand, especially if they're in a critical condition.

11. Don't Cough Or Sneeze Over A Patient

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It is really important for the first aider to avoid coughing or sneezing over the patient as this can pass things like colds and illnesses to the person they're treating. If their injuries are life-threatening, something like cold or flu can do a lot more damage if their immune system has already been weakened by a bad injury.

12. Reassure The Patient

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If someone has been injured through an accident at work or by someone else, they can sometimes be in a state of shock, or feel panicked that their injury is worse than it is. It is important for the first aider to help reassure the patient by telling them that they're in safe hands and that they'll do everything they can to help.

13. Comfort The Patient

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It is also super important for the first aider to comfort the patient, especially if either they or someone they know has been critically injured. People like comfort in times of need and it can have a big effect on their mental state if the first aider is kind and comforting towards them.

14. Remain Calm

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A first aider MUST remain calm in whatever situation they are presented with. Whether it is a small fall at work or someone has broken a bone, if they don't remain calm it can force them to make bad decisions, or the patient can see that their first aider is stressed and it can make them feel more stressed or panicked. A calm head can make calm and rational decisions!

15. Be In Charge Of The Situation

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In the aftermath of an accident, many people can act stressed or freak out depending on what has happened. The first aider MUST take control of the situation in order for them to do their job. People look for a leader in states of panic and if they see the first aider is in control, it can help calm a situation down.

16. Gain The Patients Trust

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A lot of people can feel scared and untrustworthy especially if they've been involved in an accident and they're in pain. It is important for first aider to be trustworthy and let the patient know that they know what to do and that they can trust them with their live, as sometimes it is a life and death situation!

17. Tell The Patient About The Situation

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Informing the patient about the situation is important when it is done in a calm, rational and logical way. It is also a way for the patient to focus on something else that isn't their injury and can help to take their mind of it, this can help briefly reduce pain especially if the first aider is calm in their speech.

18. Inform The Patient About How They Can Help

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It is really important for the first aider to let the patient know how it is they can help their injury, no matter how severe, and how they can help the situation in general. This informs the patient that the first aider knows what to do and can help the patient to feel more calm, especially in a crisis or life-threatening situation.

19. Have Respect For The Casualty

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First aiders must respect their patient and try their best to help keep the dignity of the patient, as this will have a big impact on their mental state during the crisis and afterwards in recovery. If the patient feels like they've been respected they'll be much more likely to do what they can to help themselves and remain calm.

20. Inspect The Patient For Injuries

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The first aider must look over the patient and find out what the injury is. They can do this my giving the patient a physical examination and discovering what the injury is. They can also ask the patient to describe the pain that they're having if it isn't physically obvious what the injury might be.

21. Give First Aid Treatment

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After inspecting the patient for injuries and the first aider has ability to help, the first aider must give what first aid treatment they know. This could be the end of the matter, or it could be treatment to help ease the injury whilst waiting for someone who is more highly trained such as a doctor or an EMT.

22. Find Out How Many Casualties There Are

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It is important for the first aider to find out how many people might need treatment as it might not always be obvious especially if one of the patients is in shock or doesn't believe they need treatment. The first aider can call for another trained first aider to help or call 911 if there are several people that need immediate treatment.

23. Prioritize Treatment Of Children

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It is important for any child who has been injured for the first aider to prioritize their treatment over other people who may have been part of the accident. This is because children are often a lot more vulnerable than adults and, in a life or death situation, time is of the essence.

24. Prioritize Treatment Of Casualties With Life Threatening Injuries

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The first aider has a duty to provide assistance to and prioritize the well-being of any person with life-threatening injuries over other people who may have been injured in the accident. If someone is in a critical condition, they must do all they can to treat the person until the emergency services arrive and take the casualty to a nearby hospital.

25. Ask For Help If Needed

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A first aider must ask for help when they feel that they are in a position where they can't help everyone who needs it. This could be to ask someone to help reassure a patient whilst they give treatment to another, or it could be to ask someone to call 911 and explain the situation whilst they're providing treatment or taking control of a situation.

26. Call 911 For An Ambulance

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If the injuries sustained by a casualty are severe enough to require treatment from an EMT or doctor, it is of paramount importance to make sure that an ambulance has been called, whether that be calling themselves or asking a nearby civilian or first aider to call and explain the injuries in detail.

27. Keep Up To Date With New Training

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It is SUPER important that first aiders keep up to date with any new techniques, methods and training to do with first aid. As new research comes out about how to treat different conditions or how to deal with different situations, it is necessary for the first aider to understand these intimately in order to have the best chance of success when treating someone.

28. Place Unconscious Patients In The Recovery Position

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First aiders must know how and when to use the recovery position for a patient as it could save their live. Whether it be someone is suffering with a fit, has been knocked unconscious or has had too much alcohol, putting someone in the recovery position can help keep the persons airways clear.

29. Keep Themselves Safe From Danger

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A first aider cannot predict when they might be needed, and it is hard to prepare for a situation that could put their life at risk. A first aider must keep themselves safe and away from harm at all costs, as they might still be needed to perform health treatment to casualties later on.

30. Look After Their Own Mental Health

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Being a first aider, they might end up being involved in some tragic situations that might involve serious injury or death. It is important for a first aider to maintain their own mental health and deal with trauma if it happens to them, so that they can remain physically and mentally healthy in their own lives.