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Original poster

If your a first aider with recent training

64 replies

DyslexicPoster · 05/11/2023 21:23

Would you offer help if you saw someone in trouble?

Out in the car earlier, someone was on the floor next to a car in a car park we was in. Not sure if the been hit by a car, or fainted or what but clearly not ok and laying on the wet floor. Dh has just recently done a two day first aid course for work. I asked if he was going to check if they needed help. There was two people with the person on the floor so dh said no, they already had help. I asked how he knew he wasn't more qualified to help.

I think this is pretty standard thinking for my dh. He is qualified to give first aid at WORK. This was not work and no one had asked for help so I think in his mind, that was that. He is isn't great on critical proactive thinking. I think if I was him, I'd would have asked if they needed help.

OP posts:
burntoutnurse · 05/11/2023 21:35

Im a nurse. I always stop to see if someone needs help.

Recently an older man was hit off his cycle by a small van. 2 young college kids were with him. Glad I stopped but I did end up sat holding his knee together for four hours on the road whilst we waited for an ambulance

Reddishraddish · 05/11/2023 21:39

he was right though, the person already had help - he isn't qualified to give first aid in that situation, and wasn't needed either.

Being qualified in first aid means recognising a situation you are qualified to offer assistance in, and a situation in which you are not

Original poster
DyslexicPoster · 05/11/2023 21:51

But we didn't know why he was on the floor so how could you be certain you wasn't qualified to help? If he had been run over, dh couldn't help him. If he had needed cpr, dh could have helped him.

I just thought I would have asked it was me. My first aid training was over 20 years ago. I don't feel confident enough to help anyone unless I'm the only option.

OP posts:
KateyCuckoo · 05/11/2023 21:59

What were the helpers doing? Did they look like they needed help? I think I would be the same as your dh ..

Sirzy · 05/11/2023 22:02

If those who were dealing with the situation looked like they were handling it I wouldn’t get involved. Sometimes the more “helpers” around the more of an issue things become as you end up doing crowd control.

Original poster
DyslexicPoster · 05/11/2023 22:05

They was just standing not to them, no one was on the ground comforting them, unless they was unconscious? Glad to hear we probably couldn't have added anything. I hope they are OK.

OP posts:
TheresaCrowd · 05/11/2023 22:06

I'm a qualified first aider and the first thing they tell you is that if you feel uncomfortable for any reason, remember you don't have to help someone.

I always have though, but I know a few first aiders who find it really really awkward and anxiety inducing when the person isn't known to them.

FFSWhatToDoNow · 05/11/2023 22:06

I’d absolutely offer to help, yes.

Kitcaterpillar · 05/11/2023 22:08

Oh god, give him a break. He did a 2-day first aid course, he's hardly 'qualified'.

Poppity3 · 05/11/2023 22:08

It depends on whether the people at the scene were doing helpful things or not. I’ve stepped into situations where there were people present, but not doing what your husband will probably have been trained to do. The key concepts of first aid are the same, regardless of in/out of work.

That said, I had to step in to a situation where a person wasn’t breathing and do CPR, and definitely question whether having my first aid training compels me to stop and help, whether I want to open myself up to that situation or not. The casualty survived but I had months of severe panic attacks and still get flashbacks.

TheresaCrowd · 05/11/2023 22:09

Reddishraddish · 05/11/2023 21:39

he was right though, the person already had help - he isn't qualified to give first aid in that situation, and wasn't needed either.

Being qualified in first aid means recognising a situation you are qualified to offer assistance in, and a situation in which you are not

But how would he know without checking?

First aid is a very very basic thing and if you're qualified then you're qualified to help in every situation, because all you're literally doing is trying to make sure the person's health doesn't worsen whilst waiting for an ambulance.

DuplicateUserName · 05/11/2023 22:10

Kitcaterpillar · 05/11/2023 22:08

Oh god, give him a break. He did a 2-day first aid course, he's hardly 'qualified'.

Which makes him a qualified First Aider.

Poppity3 · 05/11/2023 22:11

TheresaCrowd · 05/11/2023 22:06

I'm a qualified first aider and the first thing they tell you is that if you feel uncomfortable for any reason, remember you don't have to help someone.

I always have though, but I know a few first aiders who find it really really awkward and anxiety inducing when the person isn't known to them.

This is interesting - I took my first aid certificate in February and we didn’t talk about this!

Kitcaterpillar · 05/11/2023 22:12

DuplicateUserName · 05/11/2023 22:10

Which makes him a qualified First Aider.

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Quite.

Dogsitterwoes · 05/11/2023 22:12

I was the work first-aider and did help a man outside of work who was possibly having a stroke by keeping him calm and calling an ambulance while his adult daughter minimised what was going on.

FFSWhatToDoNow · 05/11/2023 22:16

Kitcaterpillar · 05/11/2023 22:08

Oh god, give him a break. He did a 2-day first aid course, he's hardly 'qualified'.

There are thousands of St John first aiders that have only done a 2 day course!

TheresaCrowd · 05/11/2023 22:17

Poppity3 · 05/11/2023 22:11

This is interesting - I took my first aid certificate in February and we didn’t talk about this!

Show quote history

I've done mine twice now and both times they lead with this because I think some people beat themselves up if they panic.

Also, no-one really knows how they'll react in an emergency situation until it happens.

Robotalkingrubbish · 05/11/2023 22:19

I’m shocked that he didn’t offer his help. What an uncaring arse.

Cropcycle · 05/11/2023 22:19

If a couple of people were stood around but not appearing to be doing anything like checking for a pulse, breathing etc, I’d help definitely. If the people looked like they were doing something constructive (giving appropriate help to person on the ground, getting help etc) I’d probably not. I have stepped in when I saw someone trying to yank an elderly person up from the pavement, after they’d fallen. No checks for any injury first. It was instinctive to make sure they stayed where they were to make sure they’d not broken a hip, their back, whacked their head etc.

TheresaCrowd · 05/11/2023 22:19

FFSWhatToDoNow · 05/11/2023 22:16

There are thousands of St John first aiders that have only done a 2 day course!

Show quote history

Yes, the initial course is normally 3 days and then the refreshers are 2 days.

I think some people possibly don't realise that the role of a First Aider is just to keep the person stable until medical help arrives.

pizzaHeart · 05/11/2023 22:28

You could ask yourself if they needed any help at all it would be more useful, it wasn’t fair to put pressure on your DH, he was probably “qualified”
for very specific work related injuries.

Lindy2 · 05/11/2023 22:29

I'd have asked if they needed any help. As there were just 2 people with him it's quite likely your DH has more first aid knowledge than either of them. Even if they did know first aid your DH could have helped and provided support.

Sorry OP but I'd be seriously disappointed in him turning his back on helping someone in need. It simply isn't in my nature to ignore a situation where someone might be needing help that I might be able to give. You won't know the seriousness of the situation or if he could help because you didn't stop to ask. Perhaps you should do a first aid course yourself so in a similar situation you could potentially do something.

TheresaCrowd · 05/11/2023 22:32

pizzaHeart · 05/11/2023 22:28

You could ask yourself if they needed any help at all it would be more useful, it wasn’t fair to put pressure on your DH, he was probably “qualified”
for very specific work related injuries.

I doubt it, First Aid courses are generally much the same.

They're expensive to send staff on, so there'd be no point in concentrating on very specific work injuries, if they couldn't save a colleague choking on their sandwich or having a heart attack.

I do agree the OP could've asked if they needed help though, because sometimes the help needed involves phoning someone, or getting people to link arms around the casualty to form a privacy/dignity screen.

Saz12 · 05/11/2023 22:37

He could have simply asked "do you need any help, or is everything under control?". It doesnt matter if hes got some sort of certificate or not, if he could safely help then why wouldnt he?

FFSWhatToDoNow · 05/11/2023 22:37

pizzaHeart · 05/11/2023 22:28

You could ask yourself if they needed any help at all it would be more useful, it wasn’t fair to put pressure on your DH, he was probably “qualified”
for very specific work related injuries.

Mine (First Aid at Work - 2 days plus online learning) covered CPR, defibrillator, bandages on lots of parts of the body, splinters, burns, choking, asthma attacks, allergies, low/high blood sugar, chemical burns, stroke, heart attack……… not work specific AT ALL.