Not exhaustive and rigorous. Not very good customer service. I wished St John would be less focused on making money and more on providing a quality service. read more

Came here for a 1-day first aid course on Friday with 2 co-workers not knowing what to expect. You'll be in a large open room for the day, with about 15-20 others, seated in a semi-circle, watching slides and also doing practical activities in small groups of 3-4 on the floor. (hey it got me outta work, so I was first one with their hand up to do it!) The trainer Rob was knowledgeable, engaging and informative. He was also humourous. You might not think humour is appropriate when dealing with first aid but you'd be wrong. Being able to take the intimidation out of learning important concepts assists the absorption and retention of that information. When you are discussing how to help a victim who has a pair of scissors in their eyes if you don't find humour in that situation then you are gonna cry big boy tears, and when you reach for the man-size tissues youll soon realise, in horror, that Kleenex don't make them anymore. I think the morning session is the most useful. I learned a hell of a lot in just the first couple of hours - DRSABCD, correct recovery position, correct CPR technique, correct bandaging techniques (multiple types) and the opportunity to practice all of these. I would feel confident administering first aid in a variety of situations now, rather than run around the office tearing my hair out and screaming "what do I do? what do I do?" - that's made all the more difficult since I don't have any hair to tear - Yeah Yeah! Most situations just require calm, confident decisions that follow the DRSABCD guidelines. As Rob explained "You aren't the eye doctor or the broken leg doctor, you are just providing first aid". This is important to remember. Anything that can be done within the scope of the guidelines will be beneficial to the casualty. Stay within scope. Practical techniques were also taught including adminstering CPR and how-and-when to use a portable (AED) defibrilator. After learning CPR in the morning session, a combined CPR and defib scenario is presented to you in the afternoon and despite it looking rather involved everyone made a good fist of it. The funny highlight of the day was when someone asked if peeing on someone who'd been stung by a box jellyfish was a myth or a really good alternative to vinegar. Rob's mock serious response after a thoughtful pause: "Well it's not St John Ambulance protocol" - drew laughter from the entire room and eased everyone into the practical situations that followed. We were so focused on solutions instead of worrying about getting everything correct. I'd recommend their one day course, and bring 1-3 co-workers from your office, as you work in groups and it is handy for more than 1 person in the office to have the training. You will learn and be able to provide first aid assistance in a variety of situations until an ambulance arrives or the casualty recovers (many situations are not serious and just require your response). At the start of the day you are given a showbag with information booklet, a couple of different types of bandages and a key ring with a facemask packed into it (don't take it out until you need it!) for when you need to give CPR. It is a long day, but they provide you with 3 breaks for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. There is also a quick revision before you take the 30 question multiple choice assessment. You are also each given a unique final practical situation and required to respond as per everything you've learned during the day - again in small groups. What's stopping you from being the First Aid guru in your office??? read more

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