What does a first aid course cover?

What a first aid course covers, from anaphylaxis to snake bites. Book first aid Sydney classes or enquire about childcare first aid Melbourne.

Written byEdway

A workplace first aider bandaging a colleague's bleeding forearm beside an open first aid kit

The short answer

A first aid course teaches you to respond to common emergencies until help arrives. The standard course, HLTAID011 Provide First Aid, covers CPR, bleeding, burns, fractures, choking, bites and stings, asthma, anaphylaxis and seizures. It gives you the skills and the confidence to step in when someone needs help. Training Aid Australia (RTO 91411) delivers and issues the first aid course.

First aid for anaphylaxis and the course in first aid management of anaphylaxis

Allergies can be a minor annoyance for some people but others are not as fortunate. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can become life-threatening quickly. First aid for anaphylaxis is part of the standard first aid course. You learn to recognise a severe allergic reaction and respond to it as an emergency.

A severe allergic reaction can be a terrifying experience but you can prepare for the emergency. Some people search for a separate "course in first aid management of anaphylaxis". The HLTAID011 first aid course already includes anaphylaxis. If you work in childcare, a preschool or outside school hours care, the childcare first aid course is the better fit. Its main unit, HLTAID012, covers asthma and anaphylaxis emergencies in an education and care setting.

Snake bites and other bites

Snakes are one of the most feared creatures in Australia. The first aid course covers bites and stings. That includes how to respond when someone has been bitten or stung and how to keep them safe until help arrives.

Snakes, spiders and other bites can happen at work, at home or outdoors. Dealing with snake bites is just one of the many things you will learn during first aid training, under the course's bites and stings topic.

Asthma

Asthma attacks are one of the emergencies the course covers. You learn to recognise an asthma emergency and respond to it with confidence.

If your workplace has children, the childcare course covers asthma in an education and care setting. For every other workplace, the standard first aid course already includes asthma.

Poisoning

Yes. The first aid course covers the signs and first aid for poisoning, along with burns, diabetes, drowning, seizures and stroke. You also learn CPR and how to respond in an emergency until help arrives.

Water, beach and outdoor emergencies

It's always best to be ready for any type of emergency at the beach. The course covers the skills you would use in many outdoor emergencies:

CPR
managing bleeding
burns and scalds
fractures and dislocations
head, chest and spinal injuries
bandaging
choking

It is important to learn proper first aid before you head for the beach. If you want CPR only, the CPR course is shorter. It covers CPR, the recovery position and airway obstruction. Training Aid Australia (RTO 91411) also issues the CPR course.

Child care first aid for babies and young children

There is little doubt that taking care of infants can be nerve-wracking, especially for new parents. Performing CPR on infants is different from adults. This is why it is important to take proper first aid training.

If you look after babies and young children, at work or at home, the childcare first aid course is built for you. It teaches CPR on infants and children, and how to handle asthma and anaphylaxis emergencies with children. Training Aid Australia (RTO 91411) issues it too. Childcare first aid in Melbourne is offered by enquiry.

For a side-by-side comparison, read which first aid course you need.

First aid course Sydney: how it runs

First aid courses in Sydney run in a classroom at Darlinghurst, Seven Hills and Mona Vale. In Melbourne, the course is offered by enquiry. The classroom day is 6 hours, plus a short online module of about 1 to 3 hours that you complete first.

When you finish, your Statement of Attainment covers three units:

HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
HLTAID010 Provide basic emergency life support
HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Most workplaces ask you to refresh first aid every three years and CPR every twelve months. See how long a first aid certificate lasts.

The price is on the course page.

Next step

Check dates in Sydney or send a Melbourne enquiry on the First Aid course page. Book today and be ready for all types of emergencies.

Sources

Edway knowledge base — courses/first-aid/index.mdTopics covered by HLTAID011, duration, who it is for, units on the Statement of Attainment
Edway knowledge base — courses/first-aid/offerings.yaml and recognition.mdIssuing RTO, Sydney and Melbourne delivery, refresh periods
Edway knowledge base — courses/childcare-first-aid/index.mdHLTAID012 scope: education and care setting, infant and child CPR, asthma and anaphylaxis
Edway knowledge base — courses/cpr/index.mdHLTAID009 scope for the CPR-only option