Provide First Aid in remote or isolated site

Guidelines and procedures including:

• • ARC guidelines relevant to the provision of first aid
  • first aid guidelines from Australian national peak clinical bodies including those relevant to remote or isolated sites
  • potential incident hazards and risk minimisation processes when providing first aid
  • infection control procedures, including use of standard precautions and resuscitation barrier devices
  • requirements for currency of skill and knowledge
  • first aid codes of practice
  • appropriate workplace or site procedures relevant to the provision of first aid
  • contents of first aid kits

Legal, workplace and community considerations including:

• • duty of care requirements
  • own skills and limitations
  • consent and how it relates to the conscious and unconscious casualty
  • privacy and confidentiality requirements
  • awareness of potential need for stress management techniques and available support for rescuers

 Administration of medication

• • legal requirements
  • the five rights
  • the responsibilities of the first aider

Considerations when providing CPR, including:

• • upper airway and effect of positional change
  • appropriate duration and cessation of CPR
  • appropriate use of an AED
  • safety and maintenance procedures for an AED
  • chain of survival
  • how to access emergency services

Techniques for providing CPR to adults, children and infants including:

• • how to recognise that a casualty is unconscious and not breathing normally
  • rate, ratio and depth of compressions and ventilations
  • correct hand positioning for compressions
  • basic anatomy, physiology and the differences between adults, children and infants relating to CPR

Signs, symptoms and management of the following conditions or injuries:

• • allergic reaction
  • anaphylaxis
  • asthma
  • non-life-threatening bleeding
  • burns
  • cardiac conditions, including chest pain
  • choking
  • diabetes
  • drowning
  • envenomation – all current treatments
  • eye injuries
  • fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains
  • head, neck and spinal injuries
  • hypothermia
  • hyperthermia
  • minor wounds
  • nose-bleed
  • poisoning
  • seizures
  • shock
  • sharps injuries
  • stroke
  • life threatening bleeding including use of tourniquets and haemostatic dressings

Providing first aid including:

• • assessment, interpretation and documentation of vital signs, including normal clinical values for respirations, temperature, pulse and level of consciousness
  • how to conduct a secondary assessment of a casualty
  • basic triage processes
  • ongoing care requirements of casualty beyond initial treatment

Remote considerations in the provision of first aid, including:

• • the nature of remote or isolated sites and how this may impact on first aid management
  • key features, functions and limitations of different types of emergency communication equipment used in remote or isolated sites, and factors that affect choice:
    • radio equipment
    • mobile phones
    • satellite phones
    • alerting and tracking devices including personal locator beacons (PLBs)
  • management options relating to transporting casualty, including aero-medical evacuation
  • specific considerations contextualised to alpine, desert, marine, rural or remote settings and tropical environments
  • methods used to assist emergency services to locate incident sites and the key features, functions and limitations of resources used to assist:
    • verbal directions
    • flags
    • flares or smoke
    • fires
  • use of man-made and natural resources to supplement first aid equipment
  • content of remote area first aid kits
  • content of remote area medication boxes
• psychological impacts of first aid incidents on rescuers and how to seek help.
• Recognition of an emergency situation
• Identifying, assessing and managing immediate hazards to health and safety of self and others
• Assessment of a casualty and recognise the need for first aid response
• Assessing the situation and seek assistance from emergency response services
• Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in accordance with Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) guidelines
• Providing first aid in accordance with established first aid principles
• Displaying respectful behaviour towards casualty
• Obtaining consent from casualty where possible
• Using available resources and equipment to make the casualty as comfortable as possible

Operating first aid equipment according to manufacturer’s instructions to manage casualties with the following:

• • anaphylaxis
  • asthma
  • non-life-threatening bleeding
  • choking
  • envenomation, using pressure immobilisation
  • fractures, dislocations, sprains and strains, using appropriate immobilisation techniques
  • minor wound cleaning and dressing
  • nosebleed
  • shock
• Monitoring the casualty’s condition and respond in accordance with first aid principles
• Accurately conveying incident details to emergency response services
• Reporting details of incident to workplace supervisor as appropriate
• Maintaining confidentiality of records and information in line with statutory and/or organisational policies
• Recognition of the possible psychological impacts on self and other rescuers involved in critical incidents
• Participation in debriefing to address individual needs
• All training provided is in line with the latest  Australian Resuscitation Council Guidelines.