First Aid Courses: Why it is Important for a Babysitter to Take

Parents often need to hire babysitters, nannies and other childcare providers. Children can often have accidents that can even be life-threatening while in the care of a babysitter. They’re curious, and while exploring, they can easily choke, suffer a burn, get cut, or worse.

Knowing how to respond in a difficult situation can be scary without training. A babysitter with CPR and first aid
training will know exactly what to do rather than panicking and putting a child’s life at risk. Today we’re going to discuss why a child care giver needs a first aid course – besides the fact that the parent will be happy knowing they have the training :)..

First Aid Courses: Why it is Important for a Babysitter to Take
Them

Knowing CPR And When To Administer It

CPR is necessary in situations such as choking, near-drowning, suffocation, or household poison exposure. Choking is one of the most common hazards children face. In these situations, a caregiver needs to know how to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). 

Learning how to perform CPR means the caregiver can keep a child alive until an ambulance arrives. CPR restores the the blood circulation to the brain. If the brain doesn’t have enough oxygen, the child can have permanent brain damage or die. 

Importance Of First Aid Course Training

Most babysitters or nannies today are young high school aged or college students who may not know how to help a child in a critical situation. Doing first aid training or an online first aid for babies course should be mandatory for them to watch your child. If they can’t find the find the time to do online first aid courses, and keep up with their studies, they can look for apps and programs that can help, like: AssignmentBro. A professional writer will help them with their assignments and provide them with a quality, plagiarism-free paper. 

Finding Medical Information And Knowing When To Use It

Many children have medications they need to take while you’re away, such as asthma or allergy medication. The babysitter will need to know where to find them and how much they should give the child. Sitters should also know the where your first aid kit is and how to use what’s in it. 

For example, they should know they can’t give a child a dose of adult aspirin, even though, they may find it in the kit. First aid is very important for sitters who work with children who suffer with things like allergies, asthma or epilepsy. 

Treating Accidental Injuries 

More children die from accidents in the home than from things like meningitis or leukemia. Many of these accidents can be avoided by knowing the potential hazards. Sitters with first aid training are trained to anticipate and avoid those hazards to keep children safe. 

For example, they’ll avoid feeding a child certain foods, such as grapes or nuts, that could cause them to choke. It is not possible to avoid all accidental injuries, of course, but first aid training will also teach them to treat wounds, cuts, bumps, burns, and other injuries. 

The Difference Between A First Aid Course And A Pediatric Course

Babysitters or nannies who work with children on a regular basis should consider doing a pediatric course even if they have already done a basic first aid course. Basic first aid training teaches the students how to deal with things like broken bones or bumps and bruises, and sprains. 

A pediatric first aid course teaches childcare givers how to deal with emergency situations. What happens in the first few seconds of a child-related crisis or trauma can make all the difference. Learning a few simple techniques could save the life of a child. 

Taking Online Classes

Many CPR and first aid classes are now offered online. This makes it very easy to get certified. Adding this certification to a resume can add to a sitter’s earning potential. First aid courses vary in length, and some cover more than others. Many courses involve six hours of online learning and doing a six-hour scheduled practical. 

Courses not only vary in what you’ll learn but also in price. They’re usually quite affordable but going for the cheapest course might be a mistake. The cheapest courses may involve large groups of students and not really equip them with the skills and knowledge they’ll need to help a child in an emergency. 

The best courses have highly experienced medical professionals as trainers and work with small groups of students. They don’t award certification until trainees are properly assessed. 

Conclusion

A sitter or nanny that takes care of a child should be able to handle emergencies when a parent is not around. Hiring someone to take care of a child isn’t always easy for parents. They don’t want to hire someone who panics when an emergency happens and doesn’t know how to respond.

Hiring a childcarer with first aid and CPR training offers more peace of mind for parents.