I took a Red Cross first aid class last night, and I have to say I was disappointed and feel a little ripped off.

I learned some things, don't get me wrong, but I was expecting more. The room was full of people that I got the distinct impression were only there because of job requirements...the guy sitting next to me works at a local youth shelter, and his training was up for renewal. The instructor, a nice looking young lady who said she had been teaching the class for two years seemed to have the attitude, "Don't worry, we'll get this done quickly and painlessly so you can all get on with your evening." Maybe I'm too picky about presentation style because I'm a teacher, but she did not seem to really care about relating the information and making sure it was understood. We practiced splinting an arm, and watched several videos, took a test and got a little card that says that I am trained in Red Cross first aid. The two and a half hours that were scheduled for the class were more than enough. Including the test, I was finished with the whole thing in one hour and 15 minutes. I felt it was lacking, to say the least. There was no discussion about items one might find in a first aid kit, though from looking at contents lists, the RC kits seem very basic. No discussion on how to use this kind of bandage or that kind of wrap. The whole idea of first aid seemed to be based on the idea that your responsibility is simply to patch things up until a professional comes. It seems the attitude is that the person trained in first aid is only superficially helping.

I didn't expect to learn field surgery or anything like that, but for $24, I guess I expected something more thorough. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Maybe being a part of this forum has just raised my expectations <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Am I going to have to take a wilderness first aid class to learn about longer term care of wounds and injuries? Here in Iowa, I don't know if I could find such a class. My job future is uncertain at this point, and I have been thinking that I might go to school to become a paramedic if my job is downsized. Perhaps that is the way to learn what I want to learn.

Has anyone had similar experiences with a RC FA class? Could someone recommend something more comprehensive?