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?

I USED to teach First Aid and Advanced First Aid for Red Cross. Got mad <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> with them because they wanted to charge Public Safety and Military to Recertify.

Advanced First Aid MAY help you. Otherwise take the EMT Course.

Good Luck.

I second the EMT class, although it is a sizeable investment in time and money. IIRC, mine was around $750 and 120 hours, and that didn't include the state written and practical tests. Check around and see if you can audit some EMT classes.

That's much different than here In Belgium. The course is a total of 32 hours, and totaly for free. And we are not just learned a bandage but other things like CPR.

I followed First Aid Training (Red Cross certified) during my mandatory military service, some 30 years ago. It consisted of several (10 or more, I don't remember) sessions, and it was much more than band-aid use <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

and, yes, I know : I should attend a "fresh" course...

Don't come to the class in my area...you'll be disappointed too <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I did a little checking, and I may be able to find wilderness first aid classes within an hour or two of where I live. I also checked out EMT B classes, and if I can get the money and scheduling worked out, I may be doing that. I may have a forced vocation change in the next several months, and I have been thinking for a long time that being an EMT would be quite interesting. The thing that stinks is that I'm working on my master's in the field I'm working in now, and I may not be able to find a job, and lose the one I have now before I complete the master's. Random ranting I suppose.

Which class was this? IIRC there are a few, and i remember taking community first aid which included community cpr (for adults, children and infants). It was reasonably thorough, but this was a while ago and classes may have changed.

A basic first-aid/CPR class here takes 4-5 hours and costs around 60$, so it's not cheap either.

The only things we covered was CPR, arm/leg injuries (protect the wound and keep the injured body part from moving, basically), eye injuries (protect, etc... if eye is punctured, make the victim lie down at all costs to avoid losing some fluid that cannot be replaced synthetically), that's about it...

I am in the same boat... If I want some more, in-depth first-aid training, I'll need to sign up for a wilderness first-aid kit, which lasts 3 days... (200$+). <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

when I took the Basic First Aid - CPR - AED set a couple of years back - I was also disapointed. I've never seen advanced being offered here - First aid for First Responders yes - advanced - no

I've given up - I'm also going to look into EMT B

I also have had a similar experience to yours. I took several Red Cross first aid and CPR courses, had first aid training in the military, and never once felt comfortable with my ability to handle an emergency. I agree with the others who have taken a First Responder or EMT-B course. However, the deeper your level of training, the more expensive and more time it will take. Personally, it was worth it and I have found a new calling. If you want wilderness specific training, there are also aspects of first responder, EMT and Paramedic that focus on them. You can either take the "enhanced" version of the course or add the specific area of training to your current healthcare provider certification. As always, how much time, money and effort you are willing to put in it is up to the individual. I never learn anything like that from a book; i can add to existing knowledge, but actually spending hours on a CPR dummy is much better than 5 minutes with a bunch of people who "have to be there". Good luck!