First aid training in New Zealand
There is no single government first aid exam. Courses are run by NZQA-accredited providers. Most workplace courses cover unit standards 6401 (provide first aid) and 6402 (provide resuscitation level 2), and some add 6400 on managing first aid in an emergency.
The Ministry of Education requires early learning staff to refresh their first aid qualification every 2 years, and many employers do the same.
DRSABCD: the action plan
- Dangers: check for danger to you, the person and bystanders, such as traffic or live wires.
- Response: talk to the person, then grasp and squeeze their shoulders. Any movement or sound is a response.
- Send for help: call 111.
- Airway: tilt the head back and lift the chin. Clear anything in the mouth with two fingers.
- Breathing: look, listen and feel. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing.
- CPR: if they are not breathing normally, start CPR.
- Defibrillation: attach an AED as soon as possible and follow its instructions.
Check, call for help, then give care.
- Check for danger, then check the person for a response and normal breathing.
- Call 111 and ask for an ambulance.
- Give care, such as CPR, until help arrives.
CPR for adults, children and babies
For all ages, give 30 compressions then 2 breaths, and push down about one-third of the depth of the chest. Keep going until the ambulance crew takes over. If you cannot give breaths, keep doing compressions.
| Adult | Child (1 to 8 years) | Baby (under 1) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hands | Heel of one hand, other on top | Heel of one hand (two if needed) | Two fingers |
| Where | Centre of the chest | Centre of the chest | Centre, just below the nipple line |
| Breaths | Pinch nose, seal over mouth | Pinch nose, seal over mouth | Seal over mouth and nose, gentle puffs |
| Depth | One-third of the chest | One-third of the chest | One-third of the chest |
Hand and body position for adult compressions.
- The centre of the chest.
- Heel of one hand there, the other hand on top.
- Arms straight, shoulders over your hands, push straight down.
For a baby, keep the head in a neutral position. If you are alone with a baby and have no phone nearby, give about one minute of CPR, then call 111.
Choking
If the person can still cough and breathe, encourage them to keep coughing and do not hit their back. If the airway is totally blocked:
- Call 111.
- Give up to 5 back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand, checking after each one.
- If it is still stuck, give up to 5 chest thrusts.
- Keep going with back blows and chest thrusts until help arrives.
For a baby, give back blows with the baby face down along your lap, head lower than the bottom. Give chest thrusts with two fingers, with the baby face up on a firm surface. If anyone becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally, call 111, remove any visible object and start CPR.
Bleeding and burns
- Wear gloves, or put your hands in a plastic bag if you have none.
- Press firmly on a bleeding wound and keep pressing until the ambulance arrives.
- Raise an injured arm or leg.
- Do not remove a large object stuck in a wound. Pad around it and press either side.
- For a nosebleed, sit leaning forward and pinch the soft part of the nose for 10 to 20 minutes.
Cool a burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes.
- Cool running water.
- The burned skin under the water.
- Keep cooling for at least 20 minutes.
Remove tight jewellery and clothing near the burn, but not anything stuck to it. Do not use creams or break blisters. Cover loosely with a sterile dressing or cling film (not on the face). Use cool, not cold, water for small children. Call 111 for burns larger than half the arm, burns to the eyes, chemical burns, or burns from smoke or gas.
Medical emergencies
| Problem | Key actions |
|---|---|
| Stroke (F.A.S.T.) | Face drooping, Arms weak (ask them to squeeze your hands), Speech slurred, Time: call 111 at once |
| Chest pain | Call 111 if it lasts more than 10 minutes; sit them with back and head supported; do not drive them yourself |
| Severe allergic reaction | Call 111; help them use their EpiPen; a second one after 5 minutes if no better; keep them still |
| Asthma | Sit them down; reliever: 1 puff into a spacer then 6 breaths, repeat; call 111 if it is not working |
| Seizure | Move hard objects away; do not restrain or put anything in the mouth; call 111 if it lasts over 5 minutes |
The recovery position for someone unresponsive who is breathing normally.
- Near arm out at a right angle, elbow bent.
- Far arm across the chest, back of the hand against the near cheek.
- Far knee bent up, foot flat on the ground.
- Roll them onto their side towards you and tilt the head back to keep the airway open.