Within Australia, there are three different levels of first aid training. As a person goes through each level of training, a certificate is granted to that person. In order to gain complete first aid training, all three levels of training must be completed. Senior first aid refers to the second level of training.
Senior first aid training is typically a two-day course that focuses upon burns, bites, electric shocks, poisons, and stings. People who enroll in senior first aid will be able to help a person cope with any of the aforementioned afflictions. In addition to this specialized training, all senior first aid courses will also revisit all topics covered during Level I training.
Level I training, also called "Basic First Aid" or "Basic Life Support," includes information on how to handle certain life-threatening situations. People who have passed Level I training have been taught how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), slow bleeding, help a person who is choking, and assist with various other ailments.
Following senior first aid training, those people who wish to work within any kind of medical facility must also enroll in Level III training. Level III training, also called "Occupational First Aid," covers advanced first aid applications. People who take a Level III course learn how to use external difibrillators, distribute oxygen, and assist with serious illnesses. A Level III certification will allow a person to work within a medical facility, manage a medical office, or run a first aid outfit.
It is not uncommon for singular courses to be taught throughout Australia. Those people who wish to learn only CPR can take a CPR-specific course. Similarly, those people who only want to learn wilderness first aid may find these courses are available throughout the country. Depending upon the type of course that a person has completed, re-accreditation is often required on a yearly basis.
Gaining a first aid certification within Australia is not an easy task. While almost all countries have different standards set in place for those who wish to practice first aid, Australia tends to have the toughest standards. For anyone wishing to work within the medical field in Australia, senior first aid is absolutely necessary.
Throughout the rest of the world, first aid certification can be gained by searching for a local first aid class. Some countries, as is the case with Australia, require people to go through different levels of training, though this is not always true. Since each country is different, prospective first aid students should check with a first aid instructor in order to discover first aid requirements.