How Do Online First Aid Classes Work?
If you've never taken an online first aid class, you're going to be surprised. It isn't like taking a traditional in-person class, where you can see the teacher and ask questions. There are some similarities, of course, but there are also several differences.
Similarities
The biggest thing both types of training have in common is the content. They will both tell you the same way to clean a wound, and to bandage it up, and about the ABCs (or 3B's). The basics will still be there. You'll learn how to treat a person you come across that is in need of medical attention. You'll learn what to do to fill the gap between the time of injury and the time that qualified medical personnel arrive to take over and possibly transport the victim to the hospital if needed. And what to do so you can put a bandaid on it, kiss it better, and send your child back out to play again.
It is also similar in that there will be a test before certification. This is important! It is a way for the person issuing the certificate to know that you've retained at least a minimum level of proficiency with the given information. While the tests won't have the exact same questions, they will be about the same. Both will want to be sure you know how to deal with bleeding that doesn't seem to stop, and with how to maintain an airway.
Differences
While there are many similarities between a standard first aid classes and online first aid classes, there are also some key differences.
One is that the online first aid classes take much shorter of a time to take than the in person ones. An in person course takes a few hours, at a minimum. The online first aid classes tend to take about an hour from start to finish, sometimes a bit longer.
Also, the online classes teach you just the information you need to be success in performing first aid. Sometimes the in person classes teach other stuff, that, while it may be interesting, is not necessarily most important in our daily lives.
Another difference is the cost. For the in person class, someone has to pay. (Occasionally there are free classes available, but they are few and far between - definitely now the norm) Sometimes, your employer will pay it, but if not, you get to pick up the cost for that. With the online first aid course, the cost is minimal - there is almost no overhead for the online company! And many are even free. If you want your certificate there is a fee to print it and send it to you, or to email it to you for you to print yourself, but that's where they make their money.
Is An Online First Aid Classes Good Enough?
Maybe. Probably. If you are in doubt if it will be in your circumstance, check with your company or state. Since most online first aid classes are filled with the same strict standards of information as the Red Cross course, or the American Heart Association course, this is often sufficient. It is certainly worth consideration.
