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Posted By Ian Bruce
I have just been asked a question that I have been unable to answer with any confidence; I hope there may be some colleagues out there who could point me in the right direction.
We employ a team of nurses from a healthcare contractor, at the workplaces for which I am responsible. I have been asked to assist in the review of a first aid assessment and to bear in mind that the nurses are not first aiders.
Perhaps I am a little naiive, but I thought that nurses were regarded as first aiders. My question is, are nurses trained in first aid techniques as part of their training? I assume that they provide care to a standard higher than basic first aid?
If they are not, then this will have an impact on the number and location of our own first aiders.
I am meeting with the contract company later this week to talk about this, but would like to be talking from a position of knowledge rather than assumption. If anyone can point me in the right direction to find the answer, or even let me know the official line from a nursing point of view, I would be very grateful.
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Posted By Jay Joshi1
Nurses can be considered as First-aiders, Refer to the ACoP on First aid in the workplace. You have to assess the pros & cons of using the nurses time etc to undertake first aid duties versus the that of having in-house first aider(s). It is likely that the service provider may charge you extra should they undertake the role and that it is civered in the contract!
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Posted By Lance Morgan
Qualified Nurses i.e. Registered Nurses only.
The key here is assessment of the workplace with regard to first aid provision.
You may decide to opt for Appointed Persons
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Ian
Nurses aren't normally trained in first aid; after all, that is supposed to be administered before the hapless patient gets anywhere near a nurse! Of course, suitably trained nurses are as capable of being first aiders as anyone else.
Paul
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Posted By Peter Longworth
Hello Ian
My wife is an occupational health nurse and her answer is that nurses are not trained in first aid and therefore are not first aiders. However as has been said previously all nurses should be capable of being trained in first aid
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Posted By Peter Lee
Sorry to disagree but the guidance to the First Aid Regulations state that a qualified nurse whose names are registered on part 1 2 10 or 11 of the single professional register maintained by the UKCC for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting qualify them to administer first aid.
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Posted By Jack
I think the issue here is not so much whether OH nurses could be first aiders but more to do with whether they should be. An OH nurse often with a degree should perhaps be concentrating on proactive oh issues rather than rendering first aid. People who've been on a 4 day course can do that.
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Posted By Ian Bruce
Perhaps I should clarify a little, although the response from Peter Lee is interesting and follows my initial gut reaction; that is: that a nurse can apply the principles of first aid without being a designated first aider.
The conundrum I'm trying to solve is whether or not we can rely upon a nurse to apply first aid if he or she is called to an emergency in our workplace should there be no employees available who are designated first aiders.
In other words, is a nurse competent to deliver first aid if he or she has not attended a recognised first aider course?
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Posted By Jack
Yes, provided they meet the criteria quoted by Peter.
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Posted By William O'Donnell
Is there a question of liability, if a medical professional i.e a nurse, administers treatment?
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Posted By Mark E
Just a quick note.
the UKCC no longer exists, it has been rplaced by the NMC (Nursing & Midwifery Council)
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Posted By Robert.J
Posting No 7 from Jack, I think is an
elite-ist point of view. The role of primary first aid should not be seen as a role for the (essential) minions of this world just because they have't got a degree in "whatever".
This is becoming reminicsent of the "Let them fall" debate.
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