Certification

• To qualify as a first aid trainer, or instructor, participants must attend all of a course's training sessions, which are typically delivered through several evening classes and total about 10 to 14 hours. A final examination follows course completion, and participants who pass that exam receive certification, allowing them to teach and practice first aid. Their certification is valid for two years from the date they complete the course.
  
  

Training

• Basic first aid training programs give participants complete emergency preparedness. This includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, automated external defibrillator training, injury prevention courses, blood-borne pathogens training and community disaster education.
  
  Courses are taught by qualified instructors verbally and through practical lessons, educational literature and videos.
  
  Upon completion of the program, participants should be well-equipped to deal with almost any life-threatening situation they encounter as well as to teach the information to others.
  
  

Benefits

• Becoming a certified first aid trainer not only hones a participant's first aid skills but enables her to gain valuable teaching experience and allows her to teach others first aid techniques. She will be able to make a difference in the lives of other people and teach a variety of specialized courses, including water safety and child care, and also educate people on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention.
  
  

Considerations

• Participants in first aid trainer/instructor certification courses must be at least 16 years old and have basic first aid and CPR certification acquired by passing a basic first aid and CPR course.
  
  In order to teach first aid, instructors should be professional in their behavior, have strong communication skills and be patient in order to deal with students. They also should be positive and enthusiastic about the subject.
  
  First aid instructor certification involves a fee.
  
  

Training Organizations

• Various organizations teach first aid to people who are at various knowledge levels, from complete novices to health service employees with advanced training. The American Red Cross offers an instructor course developed by experts from leading medical authorities, and classes can be scheduled at times and venues to best suit participants. EMS Safety Services has provided instructor certification programs for more than 15 years and uses the most recent CPR guidelines.