Nursing Assistant First Aid Course

Lesson 1 • Activating the Emergency Response System

Covers how and when to activate facility and community emergency systems. Ensures timely escalation, which underpins every emergency scenario in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • Scene Safety and Personal Protection

Teaches systematic scene assessment before patient contact. Prevents responder injury and ensures safe intervention throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Patient Assessment Basics

Introduces the primary and secondary survey framework for rapid patient evaluation. Provides the assessment structure used in every clinical scenario that follows.

Lesson 1 • Conscious Choking Relief in Adults

Covers recognition of severe airway obstruction and abdominal thrust delivery in adults. Timely intervention prevents loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest.

Lesson 2 • Airway Anatomy and Obstruction Causes

Reviews upper airway structures and common obstruction mechanisms. Provides anatomical context that guides every manual and positional airway technique.

Lesson 3 • Manual Airway Opening Techniques

Teaches head-tilt chin-lift and jaw-thrust maneuvers for unconscious patients. Correct technique prevents hypoxia before advanced airway support arrives.

Lesson 4 • Bag-Valve-Mask Assisted Ventilation

Introduces BVM assembly, mask seal, and ventilation delivery for apneic patients. Extends airway management into active ventilatory support within the nursing assistant's scope.

Lesson 1 • Adult CPR Technique

Covers correct hand placement, compression depth, rate, and ventilation ratio for adults. Proper technique maximizes perfusion pressure during cardiac arrest.

Lesson 2 • Pediatric and Infant CPR Adaptations

Addresses anatomical differences requiring modified CPR technique for children and infants. Builds on adult CPR skills with targeted adjustments for smaller patients.

Lesson 3 • Team CPR and Rescuer Rotation

Introduces two-rescuer CPR coordination and compressor rotation to maintain quality. Prepares students for real facility scenarios with multiple responders.

Lesson 4 • Automated External Defibrillator Use

Teaches AED operation, pad placement, and safe shock delivery. Integrates with CPR cycles to form the complete chain-of-survival response.

Lesson 1 • Direct Pressure and Wound Packing

Covers manual pressure application and gauze packing for deep wounds. These are the first-line interventions before adjunct devices are applied.

Lesson 2 • Hemorrhage Recognition and Severity

Teaches classification of bleeding by vessel type and volume loss indicators. Accurate severity assessment drives the urgency and method of hemorrhage control.

Lesson 3 • Hemorrhagic Shock Management

Addresses positioning, warmth, and monitoring for patients in hemorrhagic shock. Integrates bleeding control skills into a systemic patient-management approach.

Lesson 4 • Tourniquet Application for Limb Bleeding

Teaches correct tourniquet placement, tightening, and time documentation for life-threatening limb hemorrhage. Builds on direct pressure as an escalation when pressure fails.

Lesson 1 • Neurogenic Shock and Spinal Precautions

Covers vasodilation from spinal cord injury and the concurrent need for spinal motion restriction. Integrates shock management with injury-specific precautions.

Lesson 2 • Distributive Shock: Anaphylactic and Septic

Addresses vasodilatory shock from severe allergic reactions and systemic infection. Recognizing these rapidly progressing conditions enables timely epinephrine and escalation.

Lesson 3 • Cardiogenic and Obstructive Shock

Identifies pump-failure and mechanical-obstruction shock patterns in care settings. Differentiating these from hypovolemic shock prevents harmful positioning errors.

Lesson 4 • Pathophysiology of Shock

Explains the common pathway of inadequate tissue perfusion across shock types. Mechanistic understanding enables accurate recognition and prioritization of interventions.

Lesson 1 • Stroke Recognition and FAST Response

Teaches the FAST and BE-FAST assessment tools for rapid stroke identification. Time-sensitive escalation is the primary intervention within the nursing assistant's role.

Lesson 2 • Diabetic Emergencies: Hypo and Hyperglycemia

Distinguishes hypoglycemia from hyperglycemia using clinical signs and history. Appropriate glucose administration or escalation prevents neurological deterioration.

Lesson 3 • Respiratory Emergencies: Asthma and COPD

Covers recognition and supportive management of acute bronchospasm and respiratory distress. Builds on airway skills to address obstructive pulmonary crises.

Lesson 4 • Acute Coronary Syndrome Recognition

Covers classic and atypical presentations of heart attack in diverse patient populations. Early recognition and activation of emergency services reduce myocardial damage.

Lesson 1 • Eye, Ear, and Soft-Tissue Injuries

Covers management of eye injuries, ear trauma, and complex soft-tissue wounds. Extends wound care skills to specialized anatomical areas requiring specific precautions.

Lesson 2 • Burn Assessment and Initial Care

Teaches burn depth classification, body surface area estimation, and cooling protocols. Correct initial care limits tissue damage and reduces infection risk.

Lesson 3 • Head and Spinal Injury Management

Addresses recognition of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury with appropriate immobilization. Prevents secondary neurological damage through controlled movement and monitoring.

Lesson 4 • Fractures, Dislocations, and Splinting

Covers recognition of bone and joint injuries and immobilization using improvised and commercial splints. Proper splinting reduces pain, bleeding, and neurovascular compromise.

Lesson 1 • Emergencies in Patients with Disabilities

Covers first aid adaptations for patients with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. Inclusive response techniques ensure equitable and effective emergency care.

Lesson 2 • Emergencies in Elderly and Frail Patients

Adapts assessment and intervention for age-related physiological changes and polypharmacy effects. Atypical presentations in elderly patients require heightened clinical suspicion.

Lesson 3 • Heat-Related Illness Recognition and Care

Distinguishes heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke by severity and systemic signs. Rapid cooling in heat stroke prevents irreversible organ damage.

Lesson 4 • Hypothermia and Frostbite Management

Covers systemic cold injury stages and localized frostbite, with rewarming and handling precautions. Gentle handling prevents ventricular fibrillation in hypothermic patients.