Welcome Message...
Welcome to the front page of Slipstream Online Campus. Slipstream Wilderness First Aid has been teaching Wilderness First Aid courses since 1990, in places as far reaching as Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada to Fuji-Yoshida, Japan and from Tofino, British Columbia east to Thunder Bay, Ontario. In our quest to improve our abilities to reach our students and improve overall learning objectives, we have created this site. We hope that you enjoy the medium of this e-learning and we look forward to your comments and suggestions. This site is dedicated in memory to Tim Fuller. Tim put countless hours into helping us develop this site. As an educator, guide, husband, and friend, Tim influenced and inspired all who knew him. Tim's spirit will live on in all of us.
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As a condition of using this campus, you must read through our Disclaimers and Scope of Practice below, prior to any coursework.
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Disclaimers
(The Boring Stuff, we left it boring on purpose!)
Typographical and other errors will be found! This document is a working draft.
· This document is intended as a study aid rather than a definitive source of current first aid information. Solid Medical & Safety Systems Ltd. (Slipstream First Aid), its employees, instructors, contributors, illustrators and associates disclaim any responsibility for problems that may occur as a result of following the information, procedures or techniques in this work.
· First aid is defined as “the immediate care given to a person who has been injured or taken ill.” This workbook is written primarily for the wilderness, and many of the techniques and procedures included are not appropriate for an urban environment. Instead, in such an environment injured or ill people should seek medical attention from a licensed health care provider (doctor, nurse, medical attendant, etc.). In the wilderness, injured or sick people should seek medical attention from a licensed health care provider whenever or as soon as possible. In the wilderness, a patient’s condition and needs may change given the long-term nature of Wilderness First Aid, and treatment approach will vary from that of an urban environment. In the wilderness, sometimes decisions are made without contacting a licensed health care provider due to remoteness and, often, lack of reliable communication. Efforts have been made to supply information within this document (and Slipstream’s courses) to help make the sometimes difficult, independent decisions. The guidelines within this document are suggestions; your personal level of training, judgment, experience and expertise will determine your willingness and ability to put into practice what is laid out in this document (and/or Slipstream’s courses). In practice, each person providing Wilderness First Aid should keep within the scope of their knowledge and ability.
· This document and Slipstream’s training should not be considered definitive. This written document is in no way a substitute for additional training and other reading of first aid and Wilderness First Aid books and material. Even after completing a Slipstream course or reading this document, it is inappropriate to bring medication or equipment or carry out procedures that you do not have the appropriate knowledge or experience to use/do safely. A first aid certificate or medical license does not guarantee knowledge in any specific area. Pre-trip training, reading and/or gaining of expertise may be necessary to supplement the knowledge and skill base of the person that will be in charge of handling drugs and/or using specialized medical equipment and/or carrying out certain procedures/techniques.
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Scope of Practice
There are many types of first aid. Each one is based on a certain set of “assumptions” (for example, city-based first aid courses assume there will be an ambulance available if necessary). This course focuses on Wilderness First Aid. Because of the set of assumptions that Wilderness First Aid is based on, some of the material covered will be different from, or even contradict, what you may have learned in other first aid courses. We ask that you remember that this is training for a different environment than city-based first aid.
Slipstream Wilderness First Aid courses and materials are based on the following 8 assumptions:
1. You will have to improvise some medical supplies, because heavy, non-portable medical supplies may be unavailable.
2. There may be little or no road access; consequently you could be stranded for hours or days.
3. Sometimes you will be unable to contact a doctor and will have to make important medical decisions on your own.
4. You may have to move an injured or ill patient to protect them from the environment and/or evacuate them.
5. Wilderness evacuations may require outside help (for example, air ambulance).
6. You will act within the limits of your own knowledge and capabilities. For example, if you are a licensed medical professional (MD, RN, paramedic, etc.), you will act as a licensed medical professional, with all the background knowledge that entails. If you are not a licensed medical professional (ex. Guide, ski patrol, recreational paddler, etc.), you will not act as a licensed medical professional, etc.
7. If your action or inaction causes your patient harm, you may be liable.
8. For Advanced Wilderness First Aid you will have a leadership role and responsibility to other participants on the trip, and therefore a duty to care.
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 INTRODUCTION. You need to READ and WATCH this Next! Resource Wilderness First Aid GLOSSARY
You will find the minimum required learning for your course here. This topic will cover your preparation for attending a Slipstream Wilderness First Aid class.
This module looks at the legal considerations you will have to take into account as a Wilderness First Aider and an Adventure Guide. Although this content does not teach you how to save lives directly, it is very important in this current time of lawsuits and liability. You need to know where you stand so that you can take responsibility for your own decisions. It’s not a good plan to rely on employers to have all this legal stuff thought out. Often they don’t!
This module looks at the ways in which risk can be managed as a Wilderness First Aider and an Adventure Guide. The lessons go into the ways risk works, the different types of risk and the methods we can use to control these risks.
Believe it or not, a whopping 100% of all your first aid situations will involve……… THE HUMAN BODY!!!! The basis of all good first aid is a sound understanding of the body and the way it works. We’re not expecting you to become a surgeon here, but you do need to have a base from which to work. There are eleven major systems in the body(depending on who you talk to). These are the integumentary (skin and body cavity linings), skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine (hormones), circulatory, lymphatic/immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive. In this module we’ll look into all these systems and how they work.
To make the perfect plan, the patient’s condition must be understood. To understand the patient’s condition a Wilderness First Aider uses Detailed Patient Assessments that are relevant to the situation. In this module, Patient Assessments are outlined to give you a head start when you get to the practical course.
Following a tried and tested method, when dealing with an accident, will save lives. The lessons in this module will walk you through that method and help you to understand the considerations for evacuation before you have to deal with one.
So here we go into some serious, hands on first aid situations. In this module we’re going to look at some of the major trauma injuries that you may have to deal with in the wilderness. These injuries and their treatment will be covered extensively in the practical component of the course. But it’s best to get a head start here so you know what you’ll be dealing with.
It’s a good thing those massive, life threatening trauma injuries are rare. That kind of stress could give you cancer! This module is going to look at the first aid situations that are common. The one’s you’ll have to deal with almost every time you take a group out. The bread and butter of first aid.
Dealing with small wounds will become second nature to you in the wilderness if it isn’t already. Getting it right first time will mean less time spent re-dressing, disinfecting and listening to clients moan. It might even just save you an avoidable evacuation.
The variety of poisons and venom and disease in the wilderness is endless! Hooray! You can get sick from plants, animals, food and even water. You`ll learn how in this module.
Step outside your climate controlled truck and make your way into the wilderness. Now you’re immersed in the elements and they can leave you for dead. The sun, the air, the water, the altitude and the way you deal with them can lead you into trouble. This module will gives you the knowledge to prepare.
Massive portions of the population have chronic (long term) illnesses. You’re going to have people on your trip that have chronic illnesses and you’re going to have to manage these people. There are a number of considerations that need to be made when leading people with chronic illnesses. We’ll look into the planning for, and treatment of these illnesses in this module. When participants come to you with gender issues they're usually not going to be feeling fantastic about it. It's also possible that you're going to have participants with pre-existing psychological conditions. How you conduct yourself when dealing with these issues shows your level of compassion and professionalism. Keep a straight face. Especially when you're untangling some dude's balls! Not your babysitters CPR!
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