COVID Pandemic First Aid Courses
Dates & Registration |
Self Screening |
Classroom Precautions |
Online Courses |
COVID CPR-AED |
Updated March 11th, 2022
In-Person Training
Medi-Pro Response Solutions is currently providing in-class Canadian Red Cross First Aid and CPR courses. In-person classroom training is being conducted in accordance with best practices and guidelines for COVID-19 precautions as outlined by the Canadian Red Cross, Health Canada, and WorkSafe BC.
All Medi-Pro staff and classroom Instructors are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the most current Provincal Health Authority definitions. However, vaccination alone has not been proven 100% effective against transmission, so you must not attend your in-person course if you have any signs, symptoms or indications of COVID-19.
Policy Updates
The COVID in-person training policies and guidelines below are updated frequently in response to the most current data available, and Medi-Pro's classroom policies may change to reflect these updates with short notice. Medi-Pro will make all reasonable efforts to communicate any relevant COVID policy changes to students who are registered for upcoming courses, however we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the current policies, and re-check the information on this page within 24 hours of your scheduled class.
COVID Self-Assessment
Pre-Course Screening
You must conduct a self-assessment for signs/symptoms or indicators of COVID-19 within 72 hours of your scheduled class. If you answer "Yes" to any of the questions in the COVID-19 self-assessment within the 72 hours before your course starts, you must reschedule. Keep in mind that these self-assessment screening questions are an incomplete tool and do not constitute a 100% accurate diagnosis of either COVID-19 clearance or COVID-19 infection.
Local Health Authorities
If there is any doubt about whether you are currently infected with COVID-19 (including any of the variants) or could be contagious of COVID-19, you should immediately consult your local health authority and follow any guidelines or restrictions recommended by healthcare professionals. It is ultimately your responsibility to decide whether or not it is safe for you to interact with other members of your community in a classroom setting. The Public Health Agency of Canada strongly urges anyone who has any of the following symptoms: fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, or headache to isolate at home or another suitable location. Click here for more information about COVID-19 screening and testing resources in BC.
Self-Assessment COVID Screening Questions
Are you experiencing any of the following? |
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In the last 14 days, have you... |
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*Close Contact is defined as a person who meets any of the following criteria:
- Provided care for the individual, including healthcare workers, family members or other caregivers or
- Had other similar close physical contact without consistent and appropriate use of personal protective equipment or
- Lived with or otherwise had close prolonged contact (within 2 metres) with the person while they were infectious or
- Had direct contact with infectious bodily fluids of the person (e.g., was coughed or sneezed on) while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment
Classroom Precautions
Adherence to Safety Measures
Conducting in-class First Aid and CPR courses in a manner that complies with COVID-19 requirements and maximizes personal safety for all staff and participants, involves some additional precautionary measures. You must comply with all precautionary COVID measures while in-class, in the classroom building and on the facility grounds. Failure to comply with any of the communal safety measures listed, or as outlined by the Instructor on the day of the course, will result in ejection from the classroom and faciltiy without refund.
Special Accommodations
Medi-Pro staff and instructional personnel will do their best to adapt the lessons and activities for any physical injuries or medical conditions which might conflict with classroom policies. However, obligations to ensure the safety of all staff and participants, as well as regulatory compliance which secure the integrity and ongoing recognition of the programs will always take precedence over individual accommodation. If you have concerns that our classroom safety policies may conflict with your physical limitations, medical requirements, or ideologies you should consult with Medi-Pro administrative staff prior to scheduling your course, paying the registration fees, or confirming your participation.
Online Registration
Registration & payment are completed electronically, prior to the start of the course and prior to participant arrival at the training facility. Online registration will be followed by email confirmation. Participants are strongly encouraged to complete their own registrations, as the booking process includes acknowledgement and committment to classroom safety protocols. If you are submitting registration on behalf of someone else, you must ensure the actual participant is aware of all the obligations incurred on their behalf. Course participants must self-declare that they have had no known exposure to COVID-19 or shown any symptoms in the previous 72 hours before entereing the training facility.
- Non-medical/surgical masks can become contaminated on the outside or when touched by your hands.
- Avoid touching your face mask while using it.
- Change the mask for a fresh one as soon as it becomes damp or soiled
- Non-medical face masks that cannot be washed should be discarded and replaced as soon as they get damp, soiled, or crumpled
Handwashing
Instructors and participants must perform hand hygiene for at least 20 to 30 seconds at the appropriate times throughout the course. The use of soap and water is encouraged as the most effective method of hand sanitization. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 70% alcohol will be available in the classroom. At a minimum, instructors and participants must follow hand hygeine practices at the the following times...
- Beginning and end of class
- Before leaving or re-entering the classroom
- Before and after meals and snacks
- Before and after skill practice sessions
- Before and after putting on gloves
- Before and after handling any shared equipment or surfaces
Facility & Amenities
In an effort to minimize the chances of cross-contamination and the potential transmission of COVID in the classroom, Medi-Pro has suspended it's in-class amenities such as coffee, tea, drinking water, and microwave. The break and lunch schedule may not allow enough time for you to travel to local restaurants/stores and return on time mid-class. You must arrive at each course session with enough water/fluids, and enough snacks or read-to=eat meals to remain hydrated and nourished for the duration of the class. Washroom facilities, including hand-washing with soap and water remain available.
Classroom Activities
Participants will reduce exposure by working with the same partners and groups for the entire class or course. Wherever possible, the Instructor will avoid mixing up groups and partners for activities. Where possible, hands-on activities (e.g., icebreakers/energizers, working in pairs or groups) will be modified to include physical distancing of two metres or six feet. When performing hands-on skills that unavoidably require physical contact with other participants, a mask and gloves must always be worn. Considerations can be made for family members who live in the same household to work together.
Each participant/group will be assigned a specific set of training equipment, including CPR mannequins and First Aid kits, to use exclusively during each course session. Training equipment will not be shared between participants/groups during the each course session. Equipment will be sanitized or disposed of as appropriate at the end of each course session, before another participant/group utilizes them.
Text Books
First Aid and CPR course participants must arrive at each session with electronic access to the Comprehensive Guide to First Aid and CPR, on their personal tablet/mobile device. Basic Life Support (BLS) course participants must arrive at each session with electronic access to the Basic Life Support Field Guide, on their personal tablet/mobile device. Printed take-home manuals will be provided in these courses by request at an additional cost. Other courses such as First Responder, EMR and Wilderness First Aid include a printed, personal copy of the relevant text books for each participant.
eLearning Courses
Medi-Pro Response Solutions offers a wide range of purely online Health & Safety elearning certification courses, such as Psychological First Aid, Medical Terminology, WHMIS, Lockout-Tagout Procedures, Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Bloodborne Pathogens, Bear Safety, Fire Safety, and Workplace Cannabis Policies.
These online courses can be started on your own schedule, and accessed through any internet connected computer/tablet/mobile device. You can proceed through the modules at your own pace, stopping whenever is convenient and picking up where you left off later. Once you've completed the online course modules, you can download the certificate of completion for your records.
Blended Learning
Our CPR-AED, Emergency First Aid, and Standard First Aid courses are also available in a Blended Learning format, which involves completing self-directed online elearning modules prior to attending a correspondingly shortened in-class session. A Blended Learning course format essentially cuts the in-person classroom time in half, compared to a traditional classroom format. There is still an in-person classroom session led by a qualified instructor, but only half the amount time.
Due to the addional administrative requirements to provide access to the online First Aid course modules, as well as the need for all partcipants to have the online modules fully completed prior to the scheduled in-class session, Blended Learning courses are only available by special request for private group training. If you have a group of people interested in completing a Blended Learning First Aid course, contact us to make arrangements for a specific course date.
COVID First Aid & CPR Protocols
Bystander initiated early Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED), combined with early transport to definitive medical care remain the most significant factors in cardiac arrest recovery and positive long-term patient outcomes. Your personal health and safety are always the paramount concern, and you should always use personal protective equipment such as gloves and a pocket mask when available.
However, the real and perceived increase of personal health risks associated with potential COVID-19 infection make it prudent to take enhanced safety precautions when performing First Aid and CPR during the COVID pandemic. The current guidelines surrounding CPR, and corresponding COVID-19 specific recommendations, are divided into two general categories. The first designation is "Bystander/Lay-Rescuer, and the second classification is Professional Responder.
Bystander/Lay-Rescuer
The terms "Bystander" and "Lay-rescuer" apply to anyone who does not regularly perform or practice First Aid or CPR as a profession. Most workplace first aid attendants also fall into this category, as they only provide first aid in the rare event that it is necesary, and their normal day-to-day work duties are not exclusively dedicated to emergency medical response or preparation.
The most effective bystander CPR includes cycles of 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths (ventilations), with application of an AED as soon as possible. Performing the breaths/ventilations always creates the potential for personal infection/contamination, which can be mitigated with the use of a pocket mask with a one-way check valve. The current COVID-19 pandemic brings an additional layer of risk, which each individual must weigh and act accordingly. If you are in a position to assist someone who is unresponsive and not breathing by performing CPR, the potential for personal infection can be reduced (but not eliminated) by taking the following extra precautions:
- Perform "Compression-Only" (Hands-Only) CPR with continuous chest compressions and skip the ventilations.
- Place a cloth or mask over the patient's face (mouth & nose)
- This can prevent potentially contagious particulate from escaping into the air during compressions.
- Early activation of Emergency Medical Services (9-1-1) and use of an AED as "normal" remain critical factors.
- As always, it is up to you to evaluate the situation and decide for yourself how much (if any) risk you are willing to take on behalf of another.
Professional Responder
The Professional Responder designation applies to those for whom emergency medical response is a regular/daily part of their work/volunteer duties. The term "professional" is not related to whether or not someone is being paid, but indicative of their enhanced training levels and regular practice in emergency medicine. Professional Responders should always follow the most current CPR-AED/BLS/ALS guidelines and medical directives assigned to their specific agency. A few modifications to high-performance CPR and AED protocols appear to have been universally adopted by most 9-1-1 response agencies, with a subtle variations in each region:
- Perform chest compressions only until an advanced airway or supraglottic device has been inserted.
- Oropharyngeal Airways (OPA) and Nasopharyngeal Airways (NPA) are not considered "advanced" for this purpose.
- Place a medical mask on the patient's face to prevent potentially contagious particulate from escaping into the air during compressions.
- Apply and activate an AED as soon as practical
- Once an advanced airway has been secured, any BVM used to provide ventilations should have an inline one-way filter valve installed.
- Again, as a Professional Responder you are accountable to being familiar with and following the specific guidelines, protocols and recommendations that your medical director and licensing agency prescribe.
tel: 778-724-9054 email: training@mediprofirstaid.com
We recognize and respectfully acknowledge that we operate on the traditional and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan and Secwepemc peoples.