Wilderness Advanced First Aid (2-Day Recert)
This course teaches how to manage medical emergencies when hospitals and rescue services may not be available for an extensive time period. We prepare students for emergency situations that involve prolonged patient care, severe environments, and improvised equipment.
The Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) Recertification course is open to graduates of any wilderness-advanced first aid training course that was at least 40 hours long and completed within 3 years of the proposed recertification option. Successful graduates of this course will receive Wilderness Medical Associates’ Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Adult CPR certifications.
Description
4 Hours Pre-Course Preparation and 16 Hours On-Site Training
Course Content
This course is presented in 16 hours over two days after 4 hours of pre-course learning. Typically, mornings are devoted to lectures, discussions and quizzes, with afternoons devoted to outdoor practical skills and scenarios. Evenings are reserved for study and assignments. Expect rescue scenarios with made-up victims and simulated wounds to prepare you for backcountry emergencies. Sessions may be videotaped for enhanced learning.
Sample Syllabus
Pre-Course Online Learning – Nervous System, Circulatory & Respiratory Systems, Systems Based Critical Thinking, Bites and Stings, Lightning, Thermoregulation, Backcountry Medicine, Medical and Legal Issues
Day 1 – Introduction/Registration; Infection Control; Patient Assessment System; Adult CPR; Basic Life Support, Allergies and Anaphylaxis
Day 2 – Spine Management, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Splints – Extremities, Patient Assessment Drills, Wounds and Burns
Customization
As part of Wilderness Medical Associates International’s commitment to your medical rescue training, our instructors and management will consult your group’s needs and teach according to your group’s backgrounds, environments, and experience. Simulations and hands-on activities will be realistic and relevant. Relevant adult education is incorporated directly into our curriculum to maximize learning of medical theory into practical skills.
Certifications
This course is scheduled for 2-days or 14-18 hours of instructional and practice time. Upon successful completion students will receive certification in Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Adult CPR. Certification is valid for three years. The course is registered for 36 hours of continuing education credit through the CAPCE.
Included Materials
All teaching materials will be at no additional cost. Students will receive the following books on this course:
- The Field Guide of Wilderness Medicine & Rescue
- SOAP Notebook
- The Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Handbook
- Wilderness Advanced First Aid Class Notes
Equipment
We ask our sponsors and course hosts to provide low level outdoor equipment and any specific gear relevant to their employees when in remote and austere environments. Wilderness Medical Associates will supply a specific equipment list to cover simulation and classroom needs.
Evaluation
Successful completion with certification is based on 100% attendance, satisfactory performance on homework assignments and written quizzes, demonstrated proficiency with practical skills, and a successful grade on a final written exam. Wilderness Medical Associates International is committed to making reasonable accommodation to any student with special needs.
Prerequisites
WAFA recertification candidates must have passed an eligible course. To be eligible, the course should have been a wilderness-based first aid training course that was at least 40 hours long and completed within 3 years of the proposed recertification option. Most but not all WAFAs are eligible. Any exceptions to these conditions must be verified prior to the course by contacting the Wilderness Medical Associates office.
Proof of current certification is required at the start of the course. Learners without proof of certification or approval from WMA International will not be eligible for WAFA certification.
Upon sponsor registration, sponsor will send learners the information to access their online pre-course materials two to four weeks prior to the first day of their course. Learners should complete the study guide in preparation for the course. It was designed to familiarize learners with the essential points in the curriculum. Instructors will collect it at the beginning of the course but it will not be figured into the final grade.
Learners must be at least sixteen years old to participate in the WAFA Recertification course. Those under age eighteen will require the written consent of a parent or guardian.