Premergency First Aid, CPR and AED Manual

1 Introduction to First Aid

Introduce yourself and ask the patient’s name. Speak to the patient with the name they give you. Certain situations can make it more difficult to communicate with a person. Hearing or visual impairment, foreign language speakers, or children all present additional challenges. Remain calm and caring. Use available resources such as interpreters, parents, or relatives to help. Follow these principals of communication to help you be more effective. Your body language should not be threatening or aggressive. Position yourself at the same level to address the patient. Look them in the eyes and watch their body language for clues to how they may behave. Allow for personal space, both yours and the patient’s. During initial contact and while obtaining consent keep some distance between yourself and the patient

proper communication with a patient

as they may initially perceive you as a threat. Listen while the patient is speaking to you and try to understand what they are saying. At times people may be hesitant to say directly what is wrong. Allow the patient to fully answer questions and pay attention to their response. Always tell the truth to a patient. Answer any questions honestly but limit unnecessary details that could upset the patient or relatives. Do not use medical terminology or ‘jargon’ Explanations and answers need to be clearly understood.

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