FIRST AID CLASSES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20074, 21 October 1939, Page 4

FIRST AID CLASSES

ST. JOHN ACTIVITY TRAINEES NUMBER 467 INSTRUCTION FOR JUNIORS With a tola! of .'Ui7 senior and 100 junior pupils in classes covering town, suburban and country areas, the St. John Ambulance first-aid instructors are carrying on in Gisborne a work of considerable importance in view of the present emergency.

Normal activities of the association are being conducted as usual, except that on occasions when class arrangements conflict with dates of fortnightly parades, the latter arc postponed, so that memebrs can give their full time to assist in the training of the emergency classes.

In accordance with the joint agreement between the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society, the first-named is held responsible for public instruction in first aid and home nursing, where there is a demand for such instruction; and in furtherance of this duty classes have been formed wherever a display of interest ljas been forthcoming.

In Gisborne, lectures to classes in home nursing and first aid, the latter including work for High School girl pupils, are given by members of the medical profession, to whom the association owes its deepest thanks; while members of the Nurs-

ing Division have been responsible for coaching in the practical work, a responsible undertaking where such large numbers of trainees are engaged. Demonstration by Teams During the course of first-aid classes, too/ the St. John Ambulance cadets, under Cadet-Superintendent H. Wade, gave a demonstration of stretcher transport of a patient, and a team from the Gisborne LifeSaving Club, led by Mr. T. Wauchop, gave a demonstration of artificial resuscitation methods and the aftercare of a patient rescued from the water.

iHome-nursing class members who reached the stage of preparation necessary sat for their written examination on Wednesday, and the papers were sent on to the Auckland headquarters of the association ior marking. A number also completed the oral and practical portions of the examination, and further groups were to be taken by the examiners, a doctor and two members of the nursing profession, on Thursday and Friday nights. Examinations for first-aid trainees will be held next week.

Nursing Division members of the association, at the request of the district Officer, also have assisted with the formation of classes in several country and suburban areas. Most o' these classes are being taken either by a member or by an ex-member of the nursing profession, and centres are at Wainui, Waimata Valley, Makaraka, Puha, Whatatutu, Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru .Bay, and Tc Puia. A class for senior pupils at the Kaiti School has been instituted. Usual Course Telescoped The usual time taken for the first aid and home nursing course in 11 weeks, but it was felt that this was too long a period under present emergency conditions, and to complete the course in about half the time meetings are being held twice weekly; while country trainees are given an outline of home training and study where it is not convenient to hold two meetings per week. A lecture and an hour’s practical work comprises an average class programme, and to avoid repetition of lectures and demonstrations, members of the Red Cross Society’s classes also attend.

Nursing Division members are particularly interested in the formation and training of the Voluntary Aid Detachment, which has been organised for training at the Cook Hospital, and comprises members of both the St. John and Red Cross groups. In the first .group of 20 for this detachment, the following members of the St. John Ambulance classes were chosen: —Mesdames Allan and Fleming, and Misses A. E. and J. M. Austin, M. Ferguson. E. C. and P. M. Hardy. A. O. Hine, H. Moore. H. F. C. Humphreys, M. Simpson, E. Steven* son, L. G. Taylor, D. Taylor and B. Walker.

The annual re-examination for Nursing Division members was held last week, being conducted by a medical practitioner. All who sat for the examination passed with a satisfactory average of marks, and three gained maximum marks.