Nurses to learn first aid and dealing with a crisis

LESSONS in first aid and how to manage serious incidents are to become a standard part of nurse training in future.

Concern over falling skill levels have prompted the move from a theory-based system to more practical teaching.

The new standards were drawn up following consultation with the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance.

Incident management will be included in nurse training for the first time.

Garth Long, project lead for the review of pre-registration requirements at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said the public expected nurses to be able to cope in a crisis. And he said the new requirements "emphasised" the need for first aid more than previously but it would be down to universities how it was taught.

"Incident management is also now included, which is how you would organise yourself if there was an incident like a car accident," he added.

Mr Long said the NMC was not calling for nurses to be sent out to incidents, but more for nurses to be prepared in case of an emergency.

He explained "If somebody collapses in the street, someone will say: 'Is there a nurse or doctor around?'

"What the public expects is for somebody competent in first aid to be able to provide it there and then."