On Saturday and Sunday, January 6th & 7th, SheJumps sponsored a Wilderness First Aid Course taught by instructors from CPR Seattle. The class included 13 students from a variety of activities. Many people wanted to hone their first aids skills for use with friends and family. Some were looking to have a better set of skills for working with youth outdoor groups. One participant, who is a nurse, said she was taking the class because she wanted to know what to do when she didn’t have access to a cabinet full of medical supplies and experts down the hall.
The class covered basic first aid with a special view into how to perform rescue skills in wilderness areas with limited medical supplies. We were asked to bring our backpacks and other equipment from the activities that we do outdoors so that we could practice using what we would have when offering first aid. One student, a mountain biker, brought her biking gear and helmet, whereas other women brought day and overnight backpacking gear.
The pace of the class was excellent with explanations and lectures mixed up with hands-on experiences where we put the lecture topics into immediate use. We partnered with different people throughout the weekend, which helped us work on our communication skills as we assessed different people. Be ready to do a bit of acting, as you will alternate being patient and first aid provider!
Only a few people knew of SheJumps ahead of time and had found the Wilderness First Aid class through Facebook over other online platforms. It was great to get to know so many inspiring women. We exchanged information about all kinds of activities, places to go and where to find more information. It was a great opportunity to share how great SheJumps is! I personally met a new skiing buddy and we floated through some awesome powder a few weeks later.
Big thanks to CPR Seattle for teaching such a great event and supporting SheJumps with a generous donation. We were grateful to have had such an awesome group of participants too. Lastly, thanks to Heidi Mathisen for taking pictures and helping with the write up!
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