Question about the CFR module in OFA

baronflyguy

Hi,

I was just wondering when the Occupational First Aid (OFA) Standard was revised and PHECCs CFR Standard was included as a module, did that mean that an OFA instructor is required to cover ALL of the PHECC CFR course material with their students or can they pick and choose bits?

Reason I ask is that I know a friend who is doing a OFA course at the moment and the OFA Skill Sheets they were shown is different to the CFR skill sheets issued by PHECC? (where overlapping skill assessment occurs i.e. CPR, Choking etc)
Obviously same principle at the end of the day sustaining life till EMS arrives etc but I was under the impression PHECC required the use of their own skill sheets for CFR compliance.

Plus my friend was telling me there was no mention of aspirin during their course when Aspirin is an allowed medication drug to administer by a first aider/responder on successful completion of CFR Course which I assumed would be done during OFA course since CFR is an embedded module.

Maybe I am wrong, just putting it out their to see what people think or know. I am guessing it is a certification compliance thing whereby FETAC is happy to issue a cert once there minimal requirements are met, cause I checked the Occupational First Aid FETAC Standards and there is a mention of Aspirin mentioned in Unit 4 Cardiac first response.

- BFG

Actual Paramedic

OFA is level 2 of the responder program as per PHECC's framework of qualifications. Aspirin should and is meant to be covered in the OFA program now.

As to the CFR program, the OFA will not depending on the instructor have it as a stand alone module within the OFA 3 day course and the instructor can run it whatever suits them.

As for differences, what were the differences in particular?

coolmoose

Organisations are free to use their own skill sheets as long as they comply with the general assessment procedure and have been submitted to PHECC under the organisation's CFR Course Recognition application process.

As AP said above, aspirin is a core component of the CFR syllabus and thus any course complying with PHECC CFR Training & Education standards will and must teach this according to syllabus, as well as any other material listed in the standard.

fastbowler

Differences may result where an OFA instructor uses the Heartsaver AED DVD to teach the CFR Module as it is easier to use than the CFR material as it is kind of cheap looking and less fluid to use in a course. If they do this they may not fully explain the differences such as Aspirin administration, Stroke assessment and the differences in FBAO management.
The CFR module is taught as a stand alone course but for someone doing an OFA course the only certification they receive is the FETAC Level 5 OFA Certificate.

However if an instructor is not teaching the course fully and missing things out then you would have to question the standards out there and I would bring any queries to OFAAA and let them know about it.