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When First Aid Becomes Personal: Supporting people after an emergency
Witnessing an emergency can have a lasting impact. Discover how supportive first aid training can help people process their experience and rebuild confidence.
9/9/20265 min read
A cardiac arrest does not only happen when a trained professional is nearby. Someone may collapse at home, at work, in a supermarket or during a family gathering. The person who finds themselves responding could be anyone.
They might be a trained first aider. They might vaguely remember something they learnt years ago. Or they might simply be the person who was there when somebody needed help.
We spend a great deal of time encouraging people to learn first aid so they will know what to do in an emergency. But we do not always talk enough about what happens afterwards or how it can feel to return to first aid training following a difficult experience.
You never know what someone is carrying into the training room
Before a recent GO! First Aid course, a manager contacted us about one of the people due to attend.
Only a few days earlier, the attendee had witnessed CPR being performed on a family member. The experience was understandably still very raw, and his manager was not even sure whether he would feel able to attend the training.
When he arrived, the trainer welcomed him along with everyone else. The trainer then quietly asked if they could speak to him for a moment in private.
The trainer offered their condolences, gently explained some of the subjects that would be covered and reassured him that, if he needed to step outside or take some space at any point, he could, without having to explain himself.
Almost immediately, his shoulders dropped. It was as though a weight had been lifted.
He thanked the trainer and chose to share a little about what had happened. He was not asked to provide any details, but knowing about his experience meant the trainer could guide conversations sensitively, check in with him discreetly and encourage him throughout the day without singling him out.
After the course, he shared feedback through his manager. Amongst other things, he said:
“It was the best first aid course I’ve ever been on.”
His experience made us think about the many other people who may enter a first aid training room having already witnessed something frightening, distressing or traumatic, often without the instructor ever knowing.
Different people respond in different ways
Witnessing CPR, helping at an accident or being present during a medical emergency can affect people in very different ways.
Some may want to talk about what happened. Others may need time before they feel ready, or may prefer not to talk about it at all.
They may replay the incident in their mind, question whether they did enough or feel anxious about facing another emergency. Certain course topics, practical demonstrations or sounds may bring memories of the incident back unexpectedly.
These responses can be understandable after a frightening event. Acknowledging and talking about them can help people recognise that they are not weak, failing or “making a fuss”.
Nobody should be pressured into sharing an experience. However, having the opportunity to talk to someone they trust can be incredibly powerful. It can help a person make sense of what happened, feel less alone and begin to process the experience.
The NHS advises talking to somebody about how you are feeling following traumatic experiences. It also explains that professional support is available when distressing thoughts, anxiety or other symptoms continue or begin to affect everyday life. Read the NHS guidance on post-traumatic stress disorder and support.
A first aid instructor is not there to diagnose trauma or replace professional support. However, an instructor can listen, respond with kindness and create an environment in which someone feels safe, respected and able to learn.
From fear to confidence
A distressing experience can understandably leave someone worried about ever having to use first aid again.
They might wonder whether they did the right thing or focus on everything they think they could have done differently. If the outcome was not what they had hoped for, they may even feel that their actions made no difference.
This is where sensitive, supportive training can be so important.
Training gives people an opportunity to revisit the practical steps in a safe environment. They can ask questions, practise the skills again and develop a better understanding of the realities of responding to an emergency.
That does not erase what happened. But with encouragement and appropriate support, it may help someone move forward feeling less fearful and more confident in their ability to respond again.
It can help reinforce a vital message: stepping forward and trying to help matters.
What does the SARAH Act 2015 mean for first aiders?
Fear of doing something wrong is one of the reasons people sometimes hesitate to help.
In England and Wales, the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015, commonly known as the SARAH Act, is relevant when a court considers a claim involving negligence or a breach of statutory duty.
The Act says that the court must consider the wider circumstances, including whether the person:
was acting for the benefit of society or another person;
demonstrated a predominantly responsible approach towards protecting others; or
acted heroically by intervening in an emergency to help someone in danger.
In simple terms, the law recognises the context in which someone stepped forward and tried to help.
It does not provide blanket immunity from every possible legal claim, and first aiders should still act within their training and abilities. However, it offers reassurance that responsible and well-intentioned actions during an emergency must be considered in context.
You can read the wording in Section 4 of the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015.
The importance of an understanding instructor
First aid courses must cover the required knowledge and practical skills but good training is about more than working through a list of subjects.
An understanding instructor notices the people in the room.
They explain potentially difficult content before introducing it. They give people permission to step away if needed. They listen without pushing for personal information and adapt conversations sensitively when someone chooses to share an experience.
Most importantly, they help create a space where learners are encouraged rather than judged.
At GO! First Aid, our trainers understand that learners arrive with different experiences, levels of confidence and reasons for attending. Some have never seen a real emergency. Others know exactly what one looks and feels like.
Both deserve training that is respectful, inclusive and supportive.
The conversation after the emergency matters too
We rightly focus on giving people the confidence to act when an emergency happens.
But support afterwards matters as well.
Talking cannot change what happened, and it will not be the right choice for everyone at the same time. Yet being given the opportunity to share, ask questions and receive reassurance can be an important part of processing a difficult experience.
Sometimes the most helpful thing we can say is:
“What you experienced was difficult. You do not have to pretend otherwise. You can take the time and support you need.”
With understanding, encouragement and appropriate support, a frightening experience does not have to become the reason someone never wants to use their first aid skills again.
Instead, it can become part of their understanding, leaving them better supported, more confident and empowered to help if someone needs them in the future.
Because first aid training is not only about teaching people what to do.
It is also about supporting the person who may one day have to do it.
Know What to Do. When It Matters Most.
