Learn first aid techniques to address seven common injuries in adults, including cardiac arrest, choking, bleeding and burns.

18,132 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours

Learn first aid techniques to respond to seven causes of injury in adults.

This online course will introduce you to the key first aid actions you should take to effectively manage seven common causes of injury in adults: cardiac arrest, choking, bleeding, burns, strokes, road accidents and basic psychological first aid for an injured person.

You will also learn about the first aid fundamentals of assessing an emergency situation, how to check if a casualty is breathing and the recovery position technique.

To learn more about treating younger people, you can join IFRC’s course First Aid for Babies and Children.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage bleeds in an emergency situation involving an adult.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage choking in an emergency situation involving an adult.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage minor burns in an emergency situation involving an adult.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of key cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques in the case of cardiac arrest involving an adult.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage an emergency situation involving an adult experiencing a stroke.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of basic psychological first aid techniques for an emergency situation.
  • Learners will gain an understanding of techniques to manage injuries after a car accident.
  • Learners will be able to identify the key principles of first aid including the recovery position and initial assessment.

Who is the course for?

This course is for people interested in addressing injuries in people older than 16 years of age. You do not need any prior experience or qualifications to take part.

When you upgrade and complete the course, you will earn a Statement of Participation from FutureLearn. Taking the course will not result in earning a formal first aid qualification, but provides an overview of the skills you will need to demonstrate at a face-to-face course in your area.

To become a certified first aid-er, you will be guided to contact your National Society for more information on the available first aid courses and training in your country.

Who will you learn with?

Senior Officer - Care in the Community,
Health and Care Department
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Geneva, Switzerland

Head of the IFRC Global First Aid Reference Centre

Mark works in the Health and Care Department at the IFRC in Geneva. He is also the coordinator of the IFRC's MOOC project.

Who developed the course?

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network, with 190 national societies and 17 million volunteers around the world.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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