In order to improve school counselors’ abilities in handling medical emergencies, Jinhua Polytechnic conducted first aid training courses on emergency knowledge and practical skills for school counselors, and then held skills assessments for the two courses. 90 participants passed the examinations and obtained the international first aid certificate. The whole process was organized in accordance with the three “All” principles: all counselors participated; all of them fully applied themselves; all of them passed the relevant examinations.

Pan Chaojun, a first aid training instructor of the American Heart Association (AHA), was invited to give AHA HeartSaver training courses. HeartSaver is an international certification and a range of practical skills, including CPR for adults, children, and babies; application of AEDs; and first aid for airway obstruction. During the training, Pan Chaojun provided participants with experiential learning by combining theoretical learning with practice. To ensure all participants can master the first aid skills, they were divided into small groups of 3-6 participants per instructor. They were not only asked to focus on video learning and practice, but also required to think deeply and discuss the topics with each other.

The participants learned beneficial knowledge and skills from the training courses. “If I have first aid skills, I can give a helping hand when facing an emergency,” Li Jiaqi, a school counselor of the medical college, shared her motivation. “As a school counselor, I spend a huge amount of time with the students, so it’s my responsibility to handle emergencies in time to protect them.”

Located at Jinhua Polytechnic, the AHA training center was established in 2016, which was the first organization of first aid training authorized by the AHA in Jinhua, and it services the public and specialists according to international standards. In August 2021, Jinhua Polytechnic was equipped with 13 AEDs and Pan Chaojun conducted more than 40 training courses about the application of AEDs for more than 7000 teachers and students. (Translated by Wang Junwen, edited by Kendra Fiddler)