Nationally accredited first aiders are highly sought after by employers. Having first aid training under your belt gives you a massive advantage over other employment candidates. It shows dedication, reliability and credibility. If you’re considering starting a first aid course, there’s no better time to get involved.
But how long does it take to complete a first aid course? Is it a long, gruelling process? What if you don’t have much free time to complete a course? In this article, we’ll answer some of your burning questions about first aid courses to give you a better understanding of how long you should expect to spend completing your training.
The most important thing about First Aid courses is that you understand that there are different versions, from beginner to advanced, as mentioned below.
- HLTAID009 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- HLTAID010 Provide basic emergency life support
- HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
- HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an education and care setting
- HLTAID014 Provide Advanced First Aid
You may be studying one of the above courses depending on your requirement. The good news is that each higher level course includes all learnings of the lower level courses too. So, for example, completing HLTAID011 covers everything from HLTAID009, and your certificate will have both units listed as completed.
The duration can vary from a couple of hours to a full day or two, depending on your course choice from the list above. The duration increases as you choose a more advanced option.
The courses are usually completed in two steps – an online component generally completed at home and a practical session completed in class.
🤷🏽♀️ Why are some parts of my first aid courses completed online?
In 2020, The HLT first aid courses were updated to reflect updated best practices in the industry. It’s now easier than ever to get the most up-to-date first aid information by making the most of a blended learning setting.
Many first aid courses today have an online portion of the training. This change has several great benefits for students:
- It’s more time efficient.
- It’s convenient
- It allows users to complete the first part of their course from home
To give you more information about what you can expect from a first aid training course, let’s look at a selection of the most popular HLTAID courses, what they offer, and how long you should expect to spend on each one.
HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
The HLTAID009 first aid course content covers all the essential information required to perform CPR, use a defibrillator and handle emergencies until help arrives. The course contains a blend of e-Learning and in-person training.
HLTAID009 is an excellent course for those that only want to learn CPR. However, it doesn’t go into as much detail on first aid processes as HLTAID011 Provide First Aid OR HLTAID014 Provide Advanced First Aid.
How long does HLTAID009 take to complete?
Your CPR first aid training should take approximately 3-5 hours, depending on your chosen training organisation. You can usually complete it in under a day.
The course will be split into two parts.
The first part, an online learning assessment, can be completed at home and usually takes 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the registered training organisation you choose.
The hands-on section of the CPR training course requires you to attend an in-person practical class. This class aims to provide you with the skills you need to act quickly and confidently when the need for an emergency first aid response arises. This section of the first aid course should take approximately 2-3 hours to complete.
What does the HLTAID009 course include?
The HLTAID009 course will teach you the valuable first-aid skills required to provide an emergency CPR response. During the course, you’ll learn how to:
- Assess medical situations and understand when the need for CPR arises.
- Keep the casualty, yourself, and bystanders safe.
- Perform CPR in an emergency situation
- Use an automated external defibrillator (AED)
- Manage situations efficiently
- Provide basic emergency life support until help arrives
- apply DRSABCD
- Much, much more!
How long is my certificate valid?
The Australian resuscitation council (ARC) guidelines recommend renewing your HLTAID009 with a refresher course every 12 months.
Who can take the course?
The HLTAID009 course is very accessible, and can be taken by anyone over the age of 14 years, with or without first aid experience.
HLTAID010 Basic Emergency Life Support
The HLTAID10 course covers the basic skills and knowledge needed to respond to casualties and emergencies.
Note: HLTAID010 is not suitable for the workplace. HLTAID011 is the minimum course required for workplace compliance. The HLTAID010 course should only be completed by those applying for the police, prison or podiatry industry, or those doing the course for personal reasons.
How long does HLTAID010 take to complete?
Trainees can complete the HLTAID010 course in approximately 4-5 hours. The course is typically split into two sections – one e-Learning section and one practical session – each lasting about 2 hours.
What does the HLTAID010 course include?
The HLTAID010 course teaches several critical first-aid techniques. You will learn how to:
- Assess an emergency situation
- Ensure safety for everyone around you
- Apply CPR
- Monitor the casualty
- Seek medical assistance
- Operate basic first aid equipment
How long is my certificate valid?
Your HLTAID010 certificate should be renewed with a refresher course every 36 months (3 years).
Note that HLTAID010 contains HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation as part of the course. The ARC recommends that you refresh the CPR component of the course annually.
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid
The HLTAID011 is an all-in-one course for fundamental first-aid knowledge. It’s also the minimum required course for compliance with workplace first-aid laws. If you’re looking for a comprehensive first aid course to handle most types of emergencies, this is the one to start with.
How long does HLTAID011 take to complete?
In total, HLTAID011 training courses usually take about 6-10 hours to complete.
Your training will be split into two sections.
The first module is an online learning section. Depending on how your trainer structures the content, you can typically complete this in 1.5-6 hours.
The second section, which takes place face-to-face, will usually take 4-6 hours to complete.
What does the HLTAID011 course include?
HLTAID011 encompasses all of the course content from the HLTAID009 CPR course but also teaches several other valuable skills. You’ll learn how to:
- Perform CPR
- Use an automated external defibrillator (AED)
- Assess a medical situation
- Apply DRSABCD
- Respond to anaphylaxis, asthma, allergies and blood loss.
How long is my certificate valid?
Upon successful completion, your HLTAID011 course is valid for up to 36 months (3 years). However, depending on the nature of your work, you may be required to renew your first aid certificate sooner.
Note: HLTAID011 also contains the course content from HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. The ARC recommends renewing this section of the course every 12 months to keep up to date with recent medical advancements.
Who can take the course?
The HLTAID011 course can be taken by anyone over the age of 14.
HLTAID012 Provide an Emergency First Aid Response in an Education and Care Setting
The HLTAID012 is a unique course tailored to those working in an education or care setting. It’s an excellent choice for those looking to gain experience in the industry, either to start a new career or make themselves a candidate for promotion.
How long does HLTAID012 take to complete?
Due to the niche, advanced nature of the HLTAID012 course, students should expect to take 8-12 hours before getting their certificate.
Like many other first aid training courses, HLTAID012 is split into two parts – one part eLearning, and one part hands-on practical training.
The online section usually takes approximately 3-6 hours to complete, and the face-to-face section will typically take 5-7 hours.
What does the HLTAID012 course include?
The HLTAID012 course contains many core elements found in general first-aid training courses like HLTAID009 and HLTAID011. However, the course content will be tailored to an education and care setting. You’ll learn how to:
- Assess an emergency situation
- Provide basic life support
- Respond to anaphylaxis, asthma, burns, and allergic reactions
- Handle sprains and strains
- Operate first aid equipment
- Complete workplace documentation
- Follow necessary workplace protocols
- Ensure the safety of the casualty, yourself, and those around you
- Handle confidentiality in a care setting
- Understand the psychological and mental health problems that
How long is my certificate valid?
Your HLTAID012 course will remain valid for 36 months (3 years) from the time you complete it.
This course also contains the practical skills learned in the HLTAID009 CPR course. The ARC recommends renewing this part of the course every 12 months.
Who can take the course?
Anyone over the age of 14 can take the HLTAID012 course, even if they aren’t in an education or care role. This makes the course ideal for those looking to get a job in the sector once they complete their training.
HLTAID014 Provide Advanced First Aid
The HLTAID014 Advanced course expands upon the knowledge learned in HLTAID011, providing all of the core knowledge required to respond to an emergency situation while teaching several additional specialist subjects.
How long does HLTAID014 take to complete?
Trainees should expect to complete HLTAID014 in 6-10 hours, depending on the course.
The first part of the course will typically be carried out online. The second part will usually consist of a face-to-face seminar and assessment.
What does the HLTAID014 course include?
On top of all the content learned in HLTAID009 AND HLTAID011, HLTAID014 will teach you some additional advanced first-aid techniques. You will learn how to:
- Assess a life-threatening situation
- Deal with childbirth
- Handle substance abuse
- Deal with mental health situations
- Perform CPR
- Deal with head, neck and spinal injuries
- Treat seizures
How long is my certificate valid?
The HLTAID014 advanced course is valid for 36 months (3 years). As the course also contains the contents of HLTAID009, first aiders are recommended to renew the CPR component of the HLTAID014 course annually.
Who can take the course?
Anyone over the age of 14 can take the HLTAID014 course. It has no special pre-requirements even though it is an advanced course. This is because all of the information from the HLTAID011 and HLTAID009 modules will be taught as part of the HLTAID014 program.
Where can I find first-aid courses?
Sage Education Australia is one of Brisbane’s leading providers of nationally accredited HLTAID009, HLTAID011 and HLTAID012 training courses. In our thorough, hands-on programs, we’ll provide you with valuable knowledge that empowers you to act quickly and confidently when emergency situations arise.
Since launching in 1998, we’ve been fortunate enough to guide 3000+ successful applicants through our courses. We’ve helped people start new careers, excel in their roles, and save lives.
We’ve streamlined our courses so that you can complete each of them in a short space of time. With our nationally recognised training program, you’ll get all the skills you need to deliver life-saving first aid in various settings.
At Sage, we care about hands-on, collaborative training. We’ve designed our first-aid courses to be interactive, engaging and true to life. This gives you the necessary knowledge to apply your skills to real situations when required.
Above all, we’ll make it our priority to give you training that gives you confidence. Whatever your goal, Sage is on hand to help you learn the skills you need to succeed.
How do I enrol for Sage’s First Aid courses?
If you’d like to learn more about our first-aid courses, check out more information about the content and how to enrol here.
Want to get in touch? Contact us here to ask us any questions you may have!