The Diver Medic

The DAN Basic Life Support (BLS) course will not only train divers and non-divers to resuscitate an injured person with a circulatory arrest, but can also prevent a person from getting in that condition. External bleeding, choking and shock can lead to severe circulatory and respiratory problems. The DAN BLS course will prepare you to react in the correct way, when accidents happen.

Course Objective

The Basic Life Support course, represents entry-level training designed to educate persons in providing Basic Life Support techniques to adult victims with life threatening injuries, while activating the local medical services.

The DAN Basic Life Support provider ("DAN BLS Provider") programme is designed to teach the knowledge and skills needed to provide Basic Life Support (BLS) to adult victims. BLS consists out of several First Aid techniques that support (or might restore) life. At the end of the course the DAN BLS provider will be able to recognise an emergency, activate the EMS and provide early BLS, while waiting for an AED or Advanced Life support to arrive at the scene of the accident. Early Access to the EMS and early BLS are 2 of the 4 links in the chain of survival.



Learning Objectives

At the end of this programme, DAN Basic Life Support, course participants will be able to:

Explain basic Anatomy and Physiology

List the 4 links of the “chain of survival”

Explain why BLS is importan

State the goal of BLS and resuscitation

Recognise danger and perform a Scene Safety Assessment

Protect themselves against cross infection

Describe the function of chest compressions and ventilations

Explain how to avoid Gastric distension

Check responsiveness

Reassure an injured person

Open the airway

Check for normal breathing

Activate the EMS

Perform chest compressions and rescue breathing – CPR

List the advantages of a ace shield and resuscitation mask

Explain the advantage of oxygen during resuscitation

Explain the importance of defibrillation

State the most common cause of chocking

Describe the difference between mild and severe airway obstruction

Provide care for choking

Explain why an unconscious, breathing victim must be placed in the recovery position

Place an unconscious, breathing person in the recovery position

Describe the function of the blood

Provide care for (severe) external bleeding

Explain what is shock

Name at least 3 causes of shock

List at least 7 warning signs of shock

Provide care for injured persons in shock

Automated External Defibrillation

This course represents entry level training designed to educate the general diving public (and interested non-divers) to better recognise the warning signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and administer first aid using Basic Life Support techniques and an Automated External Defibrillator while activating the local emergency medical services, (EMS) and / or arranging for evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical facility.

Course Objective

This course is designed to train and educate the general diving (and qualified non-diving) public in the techniques of using an automated External Defibrillator (AED) for victims of a cardiac arrest. In addition, this course also reviews first aid (and CPR) procedures using Basic Life Support techniques. This program also provides an excellent opportunity for experienced divers and instructors to continue their education.



Learning Objectives

At the end of this programme participants will be able to:

Recognise the warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest.

Provide Basic Life Support while setting up the automated external defibrillator.

Provide basic life support with an AED.

Care for and maintain an AED.
The nature and scope of this course is limited to training divers and interested non-divers such as boat captains, water enthusiasts and non-diving family members to provide emergency cardiac care with an Automated External Defibrillator.