Wilderness First Aid
Introduction to essential medical response skills
An intensive two-day introduction to essential concepts and skills in emergency medicine and first aid for remote and outdoor settings. The course covers the basics of patient assessment, basic life support including CPR, environmental emergencies, backcountry medical problems, and treatment of fractures, wounds, and more.
Recommended for those in outdoor, rural, disaster response or similar settings, but where access to advanced care is not highly delayed.
Course Overview
Wilderness First Aid
Course # 260502
Dates
May 3 –
May 4
Course Length
2 days
Location
Nuuk, Greenland
Notes
Additional mittens available.
Course host
Greenland University
Registration deadline
May 2
Cost
DKK 39.00
Includes room and board at the University
Language
English
Certification
Wilderness First Aid
Course Description
The Wilderness First Aid curriculum is written by a team of remote medical rescue researchers and professionals. Ongoing evidence based research and review contributes to a unique and innovative approach to patient care in backcountry and austere settings. The curriculum is comprehensive, complete, and kept current on an annual basis.
- Wilderness Protocols including wound cleaning and exploration, and anaphylaxis.
- General Principles of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine with an emphasis on the prevention and identification of medical emergencies, appropriate technology, and risk management.
- Basic life support: circulatory system, nervous system, respiratory system.
- Patient assessment and emergency care including CPR and the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.
- Environmental Medicine including hypothermia and heat illness, lightning, and submersion.
- Backcountry Medicine including the assessment and treatment of common medical problems, and improvised patient carries.
- Musculoskeletal Problems including unstable and stable injuries.
- Wound management including open fractures, lacerations, burns and blisters.
- Practical skills including splinting and bandaging.
Recertification
Certifications are valid for three years. Learners may retake the WFA course to recertify. Graduates may also consider upgrading to the Wilderness Advanced First Aid and or Wilderness First Responder level of certification.
Contact us more information about recertification options.
Materials Provided
All teaching materials will be at no additional cost. Learners will receive the following books on this course:
- Wilderness First Aid Guide
- SOAP Notebook
- Wilderness and Rescue Medicine textbook
Evaluation
Successful completion with certification is based on 100 percent attendance, satisfactory performance on homework assignments and written quizzes, demonstrated proficiency with practical skills, and a successful grade on a final written exam. Viristar is committed to making reasonable accommodation to any learner with special needs.
Certifications
Upon successful course completion, learners will receive certification in Wilderness First Aid and Adult CPR (based on ILCOR/AHA standards).
Certifications are valid for three years.
Prerequisites
Learners must be at least 16 years old to participate in this course. Those under 18 years of age require the written consent of a guardian or parent.
Syllabus
Download Full syllabusTopics
Day 1
Welcome, registration, introduction
General Principles
Patient Assessment System
Basic Life Support & Adult CPR
Circulatory System
Respiratory System
Nervous System
Long Bone, Joint & Stable Musculoskeletal Injuries
Extremities Splinting
Day 2
Medical-Legal
Anaphylaxis
Improvised Patient Carries
Environmental Medicine: Thermoregulation, Submersion Injury, Lightning/Electrical Injury
Wounds & Burns
Lifting, Moving & Extrication
Backcountry Medicine
Testing, Conclusion
Instructor
Dr. Krystle Collins
Dr. Krystle Collins (she/her) instructs wilderness medicine courses with Viristar. Krystle is a general surgeon completing her last year(s) of training at a busy level one trauma center in Portland, Oregon. She has an interest in disaster medicine—when the frontcountry becomes the backcountry. She volunteers with the Portland Neighborhood Emergency Team and the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon. Krystle has served as an adventure guide for local organizations including Wild Diversity.
Krystle received her BA in Psychological Anthropology from UCLA and medical degree from Columbia University. She holds an unlimited medical license in the state of Oregon. She is certified in ATLS, ACLS, BLS, and WFR. She is a member of multiple surgical and oncologic organizations as well as a Fellow Candidate of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine through the Wilderness Medical Society.
She enjoys trail running, off-roading/overlanding, and backpacking with her dog and husband when she can convince him to join. She lives in Portland, Oregon USA, and can be found honing her climbing and mountaineering skills. While she has extensive teaching experience up through the medical school level, she is most excited to teach wilderness medicine and merge her passion for medicine with her love of the outdoors.
Course Description
The Wilderness First Aid curriculum is written by a team of remote medical rescue researchers and professionals. Ongoing evidence based research and review contributes to a unique and innovative approach to patient care in backcountry and austere settings. The curriculum is comprehensive, complete, and kept current on an annual basis.
- Wilderness Protocols including wound cleaning and exploration, and anaphylaxis.
- General Principles of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine with an emphasis on the prevention and identification of medical emergencies, appropriate technology, and risk management.
- Basic life support: circulatory system, nervous system, respiratory system.
- Patient assessment and emergency care including CPR and the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.
- Environmental Medicine including hypothermia and heat illness, lightning, and submersion.
- Backcountry Medicine including the assessment and treatment of common medical problems, and improvised patient carries.
- Musculoskeletal Problems including unstable and stable injuries.
- Wound management including open fractures, lacerations, burns and blisters.
- Practical skills including splinting and bandaging.
Recertification
Certifications are valid for three years. Learners may retake the WFA course to recertify. Graduates may also consider upgrading to the Wilderness Advanced First Aid and or Wilderness First Responder level of certification.
Contact us more information about recertification options.
Materials Provided
All teaching materials will be at no additional cost. Learners will receive the following books on this course:
- Wilderness First Aid Guide
- SOAP Notebook
- Wilderness and Rescue Medicine textbook
Evaluation
Successful completion with certification is based on 100 percent attendance, satisfactory performance on homework assignments and written quizzes, demonstrated proficiency with practical skills, and a successful grade on a final written exam. Viristar is committed to making reasonable accommodation to any learner with special needs.
Certifications
Upon successful course completion, learners will receive certification in Wilderness First Aid and Adult CPR (based on ILCOR/AHA standards).
Certifications are valid for three years.
Prerequisites
Learners must be at least 16 years old to participate in this course. Those under 18 years of age require the written consent of a guardian or parent.
Syllabus
Download Full syllabusTopics
Day 1
Welcome, registration, introduction
General Principles
Patient Assessment System
Basic Life Support & Adult CPR
Circulatory System
Respiratory System
Nervous System
Long Bone, Joint & Stable Musculoskeletal Injuries
Extremities Splinting
Day 2
Medical-Legal
Anaphylaxis
Improvised Patient Carries
Environmental Medicine: Thermoregulation, Submersion Injury, Lightning/Electrical Injury
Wounds & Burns
Lifting, Moving & Extrication
Backcountry Medicine
Testing, Conclusion
Instructor
Dr. Krystle Collins
Dr. Krystle Collins (she/her) instructs wilderness medicine courses with Viristar. Krystle is a general surgeon completing her last year(s) of training at a busy level one trauma center in Portland, Oregon. She has an interest in disaster medicine—when the frontcountry becomes the backcountry. She volunteers with the Portland Neighborhood Emergency Team and the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon. Krystle has served as an adventure guide for local organizations including Wild Diversity.
Krystle received her BA in Psychological Anthropology from UCLA and medical degree from Columbia University. She holds an unlimited medical license in the state of Oregon. She is certified in ATLS, ACLS, BLS, and WFR. She is a member of multiple surgical and oncologic organizations as well as a Fellow Candidate of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine through the Wilderness Medical Society.
She enjoys trail running, off-roading/overlanding, and backpacking with her dog and husband when she can convince him to join. She lives in Portland, Oregon USA, and can be found honing her climbing and mountaineering skills. While she has extensive teaching experience up through the medical school level, she is most excited to teach wilderness medicine and merge her passion for medicine with her love of the outdoors.
