Wilderness Advanced First Aid
Skills for wilderness medicine and rescue in frontcountry and austere settings
Spine injury assessment, wound cleaning, and other extended scope-of-practice protocols and training for medical care and rescue in extreme environments and delayed-transport settings.
Designed for professionals or serious outdoor/travel enthusiasts operating in contexts where skills for extended medical care and evacuation may be needed.
Course Overview
Wilderness Advanced First Aid
Course # wm-wafa-230901
Dates
October 24 –
October 31
Course Length
4 days
Location
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Registration deadline
October 24
Cost
USD 650
Language
English
Certification
Wilderness Advanced First Aid
Course Description
The Wilderness Advanced 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. This is the most current and cutting edge course of any first response medical training (urban or remote) in the world.
- General Principles of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine with an emphasis on the prevention and identification of medical emergencies, appropriate technology, and risk management.
- Patient assessment and emergency care including CPR, basic life support (BLS), and the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.
- Environmental Medicine including hypothermia and heat illness, lightning, submersion, and environmental toxins.
- 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, bandaging, litter packaging and medical kit preparation.
- Wilderness Protocols including wound cleaning and exploration, spine injury assessment, CPR in the remote setting, and anaphylaxis.
Certifications
This course is scheduled for four days, or 36 to 40 hours of instructional and practice time. Upon successful course completion, learners will receive certification in Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Adult CPR (based on ILCOR/AHA standards).
Certifications are valid for three years.
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.
Recertification
To recertify a current WAFA certification, retake the WAFA course or upgrade to a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) by taking a Bridge (WAFA to WFR) course.
WAFA recertification may also be available (on a case-by-case basis) through attending a Wilderness First Responder Recertification course.
Contact us more information about recertification options.
Prerequisites
Learners must be at least 16 years old to participate in this course. Those under 18 years of age will require the written consent of a guardian or parent.
Continuing Education Hours
- First Responder: 36
- EMT: 36
- Advanced EMT or Paramedic: 36
- Approved by Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE)
Materials Provided
All teaching materials will be at no additional cost. Learners will receive the following books on this course:
- The Field Guide of Wilderness Medicine & Rescue
- SOAP Notebook
- Wilderness and Rescue Medicine textbook
- Wilderness Advanced First Aid Class Notes
Equipment
We ask our course hosts to provide low level outdoor equipment and any specific gear relevant to their employees when in remote and austere environments. Viristar will supply a specific equipment list to cover simulation and classroom needs.
Customization
As part of Viristar’s commitment to your medical rescue training, our instructors and management will inquire about your group’s needs and teach according to your group’s backgrounds, environments, and experience. Simulations and hands-on activities will be realistic and relevant. Relevant adult education is incorporated directly into our curriculum to maximize learning of medical theory and development of practical skills.
Syllabus
DOWNLOAD FULL SYLLABUSTopics
Day 1
Welcome, registration, introduction
General Principles
Patient Assessment System
Infection Control
BLS/ALS
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Adult
Circulatory System
Respiratory System
Day 2
Nervous System
Spine Anatomy
Lifting/Moving/Extrication
Spine Injury Evaluation—Wilderness
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Splints – Extremities
Day 3
Thermoregulation
Toxins
Lightning
Submersion Injury
Allergies and Anaphylaxis
Improvised Patient Carries
Wounds and Burns
Day 4
Simulation
Backcountry Medicine
Medical-Legal Issues
Testing
Cleanup, Paperwork, Closure
Instructor
Jeff Baierlein
Jeff A. Baierlein (he/him) has been working professionally since 1987 with outdoor education, environmental education, adventure education and experiential education organizations in the USA and around the world. He led remote wilderness expeditions, worked as a naturalist-educator, served as an Emergency Medical Technician with ambulance services, led search and rescue missions, and was appointed to the Washington State Governor’s Council on Environmental Education.
Prior to founding Viristar, Jeff served as Executive Director of both the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education and the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Center. His writing and lectures have been translated into Japanese, Vietnamese, Russian, Marathi, and Chinese.
Course Description
The Wilderness Advanced 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. This is the most current and cutting edge course of any first response medical training (urban or remote) in the world.
- General Principles of Wilderness and Rescue Medicine with an emphasis on the prevention and identification of medical emergencies, appropriate technology, and risk management.
- Patient assessment and emergency care including CPR, basic life support (BLS), and the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis.
- Environmental Medicine including hypothermia and heat illness, lightning, submersion, and environmental toxins.
- 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, bandaging, litter packaging and medical kit preparation.
- Wilderness Protocols including wound cleaning and exploration, spine injury assessment, CPR in the remote setting, and anaphylaxis.
Certifications
This course is scheduled for four days, or 36 to 40 hours of instructional and practice time. Upon successful course completion, learners will receive certification in Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Adult CPR (based on ILCOR/AHA standards).
Certifications are valid for three years.
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.
Recertification
To recertify a current WAFA certification, retake the WAFA course or upgrade to a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) by taking a Bridge (WAFA to WFR) course.
WAFA recertification may also be available (on a case-by-case basis) through attending a Wilderness First Responder Recertification course.
Contact us more information about recertification options.
Prerequisites
Learners must be at least 16 years old to participate in this course. Those under 18 years of age will require the written consent of a guardian or parent.
Continuing Education Hours
- First Responder: 36
- EMT: 36
- Advanced EMT or Paramedic: 36
- Approved by Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE)
Materials Provided
All teaching materials will be at no additional cost. Learners will receive the following books on this course:
- The Field Guide of Wilderness Medicine & Rescue
- SOAP Notebook
- Wilderness and Rescue Medicine textbook
- Wilderness Advanced First Aid Class Notes
Equipment
We ask our course hosts to provide low level outdoor equipment and any specific gear relevant to their employees when in remote and austere environments. Viristar will supply a specific equipment list to cover simulation and classroom needs.
Customization
As part of Viristar’s commitment to your medical rescue training, our instructors and management will inquire about your group’s needs and teach according to your group’s backgrounds, environments, and experience. Simulations and hands-on activities will be realistic and relevant. Relevant adult education is incorporated directly into our curriculum to maximize learning of medical theory and development of practical skills.
Syllabus
DOWNLOAD FULL SYLLABUSTopics
Day 1
Welcome, registration, introduction
General Principles
Patient Assessment System
Infection Control
BLS/ALS
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Adult
Circulatory System
Respiratory System
Day 2
Nervous System
Spine Anatomy
Lifting/Moving/Extrication
Spine Injury Evaluation—Wilderness
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Splints – Extremities
Day 3
Thermoregulation
Toxins
Lightning
Submersion Injury
Allergies and Anaphylaxis
Improvised Patient Carries
Wounds and Burns
Day 4
Simulation
Backcountry Medicine
Medical-Legal Issues
Testing
Cleanup, Paperwork, Closure
Instructor
Jeff Baierlein
Jeff A. Baierlein (he/him) has been working professionally since 1987 with outdoor education, environmental education, adventure education and experiential education organizations in the USA and around the world. He led remote wilderness expeditions, worked as a naturalist-educator, served as an Emergency Medical Technician with ambulance services, led search and rescue missions, and was appointed to the Washington State Governor’s Council on Environmental Education.
Prior to founding Viristar, Jeff served as Executive Director of both the Boojum Institute for Experiential Education and the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound Center. His writing and lectures have been translated into Japanese, Vietnamese, Russian, Marathi, and Chinese.
