(For Clinical Officers, Nurses)

Fundamental Interventions, Referral And Safe Transfer

THE PURPOSE – The purpose of the course is to enable health officers to prepare appropriate priority management plans for their patients and to obtain fundamental skills in front line, basic surgical care. The FIRST course has been developed to meet the specific learning needs of clinical officers at health centres throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

In rural communities, medical care is most typically provided in Health Clinics, usually staffed by Clinical Officers and nurses –it is rare you will find a doctor available. This course is designed for health officers, who are the first to see patients. In cases which the patients are suffering severe and debilitating conditions that require a transfer to a district hospital, clinical officers have the skills necessary to assess patients to determine priority referral and prepare patients for safe transfer.

THE SKILLS – During the course, health officers will learn to perform the following skills:

• Scrubbing, gloving and draping techniques,
• Knot tying,
• Small procedures,
• Field block,
• Suturing lacerations,
• Basic life support,
• Casting, splinting, and skin traction,
• Inserting tubes,
• Normal and breech delivery and vacuum extraction.