Australia’s huge gender gap for first aid training, confidence revealed

Stephanie Fisher is grateful her first aid training kicked in when her dad suffered cardiac arrest. But new research reveals most women would not know how to act in this situation.

Significantly fewer Australian women are trained and confident to administer first aid than men, alarming new research shows.

The gender gap, exposed by a St John Ambulance survey, means women are also less likely to receive CPR in the community, putting lives at risk.

Sixty-three per cent of female respondents to the survey of 1061 people said they would not be confident administering first aid in a health or medical emergency – well above 43 per cent of males.

Men were also more likely to have up-to-date first aid training (41 per cent compared to 32 per cent), have provided first aid during an emergency (57 per cent, 44 per cent), and to know how to use a defibrillator (59 per cent, 42 per cent),

SJA chief executive Brendan Maher said the fact male-dominated industries, like trades, had traditionally required a higher number of staff to be first aid trained partially explained the gap.

SJA national training manager Mark Molloy added there were “simply not enough people with first aid certificates” overall.

“(First aid and CPR) have crucial impacts on survivability and the quality of life someone may have after being discharged from hospital, particularly in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest,” he said.

A resounding 63 per cent of Australian women say they would not be confident administering first aid in a health or medical emergency.

Mr Molloy said women were 24 per cent less likely to receive CPR in the community because of a general lack of confidence in both genders and “potential social restraints”, such as men feeling uncomfortable performing steps like mouth-to-mouth and attaching defibrillators on women.

“The way to combat that is to have more people understand the importance of CPR,” he said.

In an effort to bridge the gender gap, SJA Victoria is running free CPR courses for women on World First Aid Day this weekend.

Anyone Australia-wide can access the organisation’s online “Introduction to First Aid Awareness” course for free for the remainder of September.

SJA is also pushing for legislative changes to make first aid and defibrillators more accessible, including mandatory first aid training for Australian learner drivers. And Mr Maher said he hoped to see other states and territories follow South Australia’s lead in making defibs mandatory in all public buildings, including schools, libraries, sports facilities, theatres and prisons.

First aid hero Stephanie Fisher saved with dad Glenn’s life by performing CPR for six minutes. Picture: Mark Stewart

Stephanie Fisher, 22, is grateful she had the skills and confidence to save dad Glenn’s life after he suffered cardiac arrest in their Hillside home in Melbourne.

She called triple-0 after finding Glenn unresponsive and not breathing, then followed the operator’s instructions to perform CPR for six minutes until paramedics arrived.

Glenn remained on a ventilator in hospital for nine days before regaining consciousness, but is now doing well.

“I did a first aid course two to three years prior,” Ms Fisher said. “I was in shock (but) once you’re in the moment, the training just comes back to you. I never thought I’d need it, but I did and it saved a life.

“Dad has now trained in first aid. He always says how grateful he is (for my actions).”

Sign up for first aid courses at stjohnvic.com.au

Originally published as Australia’s huge gender gap for first aid training, confidence revealed