Own Skills and Limitations
Provide first aid within your skills to keep care safe and legal.
In first aid, understanding your own skills and limitations is crucial for ensuring that any care you provide is safe, effective, and legally appropriate. First aiders are responsible for assisting within the boundaries of their training and competence, without attempting advanced medical procedures that they are not qualified to perform.
Exceeding your limitations can put both the casualty and yourself at risk. For example, attempting invasive procedures or using equipment you are not trained to handle can worsen injuries or create legal complications. Instead, first aiders should focus on performing the skills they know confidently, such as CPR, using an automated external defibrillator (AED), controlling bleeding, or managing basic medical emergencies.
Recognising your limits also involves knowing when to call for help. In Australia, dialling 000 connects you to professional emergency services, including paramedics, who have the training and equipment to provide advanced care. In the meantime, bystanders and first aiders can stabilise the casualty using their current knowledge and follow any instructions given by emergency operators.
By respecting your own skills and limitations, you act responsibly as a first aider, protect the casualty from harm, and ensure that professional care can take over as quickly as possible.
Only perform first aid techniques you are trained and competent to do.
Follow the DRSABCD approach as a first response.
Call 000 if advanced care is required.
Use guidance from emergency operators when unsure.
Seek further first aid training to expand your skills safely.
Recognising your own skills and limitations ensures that first aid is provided safely and legally, without performing procedures you are not trained for.