Hybrid WFR Course - Sample Syllabus

26 Total Hours

About this Course

Our Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course is designed for outdoor professionals, those taking multi-day or extended trips, and people involved with high-risk activities (rock climbing, whitewater paddling, mountaineering, etc.). WFR courses provide ideal training for people who travel in remote locations, in challenging weather, with limited equipment, unreliable communication, and little or no access to outside assistance.

WFR certification is the industry standard for outdoor guides and instructors, and graduates are trained to care for patients for extended periods and to make independent decisions about evacuation and resources.

WMTC WFR graduates who receive certification as an EMR or EMT within one year of their WFR course may upgrade to a WEMR or WEMT after passing our online exams.

This syllabus may change based on particular course needs, changes in certification standards, etc. We'll do our best to keep it updated here!

Hybrid WFR Course Modules

Online Modules

30 hours*

General

Course Introduction
Medical/Legal Concepts
General Concepts in Patient Care
Body Defenses
Basic Pharmacology
Autonomic Stress Response
Patient Assessment System

Trauma

Assessing Traumatic Problems
Increased ICP & Concussion
Bleeding & Volume Shock
Respiratory Distress & Arrest
Stable & Unstable Extremity Injuries
Spine & Cord Injuries
Dislocations
Wounds
Burns

Environmental

Assessing Environmental Problems
Dehydration
Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke, & Hyponatremia
Exertional Rhabdomyolysis
Sun Exposure
Hypothermia
Drowning
Allergies
Wilderness Toxins and Venomous Bites & Stings
Anaphylaxis
Lightning Injuries
Diving Injuries
Altitude Sickness
Superheated Air & Smoke Inhalation
Sea & Motion Sickness

Medical

Assessing Medical Problems
Circulatory System Problems
Respiratory System Problems
Gastrointestinal System Problems
Genitourinary System Problems
Diabetes
Asthma
Seizures
Ear Problems
Eye Problems
Nose Problems
Tooth & Gum Problems
Infectious Diseases
Skin Infections
Mental Health Emergencies

* The amount of time required to complete the online modules varies between individuals

In-Person Session

50 hours

Day 1

Practical Session Introduction
Basic Life Support Skills Lab & Simulations
Patient Assessment & Evaluation
SOAP Documentation
Traumatic Video Simulation
Focused Spine Assessment Lab
Traumatic Video Simulation
Case Study Homework

Evening Session

Adult & Child CPR & AED Skills Lab

Day 2

Case Study Homework Review
Basic Extremity Splinting Lab
Wound Cleaning Lab
Traumatic Video Simulations
Case Study Homework

Evening Session:

Injection Lab
Allergies & Wilderness Bites & Stings Worksheet

Day 3

Case Study Homework Review
Advanced Extremity Splinting Lab
Improvised Pelvic Binder
Dislocations Lab
Traumatic Video Simulations
Case Study Homework

Day 4

Case Study Homework Review
Spine Management Lab
Assessing Medical Problems
Medical Simulations
Mental Health Assessment
Case Study Homework

± Evening Session

Review

Day 5

Case Study Homework Review
Hypothermia Packaging Lab
Improvised Litters & Carries Lab
Mass Casualty Video Simulation
Course Debrief, Closing & Clean-up

Hybrid WFR Course Lab Descriptions

Basic Life Support Lab: Addresses all elements of the Scene size-up and Initial Patient Exam.
Adult & Child CPR and AED Certification Skills Lab: Adult & Child CPR, AED, and Obstructed Airway skills are refined using manikins.
Wound Cleaning Lab: Pig feet are used for training realistic wound cleaning, removal of impaled objects [including fish hooks].
Basic & Advanced Extremity Splinting Labs: Padded aluminum splints and expedition supplies are used to improvise effective extremity splints using the buddy, cast, jelly roll, sandwich splint concepts.
Injection Lab: Students learn how to deliver intramuscular and subcutaneous injections using a syringe [containing normal saline] and autoinjector trainers.
Improvised Pelvic Binder: Common expedition equipment is used to improvise an effective pelvic binder.
Focused Spine Assessment Lab: How to assess and rule out possible spine injuries in a wilderness context.
Spine Management Lab: Lifting, moving, and packaging potentially spine-injured patients lying on their back and side in a commercial or improvised litter and improvised stretcher.
Improvised Rope Litter Lab: A daisy chain rope litter is demonstrated and practiced.
Dislocations Lab: Relocation techniques for indirect anterior shoulder, lateral patella, and digits are demonstrated and practiced. Jaw reduction and passive anterior shoulder reduction techniques are demonstrated.
Improvised Hypothermia Packaging Lab: Sleeping bags, pads, tarps or plastic sheeting, and water bags/bottles are used to improvise a hypothermia package.
Simulations: Role plays incorporating patient assessment & documentation. Make-up is used to increase the reality of traumatic simulations and cuttable simulation clothing is required.

Educational Standards

This course exceeds the Wilderness Medicine Education Collaborative's minimum standards for Wilderness First Responder certification endorsed by the Wilderness Medical Society. An additional ten hours of instruction includes the topics and skills below and more simulation time.

Topics:

SCUBA Diving Injuries
Marine Toxins/Envenomations
Behavioral/Mental Health Emergencies

Skills:

Wound cleaning
Improvised Litters or Stretchers
Reduction of jaw dislocations
The administration of epinephrine via a pre-filled syringe

At WMTC, we believe these additional topics, skills, and simulations are essential for a WFR graduate.