Jumpstart First Aid
As the founder of Jumpstart First Aid, I believe people learn best when training is engaging, motivating, and directly connected to real‑world situations. I bring a down‑to‑earth approach and years of hands‑on clinical and emergency experience to create a learning environment where people feel comfortable, capable, and confident to respond.
Lou Paton, Founder of Jumpstart First Aid
About Jumpstart First Aid
Jumpstart First Aid was founded on a simple belief: first aid and resuscitation training should be practical, engaging, and directly relevant to the real emergencies people face. We deliver short, high‑impact courses that give people the confidence to act fast, whether in a workplace, clinic, or community setting. Please note: NZRC CORE Immediate and CORE Advanced courses are delivered at the full NZRC‑required durations to ensure full compliance with national standards.
Our training is grounded in real‑world experience and aligned with national standards, including WorkSafe NZ, NZRC, ANZCOR, DCNZ, and IMAC. We specialise in tailored workplace training, as well as profession‑specific resuscitation courses for nurses, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, vaccinators, and other clinical teams.
Training can be delivered on‑site at your workplace or in our training room, giving you complete flexibility.
About Lou — Founder & Lead Instructor
Lou brings a rare combination of clinical expertise, emergency response experience, and business leadership to every course she delivers.
A Registered Nurse with more than 20 years’ experience, Lou has worked extensively in cardiology and acute hospital care across New Zealand and overseas. She also works as a Practice Nurse, giving her current, hands‑on experience in primary care, patient assessment, vaccinations, triage, and managing real‑world medical events. This ensures her teaching is always clinically accurate, up‑to‑date, and grounded in everyday healthcare practice.
Alongside her nursing career, Lou brings experience from across multiple areas of healthcare. She began her career as a Dental Assistant, spending six years in dental practice before moving into nursing, giving her strong insight into dental workflows, patient care, and dental‑specific medical emergencies. She has also served as a volunteer firefighter with Fire and Emergency NZ, gaining real frontline emergency experience that shapes her practical, calm, and realistic teaching style.
Lou is also a qualified Emergency Care Instructor and a CORE Advanced Instructor with the New Zealand Resuscitation Council, ensuring all training meets the highest national standards.
Before founding Jumpstart First Aid, Lou spent a decade as a business owner and operator in the supermarket industry. This experience gives her a strong understanding of workplace safety, compliance, and the operational realities businesses face — which is why her courses are designed to be efficient, relevant, and easy to schedule.
Her teaching style is down‑to‑earth, engaging, and highly relatable, helping people feel comfortable, confident, and capable — regardless of their background or experience.