Introduction. First aid is the assistance given to any person suffering sudden illness or injury at the place of occurrence including the use of commercially available medical devices and pharmaceutical medicines. The purpose of the study is to measure and assess the level of knowledge of medical and non-medical students concerning the principles and practical skills of first aid. Material and methods. The research was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 at Jan Kochanowski University and University of Technology in Kielce. The study involved 137 students. The diagnostic survey method and the questionnaire were used in the study. Results. The level of students’ knowledge depends on factors among which the main role is played by experience and the field of study. These two groups of students were characterized by different levels of first aid knowledge. As indicated by the average (M), students of medical studies have a higher level of first aid knowledge (M = 10.21) than non-medical students (M = 8.35). Conclusions. The field of study plays a major role in the level of knowledge and skills in the first aid. Both students of medical and non-medical studies should attend classes that enhance their knowledge and skills in the first aid.

Key words: first aid, level of knowledge, students.