Anyone else feel like they don't know basic first aid?

Nurses General Nursing

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Reading threads like the current one about being the first on the scene of an accident brings up concerns for me. I also thought of this when reading the recent thread where it was thought that nurses just treat basic injuries. I don't know much basic first aid at all. I know to use pressure to stop bleeding, but that's about it. If someone asks me to get a splinter out, or what the best thing to clean a cut with is (soap and water?), or how to apply a sling, I'm clueless. I have good assessment skills. I know my pharmacology. I can tell you about the differences between AML and ALL in detail. Ask me what to do for a cut, and I'm stuck. We didn't cover first aid at all in school, and I never use it on my medical/critical care floor. I want to volunteer as a camp nurse for a week next summer, and that's all first aid. Anyone else feel this way?

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

It's almost like cops carrying guns...the majority of them have not shot those things even once. I am happy to see the suggestion of a first aid class. I will look for one in my neighborhood for myself...and I think I won't mention I am an LPN...(smile).

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Heme/Onc.
It's almost like cops carrying guns...the majority of them have not shot those things even once. I am happy to see the suggestion of a first aid class. I will look for one in my neighborhood for myself...and I think I won't mention I am an LPN...(smile).

That's an interesting comparison. My husband has never had to shoot a person or attacking dog during his 14 years on the force, but they have to "qualify" twice a year so they know what to do if the time should ever arise.

I'd think of the first aid class as "qualifying". Hope you enjoy it!

Blee

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Specializes in Acute Care.
Really?! I'm glad that nursing school has added it to the curriculum. I'd have to say that 100% of the nurses (who are not EMTs) I work with do not know how to accurately size and place a c-collar, not to mention securing a back board, have no idea what to do with a triangular bandage (handy little buggers), most do not know how to use a Sager or Hare splint (even though we have one in the department) much less identify one, couldn't tie an ankle hitch to save their lives and generally could not function without the fancy medical equipment available to us. Granted the likelihood of having to place a traction splint outside of our environment is pretty unlikely but there is a whole lot of good information you can get out of a first aid class that I guarantee will be of use to you at some time in your life. Again I'm not advocating getting in too deep at the scene of an accident but I can't tell you how many times I've put a splint and a sling on a neighbor's kid prior to their getting to the ER just to prevent further injury and make it hurt a little less and KNOWING how to stop really bad bleeding feels a lot better than guessing.

It was a basic first aid course. And by BASIC... I really do mean BASIC. Like one the general public would take.

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Well, we are not going to be placing traction splints and such as a first responder on the scene. I have been first on scene for a couple of situations and as soon as EMS arrived, I got out of the way.

As far as your standard first aid techniques? Nurses use these techniques all the time and simply do not know it. What happens when somebody at home twists their ankle and sustains the typical PIA grade I ankle sprain we all know and love? Yeah, we yell and scream a bit, throw a bag of frozen peas on it, wrap it in ACE, elevate it, and rest up. Slowly we recover and transition into our normal way of life after a week or so. That is the RICE technique everybody talks about in first aid courses.

What do we do after somebody comes out of knee surgery? Yeah, the cool range of motion boot machine, something for support and compression along with a dressing, elevation, cold water circulation anti swelling device, and slowly rehab the person back to normal life. Sounds allot like RICE.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
Well, we are not going to be placing traction splints and such as a first responder on the scene. I have been first on scene for a couple of situations and as soon as EMS arrived, I got out of the way.

As far as your standard first aid techniques? Nurses use these techniques all the time and simply do not know it. What happens when somebody at home twists their ankle and sustains the typical PIA grade I ankle sprain we all know and love? Yeah, we yell and scream a bit, throw a bag of frozen peas on it, wrap it in ACE, elevate it, and rest up. Slowly we recover and transition into our normal way of life after a week or so. That is the RICE technique everybody talks about in first aid courses.

What do we do after somebody comes out of knee surgery? Yeah, the cool range of motion boot machine, something for support and compression along with a dressing, elevation, cold water circulation anti swelling device, and slowly rehab the person back to normal life. Sounds allot like RICE.

Geez we usually agree on things Gila. If you are responding to my post I hope you noticed that I did point out that putting on traction splints was unlikely and that I don't advocate getting too deep into scenes but knowing how to make a sling out of a triangular bandage really does come in handy. It's also nice to know how to jerry-rig things if you don't have your normal supplies. Believe it or not an ankle hitch provides more support than an ace bandage if you are on a hike and have to walk out. I wasn't taught how to properly size a c-collar in school and I don't think most nurses are so if you have to collar a patient how do you pick one? I learned that in my first aid course and it's refreshed every year at my OEC retraining. I'm kind of surprised that people are looking down at First Aid training. Having had quite a bit of experience in that realm I can assure you it's a lot more involved than simply RICE. With the many hats that I have worn and still do I have found that my First Aid training has enhanced my nursing and vice versa. I totally agree that at the scene of an accident just the ABC's are enough but what about those little events that don't require EMS or where EMS services are not available or will be delayed?:wink2:

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My post was not designed to respond to any one specific comment. Simply want to emphasize that your abilities are going to be limited on the scene of an accident.

With that, if you as a nurse are going to work in an area where you will provide medical care in a remote type setting without EMS resources, the rules change a bit. However, regardless of licensure, we are all essentially Joe Blow citizens as off duty first responders.

I also wanted to emphasize that much of what we do as nurses really can translate into first aid; however, it can be hard to make that connection.

I am not against first aid or EMT training by any means and advocate such training. Of course, as a nurse I am much bigger advocate of EMT's and medics turning to the dark side. Looking out for the profession and all, ya know. :D

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I think if you are not in a first aid situation, you think, "crap, I don't remember this stuff", but when that situation does happen, and it's down to you, it comes to you.

I recall feeling like that with CPR, but by god, it came back to me in a flash!!!!

I still review that stuff occasionally, though.

Except that there was zero first aid taught in my nursing school's program. Zip. They intentionally bypassed it in favor of spending time on what they knew we'd need in the hospital! And, I agree with them. I don't need first aid---when I'm at work.

CPR, well, I was trained in that, I review it annually, and recertify every two years. I sure hope it'd be in my knowledge base when I need it!

But there is a very reasonable expectation that RNs WOULD know what to do in a field emergency, and I'd be willing to bet alot of us don't know it.

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This is where I am glad I have a Red Cross first aid manual. Now that I have children, I have had plenty of chances to use the very basic first aid.

Pick up a first aid manual and give yourself a few lessons.

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But there is a very reasonable expectation that RNs WOULD know what to do in a field emergency, and I'd be willing to bet alot of us don't know it.

I second that thought.

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One of the things I enjoyed about taking FA as a nurse is that I learned what to do when no help is available until you get to an ER.

I appreciated their emphasis on observing the entire scene for safety prior to entering into it. We always cover it in CPR but the emphasis is not there because we focus on hospital care. This comes in handy when you come upon a MVA.

I was raised to appreciate FA as my mother taught it, but still get something out of each class I take. I try to keep my FA current even though I know about everything they cover. It does not cost much and makes me review splinting (Easy, but I am all thumbs each time because I don't do it ofter). :banghead:

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