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

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Oncology.

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 ED, ICU, Heme/Onc.
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?

Well, I think that with your position, you are using first aid and just aren't realizing it. What about all the wound care that needs to be done for a patient on IV methotrexate s/p MUD transplant (or worse, a haplo)? I remember patients with their skin falling off from that and GVHD of the skin. (I briefly worked on a BMTU) So if you can handle wound care on the most fragile patients on the planet, you can pull out a splinter if you put your mind to it. You can spot a transfusion reaction in your sleep, I'd be willing to wager, so you won't the signs of a camper having an allergic reaction. School might not have prepared you, but when you break down your day to day tasks on your unit, you will find that you do quite a bit of first aid.

Take care,

Blee

Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

uote=blondy2061h;3136215]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?

no, not really. with a cut, i would apply pressure if it's bleeding, otherwise, use neosporin and a bandaid. i think first aid care is really all about common sense, it's a no brainer really. you should go to the camp forum....there are things you should know being a camp nurse. it's more than just first aid.

have a nice day!

Specializes in Geriatrics.

I'm with you! A couple of months ago I was in a nursing home during my preceptorship and an aide rushed up to me and told me that a resident had a gash in her arm. I ran to assess the woman (the two nurses who worked there were calmly doing paperwork at the nurses station, where the woman was parked in her wheelchair). I ran to the tx cart, while putting on a pair of gloves and grabbed some tubes of NS and a bunch of 4X4 gauze pads and a Tefla bandage. I ran back to her and squirted the pads with NS and kept putting pressure on the wound. She was bleeding fairly badly and the wound was probably about three inches long. She kept bleeding through the pads so I kept wetting new ones and applying pressure. At one point it dawned on me that I should elevate her arm above her heart. Eventually the wound stopped bleeding and I applied the bandage. Afterward I thought "Did I do the right things?" Should I have grabbed something else or done something differently? At that point it dawned on me that I was about to become a nurse with a lot of knowledge and responsiblilty but DIDN'T EVEN KNOW BASIC FIRST AID!! So I came home and looked in my Med/Surg book and read the chapter on first aid, which we skipped in school. It was very small and really didn't teach much at all. I'm studying for boards now but I think when I get my license and can slow down a bit, I'm going to learn some first aid.:)

I've actuallly thought about taking an EMT course, so that I'd feel more confident in a First Responder situation, because in my current RN position, I'm not so sure I'd be ok as the first one on the scene.

The guy's smacked up, twisted and bleeding...assess him? Vital signs? Yeah, sure, of course...and then what?!

Well, we need to realize that there are only a few things we can do on the scene of an accident. The most critical is to ensure we do not become part of the situation. As far as actual patient care, it is going to be very limited and quite intuitive. Pressure to stop bleeding, protecting the patient (cover them, etc), and not moving the patient. That is about it.

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

I feel the same way about arriving first on the scene, participating in codes, or anything where I am totally alone. This is one of the reasons why I decided to pull back from home care for a minute, and also, I avoid nursing homes. The thought of not knowing what to do is too stressful for me. I function better when there is some sort of guidance...

You are SO not alone in this one...

Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

There's an easy way to fix this. The American Red Cross has an Advanced First Aid course which is quick, easy and cheap (compared to the EMT-B) course. While I don't advocate getting too involved in accident scenes it sure comes in handy around the house, campfire, swimming pool etc. First Aid isn't really just intuitive and anything you can do to educate yourself will be of benefit at some time. I did my first AFA class at 14 and I know it has served me well over the years as both a nurse and a layperson.

Specializes in Acute Care.

One of my jobs (RN in ALF) made me take a BASIC first aid course (they said EVERYONE that worked in the facility from housekeeping to nursing had to have this course).

When I was in the class, the instructor asked us what our depts were. When I told him I was an RN he said to me "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!? You already know this crap!" and pretty much I already did.

Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
One of my jobs (RN in ALF) made me take a BASIC first aid course (they said EVERYONE that worked in the facility from housekeeping to nursing had to have this course).

When I was in the class, the instructor asked us what our depts were. When I told him I was an RN he said to me "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!? You already know this crap!" and pretty much I already did.

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.

Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.

define 'basic first aid course'

as an RN you sould know what you'll be taught on a one day course - primary survey, unconcious casualt management, CPR , control of major bleeds and a few othr topics in brief

a first aid course with 20 -30 contact hours might well teach you a few skills you haven't got as a nurse and will put a lot of other stuff into context

if your role needs it then consider a first responder or EMT course ...

Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).

I'm sure a lot feel this way. I'm an OB/NICU nurse by history, and current OB nursing professor. I use FAR more first aid teaching aerobics at the YMCA than I do in my job as a nurse!

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