ABSTRACT
A 41-year-old otherwise healthy women presented to the emergency department via emergency services after collapsing after feeling a "slap" on her head while celebrating a national holiday. Physical exam and computed tomography scan showed the presence of a retained ballistic fragment in her high parietal scalp, making her the victim of injury by celebratory gunfire, an illegal, but not uncommon, practice. She was admitted for concussive symptoms, her bullet was removed without incident and after a period of observation she was discharged in stable condition to home.
Subject(s)
Patient Discharge , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Adult , Female , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: School nurses play an integral part in prehospital care for life-threatening bleeding in educational environments. This study evaluated the efficacy of Stop the Bleed training for improving school nurses' knowledge, hands-on skill, self-confidence, and belief in school preparedness for responding to a life-threatening bleeding emergency. METHOD: Sixteen northeastern U.S. public school nurses completed a 1-hour seminar on appropriate life-threatening bleeding intervention with written and hands-on pre- and postassessments. Written assessments measured bleeding control knowledge, self-confidence, and perceptions of school preparedness. Hands-on assessments measured tourniquet application and wound-packing skills. RESULTS: After training, participants scored significantly higher on the written assessment measuring basic bleeding control knowledge. The written postassessment showed significantly higher levels of self-confidence and belief in school preparedness (p ≤ .05, n = 16). Hands-on skill for tourniquet application and wound packing also significantly increased following training (p ≤ .05, n = 16). CONCLUSION: The Stop the Bleed training was effective in improving school nurses' basic knowledge about life-threatening bleeding control and improved tourniquet application and wound-packing skills. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2019;50(11):501-507.].