Nursery worker acts quickly
We’re always proud of our First Aiders and our latest ‘have a go hero’ is no exception. Vicky Smith from Windsor Road Day Nursery was on a night out with friends when an incident broke out. There was a fight nearby where a male was attacked and had a serious bleed to the head. Vicky didn’t hesitate to go to the help of the injured man, staying with him until paramedics arrived.
Vicky told me “I remembered what I had to do, the guy was losing a lot of blood from his head and it looked serious. Other people around didn’t seem to be helping and I knew I had to step in straight away.”
Obviously I didn’t have a first aid kit and had to think fast about what I could use to stem the blood loss. The easiest and quickest thing I could get hold of to use was some clothing to apply pressure on the wound. I was worried that his condition would deteriorate and I made sure paramedics where on their way. I feel really proud of myself that I remembered what to do and that I took the initiative. I wouldn’t hesitate to help someone again”
Nursery Manager Laura Hopkins couldn’t be more proud of Vicky’s fast reactions.
It’s great when people are aware of what to do in the event of an emergency where someone needs help, especially so when their condition may be life threatening. The sad case is that not all people will actually act in the event. Sometimes this may be through fear of doing something wrong, hurting the casualty or being sued. Regular first aid training is essential for everyone, not just first aiders within the workplace as statistics show that in countries where first aid training is carried out in schools from an early age and more people are aware of what to do, the survival rates are dramatically improved. In the UK survival rates for out of hospital cardiac arrest is around 6 to 8% (from hospital to discharge). More schools are now accessing first aid training for pupils particularly in year 6, however the Department for Education has still not recognised the full importance by bringing life saving skills into Schools as part of the curriculum. When we compare figures with other countries for example Belgium where school children so learn CPR the survival rate increases to around 25%. Clearly education, regular refreshing of skills builds knowledge and confidence to put skills into practice and help save lives. In America, many States have already brought in CPR s a mandatory to passing out at High School Graduation with many other States with Bills that are in the process of going through.
NHS Choices states “Every year in the UK, thousands of people die or are seriously injured in incidents. Many deaths could be prevented if first aid was given before emergency services arrive.”
To understand more about what you can do in an emergency NHS Choices give some clear guidance that can be viewed on the link
