Emergency First Aid for Nurses

Emergency is a dynamic for nurses to know what to do when faced with an emergency. For instance, we should all know what to do with a object of a road accident or someone with an injury as simple as a burnt finger. These cases happen every day, and most of the time, nurses are expected to make available for first aid care. We should learn not only how to stay as peaceful as possible, but also what to do while waiting for help to attain.

Nurses should Keep DRS in mind: 

·         Danger (check the scene for danger), 

·         Response (check for the victim’s consciousness) and 

·         Send someone to call for help.

Also, Nurses should remember the ABCDs in giving first aid:

·         Airway, 

·         Breathing, perform 

·         CPR (if necessary)/ Control major bleeding and 

·         Defibrillate, if available (and if necessary).

Is the object’s airway (mouth and throat) free from foreign objects that may cause blockage? Is the victim breathing?  Does the prey have severe bleeding? The three P‘s must also be kept in mind when giving first aid. These are the responsibilities of every first aider:

·         To Preserve life and give initial emergency care and treatment to people who are sick or injured,

·         to Protect unresponsive/ unconscious people, to Prevent the condition of the victim to worsen and to

·          Promote the victim’s recovery.

Cuts and scrapes need proper care to avoid infection or complications. The first things you should do are to clean the wound and stop the bleeding.

·         It is best to rinse the wound with cool water. Thorough cleaning reduces the risk of infection and certain complications like tetanus.

·         Remember that you have to stop bleeding by applying gauze or a clean piece of cloth to the wound firmly but gently.

·         You can add more gauze if blood soaks through, and continue applying pressure.

Puncture wounds, cuts, scrapes or amputations may cause external bleeding that needs immediate medical attention. Prior to giving care, make sure that you don protective gloves or any barrier between you and the patient that can minimize transmission of disease.

·         Bleeding may be controlled with direct pressure. You can use a sterile dressing, a clean piece of cloth, diaper or a sanitary napkin.

·         Do not remove the dressing even when it gets soaked with blood. Instead, add more material and continue pressure.

·         Do not move limb if you suspect any fractures. Otherwise, elevate the wound higher than the level of the heart.

·         As soon as bleeding is controlled, apply dressing and observe for shock.

Nosebleeds are very common, and are usually caused by dryness, allergies, infection, increased blood pressure and aggressive nose picking among others.

Bleeding from the nose for more than twenty (20) minutes may be considered a medical emergency and immediate medical attention is necessary.

·         To help someone whose nose is bleeding, assist him to sit upright and lean forward. This will help in reducing the blood pressure in the veins of the nose, thus, minimizing the bleeding. Also, leaning forward is necessary to prevent the victim from swallowing the blood.

·         Squeezing the soft part of the nose using the thumb and the index finger for about ten to fifteen minutes or placing an icepack on the bridge of the nose may also help stop the bleeding.