University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (UM UCH) hosted the first Stop the Bleed training in Harford County for 80 school nurses from public and private schools at the Harford County Emergency Operations Center in Forest Hill the morning of August 28. Stop the Bleed is a national campaign sponsored by the American College of Surgeons and Hartford Consensus to train people to assist in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.
Seven Stop the Bleed-trained nurses from UM UCH, led by Vickie Ensor Bands, director of community outreach and health improvement, conducted the training. Also participating were Dr. Habeeba Park, MD, FACS, assistant professor, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Stop the Bleed medical director at University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, and Dr. Tim Chizmar, emergency room physician at UM UCH and assistant state emergency medical services director, Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS).
UM UCH is one of the first hospital affiliates in the University of Maryland Medical System to have staff trained as part of the Stop the Bleed program and to train members of the community.
Massive bleeding from any cause, but particularly in a situation where a medical response is delayed, can result in death. Similar to how the general public learns and performs CPR, it is important for the public to learn proper bleeding control techniques, including how to use their hands, dressings and tourniquets. Victims can quickly die from uncontrolled bleeding — within five to 10 minutes — if the bleeding is not stopped.
Accidents take place at schools. Having school nurses trained to stop bleeding will save lives.
“We chose school nurses for our first Stop the Bleed training in Harford County because a multitude of events take place at schools. School nurses are responsible for initial care when an accident occurs,” said Vickie Ensor Bands, director of community outreach and health improvement. “We want them to feel confident and completely trained when there are bleeding injuries. Nurses can take the lead and save lives.”
For those interested in participating in a Stop the Bleed training in Harford County, UM UCH will offer free two-hour classes in the fall. For more information, visit umuch.org.