On January 23, 2024, the School of Nursing and Health Studies, Simulation Hospital Advancing Research and Education (S.H.A.R.E.®) hosted its inaugural Stop the Bleed course for staff. Stop the Bleed is a national awareness program created by the American College of Surgeons.
The purpose of the introductory course was to train SONHS staff in basic first aid skills they could perform in an emergency while waiting for first responders to arrive. As the program’s name suggests, participants learned procedures that are focused on controlling excessive bleeding quickly. Vincent Torres, CHEP, Emergency Management Director, demonstrated these techniques on mannequins, told personal stories from his work as a first responder, and presented slides and videos to give different perspectives on each technique used to address severe blood loss caused by sharp objects, weapons, or other bodily trauma.
And of course, the best way to learn is by practice. During the 1.5-hour session, Torres reviewed the equipment included in Stop the Bleed kits. In addition he brought in tourniquets for the staff to practice applying on themselves. He walked them through the steps of safely treating themselves and others, making sure to also explain alternative objects one could use to stop blood flow above a wound if a true tourniquet was inaccessible. Participants also tried their hands at properly packing wounds with a special military-grade gauze, made with kaolin, a substance that promotes clotting.
Torres noted that kits containing supplies like these are hidden behind mile markers on some highways for use in the event of vehicle accidents. He also explained that these kits can be found on all UM campuses. Before leaving, he even provided a large Stop-the-Bleed emergency kit funded by the Miami-Dade County Healthcare Preparedness Coalition to SONHS. That kit will be clearly marked and located just inside the lobby of the School’s Schwartz Center for Nursing and Health Studies.
“We are grateful to Mr. Torres for volunteering his time to teach this important course,” said Zuzer Calero, director of business operations for S.H.A.R.E., who took part in the training. “It is an excellent addition to the list of educational programs that have been worked on, created, or presented by SONHS/S.H.A.R.E. to provide basic medical training to the community.”
Other programs that have been piloted on SONHS staff at S.H.A.R.E. include training in infant, adolescent, and adult CPR, as well as teaching the Heimlich maneuver used for choking victims. The mission of these courses, as it is for all of the School’s products, is to promote better health care outcomes, more widespread knowledge of health-related issues, and education for life.
For questions related to CPR training programs or other programs S.H.A.R.E. provides, or to explore a custom program or event for your organization or school, please reach out to Zuzer Calero, MBA, MALS, Executive Director, S.H.A.R.E.
