At Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Registered Nurse Marley Gimblett was set to be in charge of the Emergency Department (ED) that weekend. Marley worked with colleagues on Sunnybrook’s Emergency Preparedness team to run through every potential scenario that could arise, part of the hospital’s ongoing imperative to be ready for any emergency event. However, as the weekend approached, there was a sense of unease among ED staff.

“In the ED, we’re ready for anything,” Marley says. “But for this, staff said they felt underprepared, especially to respond to large numbers of patients coming in who may be teargassed or pepper sprayed, and how they would protect staff and other patients from being exposed.”

Though a large-scale emergency in Toronto never materialized, Marley seized the opportunity to enhance emergency preparedness training in the Sunnybrook ED to help staff feel more confident and prepared in making critical decisions during a mass emergency – and to ensure proper procedures are in place to protect patients and staff from dangerous contaminants.

In September 2023, Marley enrolled in Sunnybrook’s Practice-Based Research and Innovation (PBRI) TAHSN fellowship, specifically to focus on improving preparedness among ED staff responding to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) events. The fellowship provides point-of-care health professionals such as Marley the opportunity to lead practice-based quality improvement projects that enhance patient care.

“My motivation for pursuing this came out of wanting to be a resource for staff, and wanting to have more knowledge about this topic,” Marley says. “When you’re getting involved in a fellowship project like this, you have to love your topic.”

Since completing the initial fellowship, Marley is now the inaugural PBRI advanced fellow at Sunnybrook, allowing her to continue her work. As an advanced fellow, Marley will support the implementation of a formal CBRNE response procedure, with a focus on training and education for clinical staff in the ED.

Among the initial training topics that Marley put together, and inspired by the convoy in Ottawa, was decontamination procedures for patients arriving in the ED with injuries or exposure to pepper spray and teargas.

“The focus was on Registered Nurses, as they’re typically the most hands-on in the ED,” Marley explains. “We trained staff on basic principles on CBRNE response and how to set up the decontamination room to prevent further staff and patient exposure to chemical substances like teargas and pepper spray,” adding that this protocol could be applied to other CBRNE exposures.

“For biological threats, that might be like having a patient with Ebola come in. For radiological or nuclear, it might be if someone has radiation poisoning or if there was an event at a nearby nuclear plant. Responding to explosives would be similar to a trauma, but on a different scale.”

Surveys following the training showed significant improvement in how confident and prepared ED staff felt about responding to CBRNE events.

Through the advanced fellowship, the project will continue and expand to support the implementation of dedicated CBRNE response training for Registered Nurses and Charge Nurses in the ED. Marley’s goal is to keep working with the Emergency Preparedness team to educate ED staff and have more ongoing training sessions. She says that would include further CBRNE preparedness education, proper personal protective equipment training, running a CBRNE simulation and further evaluating preparedness across the hospital as possible outcomes of her work.

The post Practice-Based Education Boosts Emergency Preparedness Training in the ED appeared first on Your Health Matters.

A STOP THE BLEED® participant “packs” a bullet wound with a t-shirt (Durham College).

Thomas Bezruki holds up a package of combat-grade medical gauze and a red t-shirt.

“You would be amazed at how much material it takes to pack a large, deep wound. If you don’t have gauze on hand, even a t-shirt will work,” he tells the group gathered around him, a mix of first responders from the Oshawa area, students and staff from Durham College, and the general public.

A member of the group steps forward to practice packing a deep laceration on a realistic-looking fake limb, complete with simulated blood pouring out of it. She uses almost the entire package of gauze to “pack” the wound and applies direct pressure with her hands before the bleeding finally stops.

[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”18″ bg_color=”#fff” txt_color=”#000″]

“Anyone who does this training can help save a life.”

– Corey Freedman, Manager, Trauma Services at Sunnybrook

[/mks_pullquote]

The demonstration is part of STOP THE BLEED®, a training course developed by the American College of Surgeons that provides civilian bystanders with the skills and tools to stop uncontrolled bleeding in an emergency situation. Instruction is delivered using a combination of presentations and hands-on practice.

Sunnybrook’s Centre for Injury Prevention brought the program to Canada for the first time in 2017, and has since trained thousands of people.

“We show people how to stop life-threatening bleeding following everyday emergencies, natural disasters and mass casualty incidents. Anyone who does this training can help save a life,” says Corey Freedman, Manager of Trauma Services at Sunnybrook and a certified STOP THE BLEED® facilitator.

The facilitators who helped certify over 200 people at Canada’s largest-ever STOP THE BLEED® training event on May 13, 2022.

On May 13, 2022, Sunnybrook partnered with Durham College to hold the largest STOP THE BLEED® training event ever held in Canada, helping 217 people become certified.

The event was held a week before the Victoria Day long weekend, which is often referred to as the unofficial start of trauma season. Trauma hospitals like Sunnybrook traditionally see a significant increase in traumatic injuries over the summer months, making this a key time to offer the training to large groups. Watch of video of the event on Instagram.

Course facilitators included several staff members from Sunnybrook and Bezruki, the Manager of Emergency Management at Durham College and a former Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) medic in the Canadian military.

Thomas Bezruki demonstrates the proper use of a tourniquet to stop uncontrolled bleeding (Durham College).

Bezruki says Durham College has installed over 30 STOP THE BLEED® kits, which include essential items like tourniquets, gloves and gauze, across its Oshawa and Whitby campuses. He hopes other institutions follow suit by offering the training course and installing the kits, and he encourages individuals to sign up for STOP THE BLEED® training.

“Everyone should know how to stop bleeding after an injury. The more people who know how to control bleeding in someone who is injured, the greater the chances are that person will survive,” he says.

Sunnybrook offers public and private STOP THE BLEED® training opportunities. Learn more and register for an upcoming course at sunnybrook.ca/stopthebleed.

The post Stopping the bleed to save a life appeared first on Your Health Matters.

Is your family prepared?

Disasters may be beyond our control, but by taking some simple steps, you can be better prepared to protect yourself and your family during an emergency.

Step 1: Make a plan

Every household should have an emergency plan. Your family’s emergency plan should identify:

• Safe exits from your home
• Meeting places to reunite with your family
• Any special health needs of your family members
• Contact information for your family members, family doctor, insurance company, etc.
• The location of your emergency kit, fire extinguisher, electrical panel, and water and gas valves
• A plan for your household pet(s)

Need help getting started? We recommend creating your family’s emergency plan using the Government of Canada’s free online tool. Your plan should take less than 20 minutes to create and can be saved or printed out. Remember to keep your plan in an easy-to-remember place – or print multiple copies of the plan to leave at work and in your car.

Step 2: Get an emergency kit

In an emergency, you will need some basic supplies. These supplies should be organized in a backpack, duffle bag, or wheeled bin and stored in an accessible location, such as your front hall closet. Your emergency kit should include the following items:

• Water – at least two liters per person per day
• Extra batteries
• Non-perishable food items
• Extra keys to your car and house
• A manual can opener
• Some cash in smaller bills
• A crank or battery-powered flashlight
• A copy of your family’s emergency plan
• A crank or battery-powered radio
• If applicable, prescription medicine, infant formula, medical equipment, and pet food
• First aid kit

Creating your emergency kit doesn’t need to be expensive. You can start by buying a few items today and commit to building your kit over time. Need help getting started? We recommend checking out the City of Toronto’s tips for preparing your family on a budget.

Step 3: Be informed

Lastly, be prepared by being informed. There are several ways that you can be aware of hazards, risks, and potential emergencies in our community:

1. Monitor your telephone, radio, or wireless device for emergency alerts from “Alert Ready”
   Alert Ready is Canada’s emergency alerting system. This system is designed to deliver critical and potentially life-saving alerts to all Canadians. Upon receiving an alert, take immediate action to protect you and your family.
2. Subscribe to receive preparedness information and tips from the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management
   In Ontario, you can subscribe to receive emergency information and seasonal preparedness tips by email or text. Click here to learn more about this service.
3. Follow social media
   You can follow @OntarioWarnings on Twitter and Emergency Management Ontario on Facebook to stay informed!

~This post was updated Jan. 15, 2020.

The post Three steps to prepare your family for an emergency appeared first on Your Health Matters.