Elementary Students Learn About EMS

During the week of January 9-13, 2012, McKenzie Health System partnered with the Sanilac Medical Control Authority (SMCA) to teach local elementary students about emergency care.  Approximately 450 third and fourth graders from Carsonville-Port Sanilac, Croswell-Lexington, Peck, and Sandusky Schools learned what happens and who comes to help after a 911 call is made.  They also discovered what happens in an ambulance on the way to the hospital; who takes care of them in the Emergency Room and what happens there; and how important it is to follow up after an injury with a visit to their family doctor.  

Unique to this learning exercise was the opportunity for the children to follow a fellow student pretending to have a broken arm as he received care through a simulated emergency “chain of care”.  Students experienced first-hand the actual questions a 911 dispatcher would ask them if they called for help; and then they were able to hear exactly how emergency personnel are notified of an injury.  They also met First Responders, Emergency Technicians and Paramedics, and learned the difference in their roles.  The children were able to see what happens in an ambulance on the way to the hospital; and during the emergency room part of the simulation, the children learned how doctors identify a broken arm in an x-ray, and how splints and casts are applied.  As a final step, they observed how a cast cutter worked and participated in a dialog with family doctors on ways to prevent injuries. 

Tammy Cliff, RN, Director of Nursing at McKenzie Health System, explains why such a learning experience is important:  “We want children to know they will be well taken care of in an emergency.  By educating children and allowing them the opportunity to take part in a demonstration of the emergency care system, it helps reduce the fear of the unknown. When patients understand what to expect, they are more likely to be calm and cooperative throughout the entire spectrum of health care and participate as an active member of the team to help ensure good outcomes.”