Abstract
Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has one of the highest provincial drowning rates in Canada, largely due to the many rural communities located near bodies of water. Factor in the province’s cold climate (average NL’s freshwater temperature is below 5.4°C)and the prevalence of winter recreational activities among the population, there exists an inherent risk of ice-related injuries and subsequent hypothermia. Oftentimes, these injuries occur in remote/rural settings where immediate support from Emergency Medical Services (EMS) may not be available. During this critical period, it frequently falls on individuals without formal healthcare training to provide lifesaving measures until help arrives.Training individuals in rural communities plays an important role in ensuring public safety. In recent years, simulation-based education has become an essential tool in medical, marine and first aid training. It provides learners with a safe environment to hone their skills and has been shown to be superior to traditional clinical teaching methods. The following case aims to train laypeople from rural settings in the immediate management of an individual who becomes hypothermic following immersion into cold water.However, reaching these individuals to provide training can be a challenge in a province with such a vast geography. To assist with overcoming this, the development of a simulation center that is portable between communities (or Mobile Tele-Simulation Unit) has occurred. By utilizing modern technology, this paper also proposes an innovative method of connecting with learners in more difficult to reach regions.
Highlights
Across Canada, drowning incidents largely occur in non-supervised areas such as lakes, ponds and oceans
This paper presents a case scenario that can be used to run simulations for the public on the short-term recognition and management of cold water-induced hypothermia
Originally developed for medical trainees, we propose that the Mobile Tele-Simulation Unit (MTU) can expand outside the field of medicine and be used as a public education tool
Summary
Across Canada, drowning incidents largely occur in non-supervised areas such as lakes, ponds and oceans. The aim was to provide learners, who are non-health care rural community members, with the skills required to manage a deteriorating hypothermic patient with minimal first aid training and equipment. In-situ training (occurring by an actual pond or in the wilderness) would be ideal as it lets learners experience real factors such as the actual temperature, weather conditions, and minimal backup This simulation was designed to run within a Mobile Tele-Simulation Unit (described in detail in the Introduction and Discussion). Multiple acceptable methods existed to achieve this learning objective and based on the resources available included: removing any wet clothing (while respecting the SP’s privacy), providing body heat using themselves or the bystander, and wrapping the patient in warm blankets/towels [12].
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