Seminole State College held a disaster training event for nursing students on Feb. 22 inside the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on campus.
Students participated in a training module designed to help them understand what qualifies as a disaster, how to triage patients, manage resources and how to work with other agencies to access quick medical care. Before the hands-on training, students attended a lecture about incident command, treating patients and communication techniques in a time of crisis.
Following the lecture, the nursing students were able to put their disaster response skills to the test during a simulation drill, where students responded to the aftermath of a bombing. The loading bay of the Haney Center served as the site of the incident. Students took on different roles. Some students took on the role of victims with various injuries, while other students were asked to perform search and rescue, triage patients and tend to their medical and psychological needs.
“Disaster training is becoming more and more important. We are proud of our nursing students who embrace the philosophy that nursing is an intricate part of any successful disaster response,” Crystal Bray, SSC Nursing Program Director, said. “In the future, we hope to work with area hospitals, Emergency Medical Services and Police to expand the training for our nursing students, as well as area healthcare professionals and response teams.”