Paramedic students at University College Cork swapped the lecture hall for a live farm recently for a dedicated course on injury response in agricultural settings.
A total of 30 students undertook the two-day course at a farm in Co Kerry, which consisted of lectures and panel discussions followed by a second full day out on the farm undertaking teaching and learning workshops.
Each station consisted of a scenario which simulated a type of call to which student paramedics may be called.
The scenarios were created from similar calls that have occurred in the past and consisted of:
Falls on a farm.Slurry incidents.Machinery-related incidents.Animal-related incidents.Farmer isolation and concerns of the older farmer.Each teaching and learning station had experienced emergency medical services personnel and farmers there to facilitate the sessions.
The day culminated with a display exercise from the local emergency services responding to a quad bike incident.
Dangerous workplaces
“As we know, farms are the most dangerous workplace and, therefore, it is important that our future paramedics are competent and confident in how to deal with such situations if required,” said senior lecturer in paramedical studies at UCC’s School of Medicine Kieran Henry.
“Feedback has been very good from the paramedic students, who have said that they now feel in a much better position to respond to these types of calls.
“We would like to thank all who contributed to the two-day course, including the local farming community and also to the Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety Minister Michael Healy-Rae, who visited the course and spoke to the students at length,” he said.
Paramedic students at University College Cork swapped the lecture hall for a live farm recently for a dedicated course on injury response in agricultural settings.
A total of 30 students undertook the two-day course at a farm in Co Kerry, which consisted of lectures and panel discussions followed by a second full day out on the farm undertaking teaching and learning workshops.
Each station consisted of a scenario which simulated a type of call to which student paramedics may be called.
The scenarios were created from similar calls that have occurred in the past and consisted of:
Falls on a farm.Slurry incidents.Machinery-related incidents.Animal-related incidents.Farmer isolation and concerns of the older farmer.Each teaching and learning station had experienced emergency medical services personnel and farmers there to facilitate the sessions.
The day culminated with a display exercise from the local emergency services responding to a quad bike incident.
Dangerous workplaces
“As we know, farms are the most dangerous workplace and, therefore, it is important that our future paramedics are competent and confident in how to deal with such situations if required,” said senior lecturer in paramedical studies at UCC’s School of Medicine Kieran Henry.
“Feedback has been very good from the paramedic students, who have said that they now feel in a much better position to respond to these types of calls.
“We would like to thank all who contributed to the two-day course, including the local farming community and also to the Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety Minister Michael Healy-Rae, who visited the course and spoke to the students at length,” he said.
SHARING OPTIONS