Crenshaw Community Hospital recently had six of its registered nurses to complete a Trauma Nursing Core Course, allowing them hands-on experience in dealing with trauma victims and life-threatening situations that come into the emergency room.

The six in attendance, Michael Norman, Lisa Bond, Milton Wyatt, Shane Cantrell, Tammy Joyner, and Kim Wiggins, participated in a two-day, eight-hour course on March 26 -27.

“At the end of the course, we had to pass a written test, and each of us also had to successfully complete a real-life trauma scenario,” Kim Wiggins, ER manager, said.

“This helps to improve our skills so that we know what to do in order to further assist the doctor in a crisis situation.”

Larry Hall with Baptist LifeFlight taught the course.

“It’s what we call ‘the critical hour’ when someone gets involved in an accident, and the EMT has to make the decision whether or not they can stabilize that person and then bring him to us or take him somewhere else.”

“After taking this course, our trauma unit can put these new skills into action and get the patient stabilized,” she said. “It’s a team effort…if we feel it’s necessary, then we’ll send the patient to the appropriate facility after we stabilize them.”

Wiggins said the night after the six RN’s had completed the course, a stabbing victim was brought to the ER.

“We put those new skills in action that night,” she said. “We really feel like with this class, we have the confidence and a good team at the hospital to handle these kinds of situations.”

The nurses at CCH who completed the trauma course are among the first in the area to do so.