Paramedic students undertake farm injury response course
Paramedic students at University College Cork (UCC) have completed a dedicated course on responding to injuries in agricultural settings.
The 30 students undertook the two-day course at a farm in Co. Kerry, which consisted of lectures and panel discussions.
During the second day, the group spent the day out on the farm where there were teaching and learning workshops.
Students
On the farm, there were a number of stations consisting of an immersive 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 included:
- 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.
Kieran Henry, senior lecturer in Paramedical Studies at UCC’s School of Medicine, said that farms are "the most dangerous workplace".
"Therefore it is important that our future paramedics are competent and confident in how to deal with such situations if required.
“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.
