How to Provide Effective Emergency Leadership During First Aid

The first rule in first aid is to do no harm. This sounds obvious, but it is not as straight forward as you might think. Many things can go terribly wrong even with the best of intentions. Just the simple act of moving a person can do more harm than good. This is why it is essential to provide effective emergency leadership during first aid; the patient must be protected amidst all the confusion and turmoil.

1

→ Take courses in emergency management skills training. The effective emergency management leader will know what to do and when to do it without even thinking about how to do it. The skills needed must be second nature for the leader. There is no time for thinking and decision making, just doing.

2

→ Learn how to get past your gag reflex. If you cannot stand the sight of blood, guts and gore, this is not likely a position you need to be in. First aid is not all about band aids and ice packs. It can easily encompass making a stand-by traction splint and pulling manual traction on a fractured femur. It might also entail plugging a spurting laceration or puncture wound with your hand or finger. Replacing a skin flap or a complete allusive  is not too pleasant either. You must be able to deal with such scenarios and directly get involved in the first aid process; you cannot be squeamish and be effective.

3

→ Identify the immediate task at hand. Is this a mass-casualty incident? If so, an effective leader will do more good by coordinating the efforts of many than trying to personally attend to a few.

4

→ Appoint individuals needed to address the situation. Find trusted, competent people who will take orders, work quickly and effectively. Hallmarks of effective leadership are those that start with an effective team. Order rescuers to perform an initial assessment and triage the victims.

5

→ Focus your attention and channel your energy to the victim. Use your instincts that you gained from your years of training. This means you need to address the life or death situation first; stop the bleeding and ensure the patient is breathing and has a pulse.

6

→ Remain calm. Even relatively minor injuries will be magnified from a patient who is under stress and duress. If you as a rescuer are nervous, agitated or freaking out, the patient will experience those same symptoms at a higher degree.

7

→ Talk to the victim. This is an often overlooked practice that is vitally important to the experience that the victim will have. If you constantly speak to the victim telling him what you are doing or going to do relieves much anxiety and helps to calm him, thus reducing the blood pressure which is critical.