Page 29 - QARANC Vol 15 No 2 2017

THE GAZETTE QARANC 27
critical care and an introduction to a variety of Field Hospital equipment) and a situation where, as a team, we treated a young female head injury casualty who had been brought to A&E by the combat medic. This situation gave me the opportunities to develop the skills I acquired in a recent A&E placement and to test my leadership abilities.
Although difficult to select a highlight, the element of the Exercise from which I gained the most, was the mass casualty scenario which took place during the evening. No effort was spared to make this part of the Exercise as relevant as possible, with sound effects, numerous “actors” and multiple mini-scenarios contributing to its realism. The young pneumothorax casualty with whom I
and my colleagues were dealing with during the scenario, required detailed assessment, and the pressure under which we were working was intensified by the potentially life-altering decisions that were required and the minimal equipment available for use.
The Exercise surpassed my expectations. It allowed me to lead Cardiac arrests, play the role of a registered nurse and sister, teach the less experienced first year students, prompted the infantry skills taught at basic training and it has enabled me to confirm many essential skills that have given me the confidence in advance for my first unit posting.
Ex COLD WARRIOR was a great weekend for the DS staff, seeing the first and third year students working together as a team away from the university environment, and it will be great seeing how cohort 0117’s clinical knowledge and skills have developed when they attend the Exercise in their second and third years.
Capt Powell, LCpl Walford and Pte Gapper, Department of Healthcare Education