Stop the Bleed: Lessons from an Emergency Room Nurse

Emergency room nurse, Sandra Sardella of the Bay Area Family Church, offered a seminar to 35 participants in order to bring awareness on how to be useful during a major emergency where there is a need to help bleeding and traumatized victims.

The story of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut struck a chord with the medical community and inspired the beginning of Stop the Bleed, a national educational campaign to teach the public how to help during a catastrophic event with mass casualties. “The program is designed for the lay-person without a medical background to understand the basics,” Sandra explains. Knowing that anyone, anywhere, at any time can make a difference, Sandra decided to bring the life-saving class to her local church community. “I find a lot of value in being able to help people in emergency situations and I think it is a great skill to have in our practice of living for others,” says Sandra. All 35 participants learned how to pack wounds and place tourniquets on would-be victims in hopes to one day save a life.

To learn more about Stop the Bleed or to find a training course in your own community, visit www.bleedingcontrol.org.