Cedar Faculty Stop The Bleed

On April 3, Nurse Eve Bisard hosted Cedar Shoals’ first “Stop The Bleed” training where faculty learned how to stop bleeding in the event of an emergency.

Stop the bleed is an initiative that was started by the Georgia Trauma Foundation. They lobbied for Stop The Bleed training for all medical and school staff following various mass traumas,” said Bisard.

Faculty were taught the ABC’s of stopping bleeding.

First, Bisard taught faculty to contact the front office to alert 911 to get an ambulance on its way as quickly as possible. Second, faculty learned to find the bleeding and how to approach some treatments differently. Finally, faculty practiced compressing and controlling the bleeding.

Faculty practiced using tourniquets and gauze on fake arms and also learned what other things they could use in situations where a Stop The Bleed kit is not available.

“By us completing this, we are provided with Stop The Bleed trauma kits. We’ll have nine kits to place around the building so should injury occur, or a mass [shooting] where we have mass injuries, we will have those available and we will be able to save a life,” said Bisard.

The training is not mandatory for all faculty, but the goal is for it to be mandated one day.

“I think eventually we will probably incorporate this into our first aid training for all of our teachers,” said Nurse Caroline Chambers, who helped with the training.

Though the training was only offered to teachers, Bisard says the training would be great for students as well.

“I think the more knowledge a person has is important. You never know, you can be on the playground after school or playing basketball, and if somebody sustained an injury, you would know what to do,” said Bisard.

Teacher Natasha Patterson, math department, thinks that with the amount of school shootings occurring, this training is very important for all school personnel.

“Simply because of everything that’s going on in our schools today, it’s important for us to be aware and be able to assist if necessary if something was to ever occur in our school,” said Patterson.

For those who would like to have this training, Bisard is offering more classes in the fall later this year.

“Clarke County is one of the first counties that have a nurse in every school so that definitely makes a difference,” said Chambers.