Simulated car accident for UNMC students, and Gretna fire and rescue

Posted By: Pierce Georlett

pgeorlett@klkntv.com 

20 UNMC residents and Grenta Fire and Rescue got together to practice what happens at the scene of a rural car accident.

"We have an opportunity to prepare our doctors and nurses as best possible to care for patients whether that’s in the field or at a rural hospital with a large hospital like UNMC," says Jason Langenfeld the Director of Simulation for UNMC. 

For these students a simulation like this can become eye opening. 

"So sometimes when they talk about you know what the car looked like when they got there it doesn’t click in you head you don’t really get a picture of it but now we can see what it means to get the jaws of life out, having a prolonged execration and understanding the amount of effort and force that it takes to get people from the scene to an ambulance and then into the ER," said Chief Resident Thomas Perry. 

Simulations like this brings UNMC students into the field of what actually happens during a major car accident, and it helps Grenta fire and rescue practice in case of a major emergency. 

"Everything is time based, and being able to effectively relay what we saw on the field, to be receiving ED staff from the trauma center staff so they know what the correct for of care is or what level of what to do it’s paramount," said Nick Pierce the Assistant Chief for Grenta fire. 

What these student gain, is a full knowledge of what they could be seeing in the near future. 

"It means a lot to us because in the ER we have all of this fire and EMS people bring in our patients their perfectly packaged they have IV medication is given and we’re like, oh this is fantastic and a lot of times we don’t get to see what happens before hand and so I think getting to see it first hand helps us appreciate what they do as well as we’re gong to do a simulation as the ER and kinda help with our skills from start to finish," says Shaila Coffey Chief Resident at UNMC. 

Both fire rescue workers and UNMC students talked about how this simulation will help with their communication in the event of a future car accident.