To laugh at the expense of our First Aider

[liamsdaddy]

probably I am :)

I've recently been diagnosed as Diabetic as I was explaining to our depertment first aider what she should do if I should start behaving erratically or if I should collapse.

Basically the first thing is to test my blood sugar levels (which involves pricking me for some blood and using my tester).

Her response was "oh no, don't ask me to do that, I faint at the sight of needles and blood" "I'll be the first out the door if you faint"

If I do faint, thie first thing she will actually do is phone the first aider on the floor above to sort me and then leg it - so all is well.

But the concept of the first aider being nauseous about blood and needles did give a few of us a laugh.

Waste of bloody money training her then wasn't it? Fear you may have to ask about someone else on your floor training.
No YANBU.

Ha ha love it.

Seriously though, if you collapse shouldn't they administer glucose in some form before faffing about with blood sugar levels? (Ex Gestational diabetic)

Sorry but I would have to say something to whoever manages the first aiders, that is a terrible think for her to say.

That is quite amusing and does make me wonder why on earth she wanted to be a first aider

wincey blood sugar should always be checked first. High blood sugar can cause a collapse as well as low blood sugar. You would need to determine which it was before treating.

She's not really a first aider then is she?

@WincyEtNightie; I'm more at risk from high blood sugar - which needs an insulin shot.

But... I'm not confirmed as a Type 1 and therefore not on insulin.

(I'm very likely to be a type 1 as my father is, my fathers-brother is, my grandfather was, and we suspect my great-grandfather was also)

Although even if I was, she won't go near a insulin pen injector either

controlpants As a diabetes specialist, I just need to correct things:

If a diabetic person collapses, it is best just to give them sugar. If the sugar level is high, it won't make any significant difference. If the sugar level is low, it could save their life.

liamsdaddy, please speak to your Diabetes Specialist Nurse, who can speak to the work first aiders about things if that would help.

Thanks MrsGangly, glad my hospital info sheet wasn't completely wrong then!

liamsdaddy, glad you're seeing the funny side but definitely at a first aider that won't do insulin pens. I'm actually at a loss as to what she will do apart from looking after the key to the paracetemol cupboard!

Insulin pens are fine btw if you do end up with them. Nowhere near as annoying/stingy as the bloody fingerprick testing thing.

Anyone else see the irony of all the s on a thread about diabetes

As a first aider we are told not to administer anything nor to take samples from people even if they give consent. This is not only due to legal issues (I kid you not) but also in case the person doesn't do the task correctly (due to panic, etc) i.e. misreads the information on the machine, etc. causing more harm.

Work place first aiders are not trained to do this on the courses they take unless they go beyond the basic training (which few companies will allow). They are expected to know who are diabetics and give sugar water as well as at the first signs to call an ambulance.

There was a case recently where the first aider did administer a persons medication (all correctly and in accordance with the issue of the person at the time) however, the person lied and said they didn't have any medicine prior to the first aiders intervention (all witnessed and documented).

By rights the person should've been up and walking in minutes. Not so. It turned out that the person had self administered minutes before (a double dose in fact) This meant the person had 3 lots of medicine within a few minutes. Obviously the result wasnt good - an ambulance, hosptilisation, etc.

This left the first aider in an extremely bad position as well. They were under a cloud of suspicion until a formal enquiry had finished, they were suspended until the outcome, rumours were rife. The impact on the first aider was terrible - guilt, self doubt, stress, etc.

Even when the person recovered and admitted the extra dosage the first aider never really recovered.

WincyEtNightie - the phrase they use in training is 'no potions, lotions, creams or pills'. I can list a dozen other examples to highlight why but I think you understand some of the potential issues from the above.

It is extremely anoying when people get grumpy at me for not dispensing paracetamol for a headache when I give them an example of why I cant I usually get a smart reply of 'well I wouldn't sue you', etc. However, you might not but your family might or the office might. Not to mention how I'd personally feel knowing I'd hurt a collegue.

Hope that gives an insight.

a nurse lives down the road.she has told a friend not to ask her for help with her diabetic dd as she has a needle and blood phobia.

If a diabetic person collapses, it is best just to give them sugar. If the sugar level is high, it won't make any significant difference. If the sugar level is low, it could save their life.
Exactly what we were told on our first aid course. Personally whilst I don't have any problem doing a blood prick, I'd be more than a little uncomfortable as just a first-aider to be asked to do what the OP is asking her first-aider to do - it's above my pay grade.

As magie says, we're not allowed to administer drugs, for perfectly sensible reasons. Acting as a first-aider outside work (the reason I did the FAW course ), if I knew the person I'd happily say "I have something here, do what you like", but no way am I going there in a work context.

Though back to the original point, I actually ended up in hospital during my original FAW course, having hit my head on a door handle on the way down after fainting. Possibly partly low blood sugar, but a major contributor had to be the particularly gruesome film we'd been watching just before tea break. The thing is, I know from experience that I don't have a huge problem in real life - do enough bleeding myself to be pretty used to the sight. The other people on the course all thought it was a setup!

I'd have to report it as a concern though, a first aider who can't cope with blood is worse than useless because everyone else would be looking to her to lead in a situation.
So she has to be replaced.
There needs tod be another designated first aider and she could be in charge of the tea and biscuits.

Seriously though, if you collapse shouldn't they administer glucose in some form before faffing about with blood sugar levels? (Ex Gestational diabetic)

No the first thing to do is check the blood sugar to see if it is too high or too low (both can result in fainting)

No, runawayfishwife - I was also trained to give something sugary first for the reasons given by MrsGangly

YABU - they're not a medical professional. If you start behaving funny then someone should call 999.

I think everyone should be taught CPR, how to stem arterial blood flow, Heimlich manouvre etc - immediate life threatening stuff.

Beyond that, if I need medical attention I'll go to a professional.

Give sugar first, ask questions later!

good summary advice here

"glad you're seeing the funny side but definitely at a first aider that won't do insulin pens."

I did the First Aid At Work course a few years ago and there was absolutely no mention of insulin pens. As others have said, the advice given is concerning glucose.

*maqie738 summed up pretty well what we were taught.

However, I must admit the thought of a first aider claiming she would faint at the sight of blood is a bit bizarre! Are you sure she wasn't joking!

I've done epipen training and asthma training and diabetic blood testing training and epilepsy training and I'm just a class teacher.
I don't see the problem, she should just hand over her badge to someone prepared to do the job.

oops my post should have said is not check blood.

I am a diabetic

Its outrageous that the company spent money training someone and is presumably paying a small bonus on their salary for doing this and they cant stand blood!!! Someone needs to sort this out

In terms of what a 1st aider can and cant do, there is soo much risk in adminstering anything that no quite rightly the training says no lotions potions or pills

That said I would like to think if myself or a wok colleague collapsed and was in imminent danger that common sense would over rule the rule book ef someone needs their angina pills you would give them

ROFL but also sat here in .

I am not a qualified first aider but as I work in a special school I have had specific training for medical needs. One of those is blood testing for diabetes and the use of glucostop and insulin.

Could/ would someone or 2 more people in your department be willing to be trained for your needs?

Sorry that that pretty much what goblin said. Sorry Goblin must have missed your post.