1) You are here in a role of volunteer service when you are on a worship service team or other capacity. You are a volunteer. You are NOT expected to be certified in first aid or life-saving skills. Remember, that anything you are able to do to assist someone is valuable.

2) The scope of actions that may be needed or appreciated when someone is unexpectedly ill or injured may include mopping up a spill, holding a hand, making a phone call, getting someone else to assist. . . or sometimes, just keeping others away in respect to the person’s privacy.

3) FIRST AID KITS: These are located on the wall by each elevator, and at the south entrance off the parking lot; in the nursery; in the Sacred Grounds coffee shop; in the administrative office in the copy room, in the cabinet under the sink, and in the kitchen. There are additional first aid supplies in a red/orange American Red Cross bag in the office of the parish nurse. Any staff member has a key to unlock that office door.

4) AEDs/automatic external defibrillators: These are located by the elevator on the level where the sanctuary is located and on the lower level. The parish nurse is available to TRAIN anyone who wishes/needs to know how to access and use these devices. They are NOT difficult; they are engineered to be understood and used by a first grader! You can’t do it wrong, the device will not ‘accidentally’ shock anyone. The only part of the process that causes people to hesitate is that you have to place this on a person’s bare chest. In the interest of modesty, others can assist by positioning themselves as a human shield while someone is using the AED. In the first aid kits, also, are the solar blankets, i.e. those aluminum foil ‘blankets.’ Just open them and hold them up as privacy barriers. These foil blankets are disposable.

5) If/when someone falls down, or behaves as though they are ill, or lies down on the floor or in the pew, seek out someone known to be a medical person – a nurse or physician or fire fighter or EMT among our members/attendees at worship. Tap that person and request they assist. If no one is known or immediately available, quietly go forward to the pastor as ask him/her to announce “Is there a doctor in the house?”

6) If/when asked to call 911, either go into the administrative office, or use your cellphone out in the narthex by the external door. You will need to report the address and the nature of the illness/injury. Example: “We need an ambulance at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, on France Ave and 48^th Street, by the main front door. There is an elderly person who has seemed to faint; s/he seems to be breathing.” WHEN YOU MAKE THAT CALL, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO STAY ON THE LINE AND ANSWER ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FROM THE DISPATCHER.

7) Often sudden illnesses or emergencies involve body fluids – people may suddenly vomit, or when someone faints, the body automatically empties the urinary bladder and sometimes the bowels. Or, pregnant women may have an emergency involving fluid. We can all imagine how embarrassing this is. Get handfuls of paper towels to absorb any and all spilled fluids; try to assist in cleaning up the individual, if it seems appropriate and necessary. Protect their modesty with barrier blankets or human shield until they can move to a private place or bathroom to tend to this.

8)  If someone gets a cut, and is bleeding, the treatment is to apply pressure to the wound with gauze or paper towels or a thick dressing from the first aid kits. Just hold it there until someone else can assist with wrapping the wound and deciding the need for further care.

9) If it’s a nose bleed, DO NOT HAVE THE PERSON TILT THE HEAD BACK! The treatment is to hold Kleenex, paper towels, handkerchief, or other absorbent material in the hand and PINCH the nostrils closed and HOLD IT FOR 10 – 15 minutes. Everyone wants to peek to see if the bleeding has stopped; resist this temptation. An ice pack to the bridge of the nose and back of the neck will slow down a nosebleed. There is ice in the freezer in the kitchen and the coffee shop.

10) If someone is burned in the coffee shop or the kitchen, remove the hot item/fluid and run cold water, or put ice pack, on the burn until someone else can assess the injury. In the first aid kits you will find Burn Jel and gauze dressings and tape to cover the burn.

11) If someone falls, DO NOT GRAB THEM BY THE ARM AND TRY TO PULL THEM TO THEIR FEET. Go to the individual, offer a hand if THEY feel ready to get up. Have them move each arm and leg slowly first to make sure it is intact and not showing a fracture. IF there is a fracture, the limb will dangle at an abnormal angle, there may be a protruding bone with bleeding, or there may be great swelling. IF the individual cannot get up, call an ambulance in most cases. Meanwhile, try to keep them warm with coats or clothing; do NOT give them anything to eat or drink.

12) In any case, ask for the name and phone number of a family member or friend who should be called on their behalf. You may be asked to make that call. Try to be reassuring and not create panic. An example: “This is Dorothy at Good Shepherd Lutheran church calling; _________ [name] has asked me to call you. S/he has fallen/become ill and needs to have a ride home/have a ride to the hospital/needs to go to the ER so we have called an ambulance. Would you be able to come to help her/him?” Then give directions, if needed; or if an ambulance has been called, direct them to Fairview Southdale ER; be sure to report where the injured person is located – inside door off the parking lot, on the lower level in the Fellowship Hall, in the worship area, etc.

13) If you are called upon to assist with a minor injury requiring a simple bandaid, remember basic first aid: clean your own hands, clean wound, apply dressing; wash your hands afterwards.

14) After use of first aid kits, please leave a note in the mail box of the parish nurse as to what supplies were used, so the inventory can be replaced in a timely manner.

15) Any suggestions that you have or additions that seems to be needed, please leave a note, voicemail, or contact the parish nurse.

16) Notify the senior pastor and the parish nurse if the AED/defibrillator has been used because the pads need to be replaced since they are a 1-time use item.

17) Your parish nurse is available to teach and train on this or additional information as needed. nurse@goodshepherdmpls.org, or ext 108 at church, or directly at 612-518-5421.

Prepared by Dorothy Ellerbroek RN, February 2, 2012; revised 04/24/2012

Cancer control month highlights advances in fighting cancer. This includes prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer. One way to control cancer is to find cancer cells and get rid of them. Cancer screenings can help find cancer early. The earlier the cancer is found, the better the prognosis. The American Cancer Society’s recommendations for cancer screening are as follows:

Screening Guidelines

Breast 

-Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40.

-Clinical breast exam should be part of a periodical health exam about every 3 yrs for women in their 20s or 30s and every year for women 40 or older.

-Women should know how their breasts normally feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Breast self-exam is an option for women starting in their 20s.

Colon & Rectum        

Beginning at age 50, men and women should begin screening with 1 of the schedules below:

-A fecal blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year

-A flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG) every 5 years

-Annual FBT or FIT and flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*

-A double-contrast barium enema every 5 years

-A colonoscopy every 10 years

Prostate    

-The PSA test and the digital rectal examination should be offered annually, beginning at age 50, to men who have a life expectancy of at least 10 years. Men at high risk (African American men and men with a strong family history of 1 or more first-degree relatives diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age) should begin testing at age 45. For both men at average risk and high risk,  information should be provided about what is uncertain about the benefits and limitations of early detection and treatment of prostate cancer so that they can make an informed decision about testing.

~Dorothy Ellerbroek, parish nurse