The Fun Club holiday children were very excited to have a special visit from one of our Bluebells parents who is a paramedic in our local community. He kindly came to talk to the children in the holiday club all about his special role, and brought lots of the equipment that he uses on a daily basis to demonstrate how he uses them in emergencies to treat injuries and help save people’s lives.
The children had the opportunity to try on a paramedic’s uniform, and test out the very special equipment that is stored in a big case. It was like an enormous treasure chest and the children enjoyed the challenge of trying to lift as it was really very heavy and required considerable strength. Sam the paramedic encouraged the children to explore the various equipment; they tried to find their own pulse and they tested out their different sized oxygen masks that are used for aiding breathing for different patients. We also learnt about the drip which is also sometimes known as a cannula or IV. It is a short, small plastic tube that is put into a patient’s vein using a needle. The plastic tube is then left in so that fluids and medicines can be given directly into the blood via the vein.
Sam also brought his ambulance to nursery and everyone enjoyed looking around it and role playing using the equipment inside. Unfortunately the siren wasn’t working but Sam encouraged the children to make their own siren sounds. The children laid on the beds and were shown how he would strap their broken legs to the big orange splints to keep their leg immobile whilst they were transported to hospital. We learnt about the heart monitor and how this is used and what the lines represented and what the numbers meant to show how healthy our hearts are.
Before Sam left he presented the holiday club with an exploratory goody bag for the children to use and extend their paramedic learning at nursery. In the afternoon the children were very hands on working in pairs practising the recovery position, applying bandages and dealing with various wounds in accident scenarios. The children were very keen to try out their new knowledge and 1st Aid skills on their families at home. A big thank you to Sam and Faye who took the time to come in and give a fabulous demonstration and practical information sharing activity.
