BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – It might not seem like the most dangerous job, but the CDC says agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in the U.S.
Knowing how to give emergency care can make the difference between life and death.
Allison Peltier, a professor at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and the leader of the “Stop the Bleed” presentation, said North Dakota has the second-highest number of farming-related injuries in the country.
If being injured isn’t already bad enough, being in a rural area when it happens is probably worse.
“Over half our population lives in rural areas, so it can take more time for EMS providers to arrive at the scene of an emergency, and that time— those seconds, those minutes— are crucial to survival,” Peltier said.
NDSU Extension and the NDSU nursing program are partnering to offer free Stop the Bleed classes, a national campaign designed to teach the public about life-saving steps they can take in an emergency.
What participants learn from the course isn’t only applicable to agricultural accidents, though; the steps taught in the class can be used in other emergency situations as well, such as mass shootings or in the aftermath of a car crash.
NDSU nursing staff gave a pre-training session to some of their nursing students, who practiced giving emergency care throughout the presentation.
“I think it’s good knowledge to have because it can save someone’s life in a desperate situation,” said Lexie Brendel, a nursing student at NDSU.
NDSU will send nursing faculty into the community to teach people basic life-saving measures. These include being able to compress or pack a wound, or knowing how to tie a tourniquet. Peltier said their first official Stop the Bleed training session will be in Fessenden this December.
Peltier said NDSU will offer 25 training sessions each year for three years.
Source : KFYR
