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No matter where he is and what he is doing, when Fireman Christopher Chan hears the call of a mass casualty, he races toward the scene to do his part in aiding medical staff as one of the many stretcher bearers aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).
Chan plays an important part in dealing with this and other medical emergencies both simulated and real. Stretcher bearers are responsible for the transfer of patients to Ike’s medical bay and applying first aid when medical is spread thin.
“Stretcher bearers are here on Ike to help us prepare for the worst-case scenarios, such as a mass casualty, where medical personnel and resources are limited and scattered amongst the ship,” said Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Jones, Ike’s nurse. “Their most important job is understanding the shipboard injuries, the transport of casualties and, if need be, take the lead on treating the casualties.”
Jones said responding to the scene of a personnel casualty requires a certain mindset and having a sense of gratitude for the positon. These qualities are something Chan said he displays.
“I take pride in being a stretcher bearer because it gives me a sense of accomplishment trying to save someone’s life,” said Chan. “The experience of getting to help someone out, especially if that person is one of my shipmates, is something I appreciate deeply.”
“Chan really takes care of the patient, especially when wrapping their wounds,” said Fireman Ariel Gonzales, Chan’s stretcher bearer teammate.
Chan’s training started like most other stretcher bearers on Ike, through basic first aid training given in Ike’s indoctrination class when they arrive on board. Sailors will then work to advance their knowledge with the advanced First Aid and stretcher bearer qualification. Those chosen to be stretcher bearers will then receive additional training through a series of drills including mass casualty drills.
“The training we get from the mass casualty drills helps us set priority for patients,” said Chan. “It gets complicated when I am treating one patient and there’s another patient near me who’s more injured than the first.”
Chan trains during these mass casualty drills with his team consisting of Gonzales and two others, building a cohesive unit that requires all members efforts.
“It’s a team effort,” said Chan. “We gather together to come up with a plan to treat and transport the casualties. Everyone has a job whether it’s based off your skill or based off what the team leader tells you to do. Each member of our team is important and must be able to communicate within our team and to other responders.”
“Even one weak link can make the team suffer,” said Jones. “For example, it takes at least four people to transport any casualty, so if one member is missing the rest have to figure out who will fill in for them, if the replacement is trained and how they are going to move the patient to main medical in time.”
Chan said teamwork does not end at the stretcher bearer level, but continues throughout the entire medical team.
“We have to be able to work with the other teams as well as medical personnel,” said Chan. “Working with them has given me a sort of mutual respect and they feel the same way. I would like to thank everyone involved with stretcher bearers.”
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2019 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 327050 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 46 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ike Sailor Lends a Hand in Medical Casualities, by SA Joseph Miller, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
