Day Two – An Introduction to first aid with frozen fingers

For months now our instructors have been telling us its easy in a warm classroom to give first aid…. but when we get on the hill it will be more challenging in all our gear with the elements.  Well… now I get what they are talking about.  Our first full weekend of first aid training was in the snow on a weekend that was bitterly cold and windy.  We did scenarios on the top of the mountain and I’ve discovered how fast one’s fingers can go from warm and toasty in my expensive Hestra gloves to frozen blocks of meat and cause for concern.  Just a few minutes!

So you pull up on the scene, (make sure it s safe), introduce yourself, take off the warm and toasty gloves and replace them with thin rubber medical gloves that seem to aid in sucking the heat right out of your fingers.  I better help you fast or I’ll be joining you!

Our first full weekend out on the snow doing practice is starting to feel more like the real thing and we have a whole new appreciation for heat management.  We also learned that its not so eas to move around patients in full gear and boots.  Note to self… try not to trip on or fall on the patients when its icy out.

OK, its true.  Its a lot harder out in the elements than we all expected and we all feel like we are brand new and have a long way to go to be competent. Just when we thought we were getting the hang of it, we get this curve ball called the elements.  Its like it was held back until we get a little cocky and then wham!  back to an awkward swan trying to walk on land again.  We have a lot to learn, its tricky in the snow.

And while it might be very practical to wear those medical gloves under your real gloves….I’m still not going there, frozen fingers and all.  I’ll take the stubborn path on this one.