Troop Medic

[wagionvigil]

"Need To Know" is the key here. Sometimes if to private bad things can happen. How many boys are on stimulant? These cause problems and what the symptoms are is important.

[RWSmith]

Well, one of us was reading the other's mind... just haven't figured out which one, yet.... "Need To Know..." Right on!

[cballman]

my opinion. all leaders who go to summer camp should know ALL medical problems that could be encountered. we had a child that was alleregic to bee stings. I didnot know that for 2 years. what would have happened to this child. now i dont think that every child needs to know that I am allergic to penecillin or poison ivy. but when we do our medical forms for the year then have a picture of the child, birthdate, hgt, wgt, and allergys. just so we know that what the child looks like and if their could be any problems.

[RWSmith]

A photo? Hmm. Never thought of that. I could understand privcacy issues. But, think of the benefits... if a kid got lost. S&R Party.... Sheriff's office... They's want a photo, right?

Do any other Units (here) require a photo attached to the Medical forms? Do any special events require it? (I'm not talking about to verify ID, like the Army and DHS will be doing this summer at the NSJ.)

[commish3]

I think t305spl's suggestion has some merit. Especially for the need to have someone responsible for the upkeep of the first aid kit, and the value of having at least one person in the unit with advanced first aid or rescue skills.

But it also raises several questions. Why the need fro a new POR? couldn't this function be filled by an Assistant Scoutmaster, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, JASM, Instructor or as a Scoutmaster assigned project as mentioned in the Star to Eagle advancement?

Even if you do not have a scout handling medications, if you give a scout information on who takes what and when you are giving him way too much personal information on others.

Then there is the matter of The Guide to Safe Scouting and the BSA's position on handling medications. You cannot assign someone the responsibility of medicating others or even supervising their medication. A person can volunteer to accept the responsibility, but no one can make him take the job. Once taken they need to understand that it is against the recommendation of the BSA and that they will have the sole legal resonsibility for any problems resulting from the storage, handling, distribution or incorrect distribution of those drugs.

As far as who in the troop would be the First-Aider or First-Aiders it was suggested that troop positions are elected. That is not true if the unit follows the BSA program for troop leadership. The only elected troop office according to the program is SPL, and all other troop offices are selected by him. Just as in the Patrol the only patrol office elected is the PL and all other offices are selected by him.

If the job is that of caring for the first aid kits and doing first aid training then the SPL could select that person. If you want someone to also able to also do related merit badge counseling it will need to be an adult leader selected by the Scoutmaster. Another option would be for the PLC to set knowledge and skill standards and give the assignment to as many scouts as meet the requirements.

Not a bad thought t305spl, it just needs further fine tuning.

[Guest]

We have an ASM that is our designated First Aid person. She keeps the first aid kit, is trained in Red Cross first aid and keeps the logs. She also keeps the prescription drugs unless a parent is along or the kid needs it on his person as with an inhaler.

Sadly, we've found that most of the Scouts don't recall their first aid, even those with the First Aid Merit Badge. The solution there is to have annual first aid refreshers.

[t305spl]

Thats very true. We need more refreshers. Now that 25 out of our 30 scouts and all of our Adult Leaders are CPR and Basic First Aid certified we try to give a small First Aid refresher at every meeting.

[wagionvigil]

A couple of years ago I was doing a climbing MB. WE were discussing First Aid and the need to know any problems a climber may have. What meds etc. I usually ask if any one is on any meds. Several boys were on STimulants but one boys was on about three or four HEAVY meds. The leaders had no clue. The parents had not put it on the medical form. This was a new scout just recently crossed over. ( ANother reason for an age limit) the leaders took the boy out of the class immediately and had a long conversation with him and called his parents(300 miles away) This could have had a real baad ending.

[commish3]

Why not more often?

Have a first aid related pre-opening activy, as the scouts arrive they find a fiorst aid victim in moulage make-up inside the meeting room doorway. They have 1 minute to react what do they do?

A first aid inter-patrol game In-Jeopardy Jeopardy. Patrols act as the contestants in a jeopardy like game made on a felt or velcro board.

A catagory and point value is selected, the first aid related answer is read and the first person to stand and give their patrol cheer gets a chance to provide the question. Winning patrol gets to come up with the topic and questions for the next time you play.

A first aid related SM Minute addressing the value of being prepared to save a life...maybe your own.

These can be sprinkled into other program themes so that the the skill can be practiced continually in small bites, not just once a year.

[wagionvigil]

We have a district First Aid meet every February or March. Four problems Judged and awards for 1st 2nd and 3rd Patrol. Everyone gets a patch.

[t305spl]

The jeopardy is a great idea. So is the district first aid.

[cballman]

RW the answer to the photo question is it is put with the medical forms in clear sheets to protect. they then are put into a notebook for transporting to events. the orginal med. form is in the boys file. the notebook is useuly kept in the adult patrol box. only adults have access to these records. I found out that we have kids that need special attention thru the fact that my wife put the books together for the last two years. as a MATURE adult I as a leader needed to know some of the problems that could have been caused by not knowing some of the medical facts. when you have over 60 kids registered in your troop you dont know each and every kids name. so thats where the picture page comes in handy.

[RWSmith]

All I can say is, "Cool."

[Guest]

Why not more often? Time. There are only so many weeks in a year. As for the pre-opening stuff, that would be a good idea if we could get the Scouts (read that as parents) there on time.

[commish3]

There is always time to do a good program

[Guest]

"There is always time do do a good program"

Whatev.

[cballman]

Hate to be the bad guy but mrscouter the answer you gave commish3 was out of line. if you have a problem with someones answer then give your side of the answer. just because someone tells anyone that there is alwys time for a quality program and you have a problem then maybe you need to rethink what you are doing. I have tried to help put on quailty programs for years and while some of them have been totally bad and others great. I feel that if someone can help me with what I have done wrong then by all means tell me. If i cant take the heat then I should not try to put on programs for kids. so if you get upset then either walk away, or please button up.

[fgilpin]

In my Troop overseas, we did a "First Aid Minute" every meeting. We would incorporate it as part of the meeting, because as you said about preopening, it's difficult getting every to the meeting on time, let alone a little early.

[riverwalk]

Let's try again, haha. I finally accessed this Site today, after a month or so. Thanks Mike for your reply.

Wow, I'm so many topics behind, and some of my posts never got through last month...I'll jump in here. This is my Profession (First Aid) and I got my start as a Scout, so I enjoy putting it all together.

I know the thread started as a Position consideration...but this reminder is always a good idea. At activities requiring the Log, be sure your designated person fills it out and keeps same. At one time, the requirement was extended to TEN years for keeping this information. I'm not current on the requirements. But in my area (we've covered this in other topics), we've had a variety of incidents. Everything from food/dishwashing incidents, broken bones, burns, to a death. I almost got drawn into one Lawsuit (two years post incident), resulting from a Webelo Scout breaking his femur. I was the on site First Aid person.

[ynotquilt]

One thing that has surprised me in my 5+ years of oy scouts is that leaders are not required to be first aid certified. I was a girl scout leader quite a number of years ago, and in order to go on any outing, at least one adult had to be first aid certified (we used Red Cross).

I agree on the not needing to have a scout have access to anyone's medical information. Boys are not always able to keep information to themselves. My son is on a medication that if other boys knew about would be VERY embarrasing to him. This med has no side effects that have any bearing on anything related to scouts, and even our family doctor who perscribes this medication said that he would not put it on my son's medical form. I did not request it of him at all - the dr said that on his own. The other ASMs and SM are verbally aware of it, but his father or I (mostly me) are at all the campouts. (I am an ASM)