Mnemonics Are Your Friend

Want to know the mnemonic for putting a trauma patient in a cervical collar and on a backboard? You know you do. Admit it, it's okay.

She Needs Apples Like She Needs Donuts.

S - Stabilize the head. Don't let go until entire procedure is finished. In class it's an automatic fail. In real life it's an automatic go work at Wal-Mart, because your patient just died.

N - Neuro check. Tell them to wiggle their fingers and toes.

A - Assisstants. One to take off the patient's jewelry* and apply the cervical collar. One to straighten out arms and legs. One to get and postion the backboard. *Assistants are chronically underpaid. We don't begrudge them the benefits.

L - Logroll. This is a special three to four person roll to turn someone while not moving their neck. Roll them one way to get the board under them and then the other way to get them on the board. All on my count of three.

S - Straps and supports. Strap them in and support their heads with towel rolls.

N - Another neuro check. Wiggle fingers and toes again.

D - Done! Now you can let go of the head. And watch the paramedics drive away with your patient.


This was the no-brainer of our check-offs yesterday, the only one that wasn't guaranteed to make you sweat. (Except for that nasty little don't ever take your hands off the head business).


Want to know my mnemonic for today? You know you do. Admit it, it's okay.

S - Sunday! And I don't go back to work for Six wonderful days. Sweet!

N - No worries, mate. Finished the class, passed the test and even got through the check-offs.

A - Absolutely gorgeous here. Sunny, warm and not a cloud in the sky or a mud puddle to be found. Also, still quite good relations between eldest child and other family units. Aaah...

L - List of endless things that need doing before tomorrow. Grocery shopping, laundry, picking up various kid items left at other people's houses during weekend sleepovers and continuing to chip away at various home projects.

S - Shovel out children's bedrooms to verify urban legend that there really does exist a floor under all that crap. In theory this is their job. In reality we all know there will be maximal parental involvement.

N - No, I'm not sure that I'm spelling mnemonic right and No, I'm not even going to spellcheck it. And No, don't ever ask the Film Geek to look at a post before you publish it and tell you what he thinks, because the next thing you know his fingers are flying on the computer keys. Although, come to think of it he added some funny stuff. Don't get used to it, Buddy!

D - Done! One more certification (the most terrifying of the three) DONE! Is there a D word that means I plan on doing as little as possible today in spite of my family's obsessive need to eat, wear clean clothes and locate their beds? Wait, I've got it...Delicious.