Story: Lisa Sollie
The University of West Alabama’s College of Nursing is bringing Stop the Bleed® training to rural Alabama through a $25,000 grant from the Alabama Association of RC&D Councils for the Tombigbee, Ala-Tom, and Gulf Coast regions. There is no cost to schools, businesses, and community organizations in Baldwin, Bibb, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Washington, and Wilcox counties.
The program enables UWA associate professors of nursing Dr. Rhonda Gonzalez and Dr. Jennifer Harwell to offer the training program they began exploring while presenting at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare conference in San Francisco in January 2024. Recognizing a regional need, both became certified Stop the Bleed® instructors. At the time, they discovered there was only one other certified instructor in the state.
The grant funding will allow Gonzalez and Harwell to train up to five individuals per school, business or organization. Additionally, 100 Stop the Bleed® kits, extra tourniquets, and wall mounts will be provided to participating organizations.
Gonzalez and Harwell emphasize that Stop the Bleed® certification empowers individuals to save lives by quickly controlling bleeding in emergency situations. The training also prepares participants to respond confidently during workplace, school, or public emergencies, enhances readiness for natural disasters, accidents, or violent incidents, and contributes to community safety by ensuring people are prepared to act in critical situations.
All attendees will receive a certificate of participation, and each participating facility will receive a wall-mount Stop the Bleed® kit along with a storage cabinet.
For available training dates, times and registration, visit this link. For questions or more information, contact Rhonda Gonzalez, associate professor of nursing at rgonzalez@uwa.edu.