How Do We P.A.R.T.Y.?
P.A.R.T.Y. day is at the hub of the regular Lakeland P.A.R.T.Y. program. It is a full day adventure into the world of injury prevention and risk management.
Lakeland P.A.R.T.Y. Day at the Bonnyville and Cold Lake Health Centres
After pre-P.A.R.T.Y. has happened in the school, the typical P.A.R.T.Y. day starts when students arrive on their bus at the local hospital around 9:00 am, and goes until 3:00 when they return to their bus to travel back to school. The day includes multimedia presentations, realistic tours, hands-on learning experiences, and encounters with various caring and dedicated community members who through their devotion and time make the program possible.
- Greeting
- Students arriving at the front foyer of the health centre with their teacher are greeted by a professional and friendly P.A.R.T.Y. host or hostess who leads them to their class. When they arrive, students start the day with a quick orientation to what they will experience and the ground rules they are expected to follow. They fill out name-tags and put them on, place their lunches on a trolley for refrigerated storage, and store their coats, backpacks, etc., on and under the chairs in the classroom and spend a minute or two viewing displays and supporter information. The host or hostess settles the class into the routine and explains that the students are going to build on the learning from the pre-P.A.R.T.Y. session. In particular, whereas at pre-P.A.R.T.Y. they talked about the first stages of preventing injuries-when communities and individuals take action to avoid unwanted consequences-at P.A.R.T.Y. they will learn about other stages, starting from the emergency response to a traumatic event, through to life-changing consequences and long-term rehabilitation and integration into the community.
- EMS
- After the host or hostess has set the tone for the
students’ experiences, the first session begins: Emergency Medical Services.
From about 9:30 to 10:00, an EMT or Paramedic discusses the Emergency Medical
System, speaks about what happens at the site of a collision, and answers
questions students might have about the business. In addition, EMTs discuss
the importance of “red lights, move right, and stop”, and may cover special
topics such as ATV or snowmobile riding.
- Tours
- From 10:00 to 11:15, students consider in more depth
the response to an injury as they tour the hospital in two smaller groups.
During the tours, students see an ambulance presentation, during which a
student is placed on the backboard and immobilized for demonstration. Students
learn about the equipment and what it is used for onboard an ambulance. Also
during the tours, students see the Emergency Room (ER).
- Here they view a simulated patient (trauma doll) and experience what happens when an unconscious, unresponsive trauma patient is brought into the ER. Among issues addressed in that venue are the importance of carrying ID and the consideration of organ donation.
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- Injury Survivors
- From about 11:15 to noon, students have an
opportunity to genuinely consider what it is like to be an injury survivor. A
speaker discusses his or her life before and after an injury, as well as the
incident that caused the injury.
- Rehab Lunch
- From about 12:00-12:45, students actively experience life with an injury. While eating lunch, students wear splints and other devices to simulate brain or spinal cord injuries.
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- Rehab Life
- From 12:45-13:30 they further experience simulated functional impairments found with brain and spinal cord injuries and hear rehabilitation professionals speak about how they help patients maximize their independence.
- Drug Awareness
- From about 13:30-14:00 a speaker discusses various aspects of some drugs with emphasis on alcohol use and abuse, including myths about sobering up.
- Risk Management Session
- The last part of the day is dedicated to risk management strategies. A presenter leads a discussion empowering youth to predict risk and prevent trauma using the core principles. Using real examples, the speaker discusses risk management and taking SmartRisk, to encourage youth to acknowledge possible consequences of and take responsibility for their choices and to become their own risk managers.
- Final messages and wrap up
- The last few minutes are spent closing the day and getting ready to go home on the bus.
