NOLS Alumni Explore Italy's High Country

On September 19, nine intrepid hikers and three instructors completed NOLS' second alumni hiking trip in Italy's Dolomite region. Basing out of the regional capital, Bolzano, this 8-day trip traveled hut-to-hut in the Italian Alps south of Innsbruck.

The weather was unsettled, with rain and snow over the first two days of alpine hiking. Nights were spent in "rifugios" (hostel-like, family-run rustic hotels) interacting with mostly European travelers. The weather may have been inconsistent, but the scenery was unwaveringly stunning. Click here so see some more pictures from the trip.

Hiking days were busy- the Dolomites have many trails, all of them seeming to trend upward, often steeply... Because the rifugios did the cooking, packs were light. The majority of the route was above tree line.

Our interesting, adult group included an architect, a board game designer, an archeologist, two interventional radiologists and a number of other professionals. Evenings at the rifugios were filled with great talk, outstanding food, music and table-thumping card games.

Alumni trips bring grads, friends and families into the field with NOLS. Curriculum is flexible and often informal.Trips are designed to fit  busy schedules and adult interests. Take a look at the NOLS alumni web page for more information on life-long learning opportunities for our alumni.

Folks eat a lot of pasta on NOLS expeditions. Isn't it time you had the real thing?

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Intial Assessment

Someone is hurt! What should we do? Wilderness EMT students know that no matter how severe or trivial a patient's illness or injury may appear, it is important to do a proper Initial Assessment. A rescuer's top priority is their own safety and the safety of any other rescuers, followed by concern for the patient's safety. (Remember, the patient is already hurt!) Rescuers should also assess the likely cause of the injury, put on gloves and other protective measures, look for any other patients, and form a general impression of how their patient is doing. After that, well....watch the video and find out.

Initial Assessment from John Hovey on Vimeo.

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Evisceration...Ewwww!

Trauma to the abdomen can tear through the abdominal wall and, in some cases, expose the patient's intestines or other internal organs. This is a serious emergency called an evisceration, and it requires prompt evacuation from the wilderness and transport to a hospital. Infection, bleeding, and drying of the organs are all concerns.

The Wildernes EMT's prehospital care of this injury must include bandaging over the injury with a moist, sterile gauze dressing. The organs must be kept warm and moist, and they should not be touched. Definitely don't try to push them back in to the patient's abdomen! That is the job of a surgeon.

Note: this photo shows WEMT student Aaron Inouye suffering a *simulated* evisceration. How do we create these moulage injuries? Take a WMI Wilderness EMT course to find out!

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When the students are away, the staff will play!

And the game this week is touching up the Rocky Mountain Branch (RM) with a fresh coat of paint. A big thanks goes out to Latane, David,  and their hard working crew for the face-lift.   It looks great!

Before.

After.

The RM Staff are also anxious to hear all the great adventure stories that the returning Fall Semesters Students (FSR), had on their previous Section. FSR 7 going to be transitioning onto their climbing camp, and FSR 8 will move onto their river sections, both are going to be an incredibly exciting time. Have Fun!

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Stabilize and Transport

That is what EMTs do, they stabilize and transport patients. When patients are injured in a motor vehicle accident, extra care must be taken to prevent further injury to the spinal cord. Here's how to do it:

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In a Heartbeat

A Wilderness EMT responding to a patient complaining of chest pain must understand cardiac physiology in order to appropriately assess and treat a potential cardiac emergency, such as angina or myocardial infarction. Chest pain can be caused by a variety of non-cardiac events including pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, hyperventilation syndrome, and rib injury as well, but classic symptoms of a cardiac emergency include a persistent "crushing" or "squeezing" pain in the chest that may radiate to the arms or jaw, shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea and vomiting, lightheadedness, and pale sweaty skin. The patient's heartbeat may become weak or irregular.

To help students understand how electricity can be used to "defibrillate" a heart that's stopped beating, WMI instructor Brian Barrett dissects an antelope heart (similar in size and structure to a human heart) and discusses the mechanisms that coordinate a heartbeat.

Heart Dissection from John Hovey on Vimeo.

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Deliciousness

It's not all hard work on a Wilderness EMT course, it's great people and great food, too. WMI student "Spenceriffic" Neubauer says, "I would definitely take this entire course all over again just so I can eat this food!" Big thanks to Betty and Barry for their wonderful cuisine.

Seen here: students load up on gourmet fish tacos with mango-and-bean salsa.

Instructor Brian Barrett wolfs down a second slice of Barry's devastatingly decadent espresso "Mud Pie."

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A New Perspective in 88 Days

" It is the most life-affirming and confidence-building thing I have ever done."

John Balke of Libertyville, Illinois completed a Spring Semester in the Southwest and gained not only technical and leadership skills, but a whole new perspective. "I loved it," he recently told his local paper. "Besides the actual activities and things we did, NOLS gave me a different perspective on my life."

While backpacking, rock climbing, caving, and canoeing through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, John became a firm believer in the benefits of NOLS, telling people he knows to "do it" because of the payoffs he experienced. Excited by his experiences and the support his coursemates provided for him, John is now striving to become a NOLS instructor and plans to take a NOLS Alumni trip.

To check out the whole story click here: A New Perspective

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Ready...Set...Oxygen!

This morning's WEMT challenge is a blindfolded O2 tank assembly race for time. Oxygen administration and ventilation are key components of the Wilderness EMT's prehospital medical care.

Untitled from John Hovey on Vimeo.

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River Rescue!

Rescue skills are put to the test when a small aircraft is accidentally shot out of the sky by a careless antelope hunter. Amazingly, the aircraft lands in a stream adjacent to the Sinks Canyon Center classroom where Wilderness EMT students are ready to treat the injured pilots and passengers. Obviously this is a simulation, created by the cunning instructors at WMI.

Untitled from John Hovey on Vimeo.

In the first video, watch some quick work as students stabilize a broken femur. The femur, your thigh bone, is the largest bone in your body and very strong. If it is fractured, you face potential life-threatening bleeding and excruciating spasms of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles, making it critical to treat this injury properly and quickly.

River Rescue from John Hovey on Vimeo.

The second video highlights some of the challenges associated with stabilizing and transporting a patient in the middle of a river. What? You got wet? Well, I guess that's to be expected on a wilderness medicine course!

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