TNMU Paramedic Students Participated in an International Competition in Lithuania
On October 25, 2024, an annual student competition in first aid took place in Kaunas, Lithuania. This event brought together 37 teams from various universities and colleges in Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine that train students in first aid. Teams from I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University and Volyn Medical Institute (Lutsk) represented Ukraine.
The Lithuanian Association of Paramedics, First Aid Training Centre «IRTA» and Karalius Mindaugas Vocational Training Centre organized the championship. Instructors and judges assessed the students’ readiness to work with critically injured individuals and their resilience in crises.
The TNMU team consisted of third-year paramedic students: Viktoria Tsisarchuk, Diana Hryhoryshyn, and Nataliia Ivasyshyn. Professor Arsen Hudyma, Head of the Emergency and Simulation Medicine Department, and Associate Professor Olha Prokhorenko accompanied them.
All five competitions were based on real-life scenarios and were quite comprehensive and multifaceted, requiring significant teamwork and collaboration.
The goal of the championship was to comprehensively practice skills and provide first aid to victims in urgent conditions using only improvised materials (sometimes first aid kits) and then call an emergency medical team. If the team felt lost, they could contact the emergency dispatch center for detailed instructions. It was essential to evaluate one’s safety before performing primary and secondary assessments to eliminate all life-threatening dangers before the ambulance arrived. Each stage of the competition highlighted the importance of acting quickly and accurately, emphasizing the well-known saying: “In critical situations, we fall back to the level of our training, not rise to the level of our knowledge.”
One of the most emotional stages of the championship involved childbirth in a nightclub. Music, the cries of the woman in labor, and a man experiencing seizures created a dramatic atmosphere. Communication with the dispatcher was crucial for effectively managing the childbirth process and the mandatory call for two ambulance teams.
Basic resuscitation measures are essential knowledge not only for medical professionals but for the general population as well. In one scenario, a driver experienced health problems while driving, and the car stopped in front of a supermarket. While assessing the situation, the students identified sudden cardiac arrest, initiated basic resuscitation measures promptly, and noted that the victim was wet from spilling water on himself during the loss of consciousness. They received the highest reward for restoring spontaneous circulation during the competition.
In another scenario involving a motorcycle accident, a patient had an amputated limb and critical bleeding. Fortunately, all paramedics had tourniquets, allowing them to complete the task by following the protocol for assisting the injured patient.
The harsh realities of today were reflected in one of the stages, which involved explosions, screams, and three victims suffering from burns, open pneumothorax, and a patient with psychomotor agitation. However, despite the emotional aspect, all patients survived, and help was provided effectively.
Of course, physical fitness and the ability to perform quality manipulations while battling one’s rapid heartbeat and emotions were crucial throughout the competition.
During the visit to Kaunas, Arsen Hudyma met with the administration of St. Ignatius Loyola College. This meeting aimed to develop a package of documents for TNMU paramedic students to obtain dual diplomas from Ukraine and Lithuania. Steps for collaboration in student exchange within the framework of cross-border mobility were discussed, including joint conferences, participation of instructors in practical classes and lectures, and, importantly, arrangements for third-year paramedic students to complete their internships with emergency services in Kaunas.
What the TNMU team gained from participating in this competition:
- First aid competitions are essential for updating students’ knowledge and skills and exchanging experiences among instructors and students.
- In first aid, every detail matters during assessments and when assisting.
- Lack of resources requires successfully using improvised materials and being resourceful.
- Training in first aid necessitates specific scenarios for emergency conditions, communication, and teamwork.
Overall, the competition in Lithuania served as a platform for practicing and evaluating practical skills acquired during training and highlighted the importance of continuous improvement for quality professional preparation.
We express our gratitude to the Malasauska family for their warm hospitality, invaluable experience, and an abundance of positive emotions.