Question

You are dispatched to an elementary school for a 7-year-old boy who sustained a minor injury while on the playground. The child is conscious, alert, and does not appear to have any life-threatening injuries. What should you do?

A. Send the child to the nurse's office for minor treatment and then return your unit to service.
B. Ask a teacher to contact the child's parents to obtain consent for you to begin treatment.
C. Allow a teacher to sign a patient refusal form because the child does not require treatment.
D. Begin treatment of the child and request an EMT unit to transport him to the hospital.

Answer 1

For a minor injury on a playground where the child is alert and not in serious danger, sending the child to the nurse's office for minor treatment is the correct course of action.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you are dispatched to an elementary school for a 7-year-old boy who sustained a minor injury on the playground, and the child is conscious, alert, and does not appear to have any life-threatening injuries, the appropriate course of action would be to send the child to the nurse's office for minor treatment and then return your unit to service. This option ensures that the child receives the care needed for a minor injury without the unnecessary use of emergency medical resources. Before providing any treatment, it would be important to obtain consent from a parent or legal guardian, if possible. In situations where the injury is minor and non-life-threatening, involving the nurse's office is a standard and efficient practice within a school setting. Transporting the child to the hospital by an EMT unit is not indicated unless there are signs of a more serious condition.