Game: nurse vs. nature!

by Scrubs • May 14, 2012 , ,

iStockphoto + Hemera

Be warned! This nursing game is not for the faint of heart—okay, so most of you are qualified…right? If you think you can handle an ant attack, freak weather events and tumbling boulders, here’s your opportunity to experience the vicarious thrill of pitting your wits against Nature itself.

The scenarios in this game are loosely inspired by true events of off-duty nurses who’ve saved lives (their own or others) using their job training and fast thinking. See if you have what it takes to survive! (Cue the tribal drum beat.)

1. You’re out for a trail walk by yourself in Sub-Saharan Africa. Your guide radios that there is a herd of lions nearby and he is on his way to get you in the jeep. Just then, a lion appears and takes a swipe at your leg before running off. You call your guide, but you know you’re likely to pass out very soon and there’s no one around to apply pressure to your gash once that happens. How do you buy yourself extra time waiting for the guide to reach you?





2. A massive tsunami has swept over the continent and it appears you’re the only human left alive within 1000 miles (bear with us here). After two days with no human contact or provisions, you find what appears to be an abandoned RV that has some supplies still inside its tiny kitchen. You’re cramming food into your mouth when you think you hear a noise outside. You’re so startled that your food gets stuck in your throat and you can’t breathe. How do you keep from choking to death?





3. You’re climbing in the mountains and you’ve reached a fairly flat area when you hear the sound of rocks tumbling down toward you. As you look up, you see a medium-size boulder heading your way. It’s too late to dodge or run out of the way to avoid impact. How do you minimize the damage that’s about to happen to your body?





4. You’re out at the soccer field watching your daughter play with her team when you hear sounds of thunder as a severe hailstorm approaches. One of the kids is struck by a bolt of lightning and falls to the ground, having a convulsive seizure and making a snorting, gurgling sound. You have only a couple of minutes to respond before two-inch hail starts falling, causing more injuries to you and others. What do you do?





5. You’re on an airplane that runs into a flock of geese mid-flight. Some of the birds get sucked into the engines and it’s apparent that the plane will need to land at the nearest airport to avoid catastrophic failure. Unfortunately, the elderly pilot is so stressed by the emergency that he begins to show signs of cardiac arrest. You’ve taken some flying lessons and actually know how to fly a plane, but not how to land it. You’re also the only person on the aircraft with any medical training. What do you do first?





6. Your new boyfriend has taken you out sailing (it’s your first time on a boat). You’re out of sight of land and a storm is brewing on the horizon when he begins complaining about feeling very tired and having a horrible headache. His speech becomes slower and slightly slurred. You realize he may be having a stroke. You need him to focus long enough to show you how to use the emergency radio to call for medical evacuation and the Coast Guard to help you get the boat back to land. What do you do?





7. A wildfire is approaching your town much faster than expected. In fact, your home has already been set alight by windblown cinders while you’re still preparing for evacuation. Your house is filling with smoke and you can barely see or breathe. As you’re rushing to get out of the house, your clothing catches fire. What do you do to put out the flames fast so you can continue your escape?





8. You are caught out on the road in your car during a hurricane. A burst of wind blows a large piece of twisted metal debris through your windshield. The metal impales your left shoulder. You have a few minutes to move to a safer location in a nearby building as the eye of the hurricane passes over. What’s your first order of business after you try calling 911 and find the phones are not working?





9. You’re driving through a rural area in the southern U.S. when your car breaks down. As you walk to the next town, you step in a fire ant bed. You suffer several dozen ant bites. By the time you reach the nearest gas station/convenience store, you’re experiencing an allergic reaction that’s becoming increasingly severe. Right now, you’ve got a really bad case of hives, but you’re afraid it might progress to facial swelling and breathing problems. The store clerk says there is no EpiPen in the first aid kit. You’ll have to make do with what’s on the store shelves. What do you look for?





10. You’re with your family at the zoo when a tornado hits. You take refuge in one of the exhibit buildings that houses the snakes and reptiles. Unfortunately, the twister rips the roof off the building and smashes the glass terrariums, releasing poisonous snakes and several large crocodiles. In the confusion, a toddler has gotten hold of some candy from his mother’s purse and now has a Jolly Rancher lodged in the back of his mouth. His mother is starting to panic and this isn’t helping anyone stay calm and exit without attracting unwanted attention from the dangerous reptiles on the loose. The child is making some whimpering sounds and he’s started turning blue. How do you deal with the emergency situation as efficiently as possible?







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2 Responses to Game: nurse vs. nature!

  1. Nurse Rene

    • RN

      Registered Nurse

    I have a few issues with some of the answers to this test.
    First: the use of a Tourniquet has been discouraged for quite some decades now as it tends to cut off ALL circulation and does more harm than good.
    Second: Unless one can actually SEE a foreign object in the child’s mouth doing a finger sweep is contraindicated as it may push the candy farther into the airway and make the blockage worse.
    Third: Research now shows that we have longer than previously thought BEFORE the oxygen saturation begins to drop when breathing is compromised (child with seizure). In the scenario it seems that the first thing should be to get out of harms’ way and THEN deal with the seizure/airway issue.

  2. bed15

    I would love to see someone consciously go limp while waiting for a good-sized boulder to roll over them!

    Thank goodness nursing isn’t any of these on a regular basis…