Rural nurses get trauma training

SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTHI) - Some Wabash Valley nurses trained to deal with trauma in rural areas.

Eleven nurses went to the rural trauma training clinic at Sullivan County Community Hospital.

Their goal was to learn how to deliver critical care to patients in emergencies who are far from trauma hospitals.

That is because some of Indiana's leading trauma hospitals are over an hour away from rural areas.

The first hour of care can be critical to the health of a patient.

"That's our golden time to intercede and make a difference. Most people in Indiana are not within an hour's easy drive of a level one trauma center," ER nurse Karla Dean said.

The closest level one trauma center to Sullivan is Riley Hospital in Indiana, almost two hours away.

Members of the Indiana Emergency Nurses Association say that basic rural trauma training is not mandatory in all hospitals but can be essential in saving lives.

For more information on rural health visit http://www.indianaruralhealth.org