Nursing professor works to expand lifesaving STOP THE BLEED campaign

In as little as five minutes, severe bleeding can lead to death. But by knowing how to correctly identify the injury, put direct pressure on the wound, and apply a tourniquet, lives can be saved.

Liberty University School of Nursing Associate Professor Dr. Dana Woody, DNP, RN, has been working with nursing students through the national STOP THE BLEED campaign to train Liberty’s students, faculty, and staff on how to apply bleeding control techniques.

In 2013, following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., the previous year, a surgeon from the American College of Surgeons brought together leaders from the law enforcement, government, and medical communities to find ways to improve the survivability from intentional mass-casualty and active shooter events like Sandy Hook.

The committee found that most casualties were victims who bled to death before they could be treated, largely because law enforcement had difficulty securing active crime scenes and first responders were not able to access victims. But, by providing civilians who are often on the front lines of emergencies with basic skills to stop uncontrolled bleeding, the committee found that survival rates of victims would increase.

The recommendations of the committee, called the Hartford Consensus, were the genesis of the STOP THE BLEED program.

Woody first heard about the program from a friend in trauma services at Centra Health, a regional healthcare system based in Lynchburg, Va., and from a student who attended a national student nursing convention. Since then, Woody has been working to teach the bleeding control methods to all of her students, forming a solid foundation for the program to expand throughout the campus community.

Woody has also been in partnership with the Liberty University Police Department (LUPD) Crime Prevention Unit to provide STOP THE BLEED education to participants of its active shooter training courses.

“Teaming up with LUPD as they offer their active shooter training just made sense. It’s a great opportunity to dovetail onto their efforts and raise awareness of the program,” Woody said.

To date, the program has been shared with staff from the Jerry Falwell Library and Athletics, as well as senior-level community health students. Woody’s plan is to bring the training to each school on campus, including students, faculty and staff.

(Note: STOP THE BLEED training on campus is currently on hold due to university classes moving online because of COVID-19 restrictions).

Shelly Coleman, a nursing student, received the STOP THE BLEED training and felt a calling to help spread the word about the program.

“I think that attending the STOP THE BLEED program would be beneficial for all students and faculty at LU because it’s a valuable skill that you do not have to be a medical professional to learn,” said Coleman, who has been volunteering her time to work with Woody on the program and earning CSER (Christian/Community Service) program credit.

“Accidents and tragedies can happen at any time, and the most effective way of mitigating harm is to be prepared, so when people are prepared for dangerous situations such as life-threatening hemorrhage, they can feel confident in their ability to act accordingly,” she added.

Coleman noted that bleeding is the No. 1 cause of preventable death after injury.

“STOP THE BLEED is an incredibly important program because it empowers its attendees by giving them the knowledge that could save someone’s life.”

Because of Coleman’s passion for the program, she and Woody have been working together to make the training available to the Liberty University community, including efforts to get students involved in the active shooter classes and incorporate the training into a University Core Competencies course setting.

“Shelly has been very instrumental in discovering these opportunities and I think this is really a showcase for her CSER credit,” Woody said. “She is on the ground critically involved in moving this program forward to change the knowledge base of the campus.”

Dr. Woody and a fellow nursing colleague, Dr. Tonia Kennedy, along with the LUPD Crime Prevention lead Sgt. Jeff Hurtak, has applied for a university Illuminate Grant to purchase a STOP THE BLEED training kit. The training is very scripted and includes a hands-on opportunity so participants can learn the three lifesaving bleeding control measures: pressure, packing, and tourniquet application.