Prison Health staff come to the rescue

For Immediate Release 31 July 2009

Prison Health staff come to the rescue

A Mt Eden Prison nurse yesterday went to the aid of a visitor after he had a suspected heart attack.

“At lunchtime yesterday, a man arrived at Mt Eden to drop off some property for a prisoner. While he was there he experienced strong pain in his chest and was obviously in need of assistance. Custodial staff were able to call over the radio for Health Staff assistance and one of our nurses, who has recently undertaken additional training in the area of emergency response, was able to arrive with a colleague within minutes to help the man,” says Prison Manager Neville Mark.

“Custodial staff made the man as comfortable as possible, and on arrival, the nurse was able to communicate with the man to establish where and what type of pain he was experiencing. The nurse had custodial staff call an ambulance and checked the mans vital signs including his blood pressure, pulse, respirations and oxygen saturation, vision, grip strength, mental alertness and orientation. The unwell man was then administered oxygen and the nurse was able to comprehensively brief ambulance staff on his condition when they arrived,” says Mr Mark.

“The man was then transported to hospital, and the custodial staff ensured that his vehicle was safe from towing and that the property he had been at the site to deliver for a prisoner was secure.”

“For the ill man, it was fortunate that medical professionals were only a radio call away. Providing assistance to someone in medical need is what any member of the community could reasonably be expected to do, but to assess the man, provide oxygen and ensure that his car was safe shows that our staff go beyond the call of duty. We are especially pleased that this nurse was able to put into practice the knowledge gained from his recent training.”

ENDS

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