9 Ways To Improve Control-The-Bleed Training For Medical Students

Did you know that trauma is the leading cause of death for individuals under the age of 45?

And part of this trauma and its unfortunate outcome is an uncontrolled haemorrhage. That is an acute loss of blood from a damaged blood vessel.

As a result, control-the-bleed training has become crucial and very important in both civilian and medical communities. But despite its proven effectiveness, the depth and success of haemorrhage control training vary hugely for medical students.

Enhancing this training can ensure that healthcare providers are better prepared to respond to these types of emergencies in the future. Ultimately, reducing the number of fatal trauma incidents.

With that in mind, we are going to share nine ways that educators, institutions and the healthcare industry as a whole can improve control-the-bleed training for medical students.

1. Integrate simulation

-based learning as early and often as possible

Traditional teaching methods are important when learning anything new; the trouble is, these can only take you so far and don’t always translate into effective real-world applications.

This is particularly true in the medical industry, where learning from books and lectures doesn’t truly prepare students for real-world scenarios and medical emergencies.

As a result, integrating simulation-based learning is key. For example, using mannequins or moulage scenarios can help to mimic the stress and chaos of trauma situations. This enables students to practice their hands-on skills and decision-making under pressure.

Integrating haemorrhage control simulations as early as possible in their medical education can make a huge difference. However, it is critical that you reinforce it throughout their clinical rotations, helping to embed muscle memory and confidence in this area.

2. Use realistic wound models (with active bleeding features)

When it comes to practising stop-the-bleed skills, it’s not possible to practice them on a real person experiencing a haemorrhage unless you find yourself in a very unfortunate situation, that is!

But the good news is that realistic models, like control-the-bleed task trainers, have been created to simulate realistic wounds. Some, like those from Decent Simulators, not only feel realistic but also mimic the flow of blood coming out.

These wound simulation kits that mimic spurting arterial bleeds or oozing wounds can provide this realism and better prepare students for real-world scenarios. These models can be used to practice wound packing, applying tourniquets and more, making the whole experience more immersive and clinically relevant.

3. Utilise mobile and Virtual Reality (VR) training tools

Modern medical students are tech-savvy, and there are lots of digital platforms out there that can support their learning. Mobile apps with interactive content are just one example.

Alternatively, VR programs simulating trauma scenarios give students the opportunity to rehearse decision-making and stop-the-bleed techniques outside the classroom. These tools offer scalable, on-demand reinforcement that complements their book learning and in-person training.

4. Make the most of peer-to-peer teaching methods

Now, teachers, we’re not saying you’re not great, but studies have shown that peer-led training can be just as effective, if not more so, than faculty-led training.

A good example of this in practice is letting senior medical students reinforce their knowledge and leadership skills by teaching their junior counterparts these haemorrhage control techniques.

This model enables students to strengthen their own learning by teaching others, improves skill retention and promotes a culture of mutual learning and accountability.

5. Incorporate interdisciplinary team training into the curriculum

Let’s face it, trauma response is very rarely a solo act. Therefore, medical students should really train alongside nursing students, paramedics and other allied health professionals when strengthening their stop-the-bleed skills.

This is best achieved through interdisciplinary drills that encourage communication, role clarity and teamwork. That’s because these are the key components of successful haemorrhage control in high-pressure situations.

This method of training also reinforces the concept that all healthcare professionals share responsibility in emergency situations like this and can help them to work seamlessly together.

6. Include real-world case studies and personal accounts

There are lots of reasons to include real-world case studies and stories in your teaching methods.

For one thing, hearing from trauma surgeons, first responders or even survivors can personalise the importance of hemorrhage control. It can also give them tips on how medical professionals have tackled these emergencies in the past.

Not only this but integrating these narratives into your training humanises the content, reinforces its real-life relevance and can inspire students to take their learning more seriously.

7. Integrate bleeding control into the wider trauma curriculum

In order to ensure the strongest bleed control skills, it’s important that this is not a single lesson or even a series of lectures. Rather than isolating haemorrhage control as a standalone module, it should be embedded in broader trauma and emergency medicine throughout the curriculum.

Whether this is during Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) instruction or other surgical training, repeatedly emphasising bleeding control during relevant lessons can ensure continuity and clinical relevance.

It also gives medical students a chance to revisit these skills, continue practising and using these in different medical scenarios, and ask questions or get a refresher when they need it.

8. Encourage your students to advocate for themselves and engage with the local community

Another great way to support student’s learning and bleed control knowledge is to encourage them to teach bleeding control in local schools, workplaces, workshops or public events.

This not only enhances their skills but means they can impart life-saving knowledge to the local community. Advocacy initiatives like this can also foster leadership skills and demonstrate the important role of medical professionals beyond their positions in clinical care.

9. Provide refresher training for long-term skill retention

Last but not least, without reinforcement and refresher courses, haemorrhage control skills will degrade over time.

That is why periodic refresher training, such as hands-on sessions with realistic training models, can help students maintain their proficiency. These programs can track skill retention through post-tests or simulated scenarios, and these should be conducted a couple of months after initial training.

This is a simple way to determine how much your students remember, how effective your current training methods are and any areas that might need improvement in the future.