You know that shiny, soon-to-be-blood-spattered laminated sharps injury poster in the sluice? Everyone vaguely knows what to do when they get a sharps injury… encourage the wound to gently bleed, under running water if possible. Wash hands with soap and water and do not scrub the wound, do not suck the wound, get help with prophylaxis.

 

Above all don’t not act.

 

Actually, in the moment we often can’t remember exactly what to do, as we generally feel pretty embarrassed and stupid, but the poster – and the compassionate education around it – helps remind us.

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What if...

 

we were to offer the same automatic, robust and compassionate response for trauma exposure for maternity staff?

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Watch this space for new ways of understanding and being with our own trauma responses.

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