1,000 nurses and paramedics trained in knife attacks

A campaign to stop people from dying from stab wounds has become a cornerstone of nurse education at Liverpool John Moores University.

Just over seven months since teaming up with KnifeSavers, LJMU has trained more than 1,000 people in how to save a life after a stabbing.

“Saving a life like this might be the most important thing I do,” said Erin Brett, a second year Adult Nursing student at LJMU.

KnifeSavers was the brainchild of Nikhil Misra, a trauma surgeon at Aintree University Hospital and created with victims of knife crime, and support from trauma data analysts at the Public Health Institute at LJMU.

LJMU’s Faculty of Health joined the campaign in autumn 2023 and puts students from a range of nursing and paramedic courses through the basic emergency training.

Erin explained: “Doing the knife-savers training was very eye opening and I was intrigued when I heard we could do it.

“They teach you some of the statistics of knife crime which shocked me to be completely honest.

“Having the hands-on experience and being able to have a go of the kits made me feel a lot more prepared, should - God forbid - I need to use a kit. I'd recommend that anyone who can, should do the course. It's all knowledge that could possibly save a life. It's good to have in your arsenal.”

Her tutor Kev Cairns, a lecturer in clinical skills and simulation, said: “A stab victim can bleed to death in just five minutes, so equipping people with the knowledge and tools to prevent massive blood loss at the scene is the single most effective way of improving the chances of survival.

“We are delighted that more than 1,000 of our students can go out into the world better prepared for this type of emergency care.”

Dr Nicole Russell, an emergency medicine consultant and co-director of KnifeSavers, said: “LMJU is a renowned institute for healthcare education in our region and this partnership not only ensures these students who are the foundation and future of our NHS are equipped with these critical bleeding control skills, but also act as ambassadors to continue to educate the public and communities around them.

“Unfortunately knife related injuries remain commonplace and potentially devastating, by driving forward collaborative work like this we continue to ensure that every household knows that immediate effective control of bleeding can be life-saving.”