Scrapes, Cuts and Nosebleeds Care Stations
At four stations, students practice caring for the minor injuries that happen most often at school: scrapes, small cuts, nosebleeds and blisters. They work on hygiene, glove use and knowing what not to do, such as tilting the head back.
How to play
- Intro (2 min): the teacher introduces the four stations, each with a step card, and reminds students that gloves always go on.
- Groups of 6, one per station; rotate every 4 minutes on the whistle.
- Station 1, scrape: simulate washing with soap and water, pat dry with gauze from the center outward and cover with an adhesive bandage.
- Station 2, small cut: hold pressure with clean gauze for a counted minute without lifting to look, then apply a simple dressing.
- Station 3, nosebleed: sit the casualty with the head tilted slightly forward and pinch the soft part of the nose for ten minutes (simulate two).
- Station 4, blister: don't pop it, protect it with a bandage and explain how proper shoes and socks prevent it; remove gloves without touching the outside.
Rules
- Wear disposable gloves for all care.
- Never tilt the head back for a nosebleed.
- Don't put cotton balls directly on a wound.
- Throw used gloves in the trash when leaving each station.
Variations
Easier
Three stations only, without the glove removal technique.
Standard
Four 4-minute stations with step cards.
Harder
No step cards: groups work from memory while another group checks with a checklist.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: set the station on a table at wheelchair height.
- Visual impairment: a partner describes the fake wound and guides the student's hands to the supplies.
- Squeamish about blood: use wounds drawn with a marker and start in the observer role.
Learning goals
- Clean and cover a scrape and a small cut hygienically.
- Respond correctly to a nosebleed.
- Put on and remove disposable gloves without contamination.
Equipment for a class of 25
- first-aid kit: 4
- gauze pads: 50
- disposable gloves (pairs): 60
- adhesive bandages: 40
Teacher tip
Ask about latex allergies at the start and use nitrile gloves. Draw the wounds on skin with washable marker so the practice is visual.
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