Trail Patient Assessment: Head-to-Toe Checklist

After a simulated fall on the trail, students follow an ordered sequence: scene safety, responsiveness and breathing, a head-to-toe exam and protection from the cold ground. They work in groups of three with a made-up patient or hidden injury cards.

How to play

1. Review the sequence: secure the scene, check responsiveness and breathing, do a head-to-toe exam and insulate from the cold (5 min).
2. Demonstrate the exam: head, neck without moving it, shoulders, chest, abdomen, pelvis, legs and arms, always asking the patient (4 min).
3. Groups of three: a patient with injury cards taped under outer clothing in spots that are only found by examining, a first aider and a recorder with the checklist (8 min).
4. After the exam, the first aider insulates the patient from the ground with a mat and covers them with the emergency blanket, without moving them if a spinal injury is suspected (4 min).
5. Rotate roles with a different case (7 min).
6. Compare checklists: which areas were most often missed and why the order matters (2 min).

Rules

• If a neck or back injury is suspected, the simulated patient is not moved.
• Examine with gentle touch and always ask the partner's permission.
• Injury cards go on top of the T-shirt, never on private areas.
• Stay calm and talk to the patient throughout the exam.

Variations

Adaptations

• Touch sensitivity: serves as recorder or examines a volunteer partner while saying each step out loud first.
• Limited mobility: examines from a raised position with the patient on a bench, or directs verbally.
• Visual impairment: examines by touch and a partner describes the cards found.

Learning goals

• Apply an ordered patient assessment sequence in the outdoors.
• Prevent hypothermia by insulating the patient from the ground and wind.
• Coordinate first aider and recorder roles in a simulated situation.

Equipment for a class of 25

• exercise mats: 15
• emergency blankets: 10
• worksheets: 30

Teacher tip

Always respect a student's choice not to be examined and offer another role. Have the recorder use a watch: the time of each finding is useful for emergency services.

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