Recovery Position

[mycrofft]

The recovery position, or HAINES position, is fine for any patient. Lateral "immobilization" is common in places that actually read good and stuff. Supine is unnatural, impairs pulmonary function, and opens your patient up to the risk of aspiration.

We've got some sick fetish whereby we lay everybody down supine who is sick or injured...can I get some head elevation please? Won't anybody think of the side sleepers?!

Yes!! Time and again I've see patients shut down because we tip 'em like turtles.

We flip em on their back and resp shuts down. Some people it does that without insult! ANd then we have to roll them back onto their side because we didn't check quickly for trauma, pain tenderness or deformity on the back or flanks before rolling them.

 

[MedicDelta]

By the sound of it you have higher training than your LifeGuard instructor who I'm guessing is only First Aid qualified. Airway/breathing only comes before c-spine if the patient is actually suffering from an airway problem, having breathing difficulties or goes into cardiac arrest. Don't take any crap from someone who has lower level medical training than you, wether he's your supervisor or not. When an emergency actually happens you should technically have seniority.