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Rebecca McGehee

17 November 2011

AP Lit

Mrs. Corbett

Senior Project

For my senior project, I am running a blood drive. The Healthcare Science class at

Creekview High School hosts two blood drives every year. So, for my project I will be planning

and organizing one. This project will help me with my future career goals. After graduation, I

plan on attending college and then nursing school. Following nursing school, I plan to become a

Nurse Anesthetist. Arranging a blood drive will help prepare me for the nursing field.

The company the blood drive will be held through is LifeSouth. In 1974, in Gainesville,

Florida, the Civitan Club was asked to organize a community blood bank to support the local

hospitals. The club consisted of less than thirty members and eight of the members quit because

they believed that the project would fail. The Civitan Club received a $50,000 loan to help start

up the blood bank. The Civitan Regional Blood Center first opened up in an old house on August

28, 1974. “The little local blood center, which Scroggie admits he never imagined would ever

expand beyond the city limits of Gainesville, eventually grew into LifeSouth, which now has

more than 800 employees and supports more than 110 medical facilities” (Our History).

In order to have a successful blood drive, advertisement is important. A couple weeks

before the blood drive, posters and other types of advertisements to influence people to sign up

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to donate should be visible around the community. The advertisement should include the date of

the blood drive and where to sign up to donate. The person in charge should have a book of

signup sheets with time slots. When donors signup they need to know what times are available

for donation. If someone under the age of seventeen signs up, they must receive a parent consent

form. The parent consent form must be completed in order for that person to give blood. “The

earlier you start organizing, the better! There's a lot to do and much to think about, but if you

follow a specific checklist provided by the blood center, you will be very well prepared and not

overwhelmed when your blood drive dates arrive. Delegation of the tasks involved in organizing

a blood drive not only makes the job easier, it builds teamwork and gives more people the

opportunity to get involved. Create a committee by nominating four responsible students. These

students in turn nominate other students to help them” (Organize a Blood Drive).

On the day of the blood drive, a sign in table, waiting area, nurse stations, donation

chairs, and a hydration station will be set up. Donors must sign in with their ID and will be

directed to the waiting area. Once a nurse station is open, the donor will report to one and answer

a series of questions. If the donor is eligible they will then be put in a donation chair to give

blood. “Healthy and well screened donors are allowed to donate at least one pint or one unit of

blood volume. You do not have to worry if you donate this amount because it can be easily

replenished by your body in just one day and in a couple of weeks the bone marrow will be able

to replace blood cells that were lost during the transfusion” (American Red Cross). Next, the

donor will be escorted to the hydration station for juice and snacks.

Someone in America needs blood about every two seconds. “Each year, nearly five

million Americans need a blood transfusion. To meet our responsibility, we need to collect

266,000 blood donations a year. That’s 728 donors a day. With over 30 donor centers, 37 blood

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mobiles and over 1,000 blood drives a month, our LifeSouth team is committed to making sure

the blood is there when you or your family member is in need. We are your community blood

center. The blood supply collected from our donors directly serves the needs of patients at over

100 medical facilities throughout our footprint. The blood donated here will stay in our

community for local patient transfusion.  Only if our local supply is met will LifeSouth share our

blood resources with other communities” (About LifeSouth). Accident victims, patients with

cancer or having surgery, and those with anemia need blood for their treatment. One of every

seven people who go into the hospital will need blood. Blood and donors will always be needed.

There must always be enough blood available for when unexpected situations occur. Blood is

made up of three important components: plasma, platelets, and red cells. Plasma replaces volume

and transports cells (What is Blood?). It assists with clotting and helps to maintain blood

pressure. Platelets also help the blood to clot and are often used in transplants, and cancer

patients. Red cells carry oxygen to organs and tissues throughout the body. Also, they are used in

situations where blood is lost from surgery or trauma (About Donating Blood).

People may believe that donating blood is not safe. However, there are multiple safety

procedures to protect the donors and recipients of blood. “It is virtually impossible to contract a

disease from donating blood. Only sterile, disposable equipment is used throughout the donation

process. You cannot get AIDS or another infectious disease by donating blood or blood

products” (Blood Donor Center). Before a donor can give blood they have to meet the eligibility

standards, have their records checked, and have laboratory testing done. Prior to donation, pulse,

blood pressure, body temperature, and hemoglobin are tested on each donor. For each unit blood

lab tests are done to confirm that the blood is safe. Thirteen tests, eleven for infectious diseases,

and a screening process are included in the safety procedures (America’s Blood Centers). These

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tests check for antibodies, Hepatitis, HIV, Syphilis, West Nile virus, and others. When abnormal

test results are received, the donor is notified and the blood must be discarded. Side effects after

donating blood are common. “There are potential short-term side effects, however. These effects

depend on the type of product being donated, your body's tolerance to the procedure, your

overall health and your previous experiences with donations. Side effects can be minimized by

being well-hydrated prior to donation, eating a well-balanced meal before and after donation, and

getting plenty of sleep the night before” (Blood Donation). Donors are recommended to reduce

activity afterwards. In teens and young adults it is very common to become lightheaded or dizzy

after donating. However, some blood donors report fainting, seizures, stiffness, and nausea.

These symptoms should be reported to a physician if they are persistent. To reduce the risk of

side effects, before donating, consume a well-balanced meal and plenty of fluids. Also, it is

suggested to be well rested.

Donors may be deferred before donating based on some tests. Most deferrals are

temporary but there are also factors that can cause permanent deferrals. Some common reasons

for deferrals include: low hemoglobin, and cold, flu, or other illness symptoms. “The most

common reason for low hemoglobin, especially in women, is low iron stores (e.g., iron

deficiency anemia). For their own safety, donors must have a certain level of hemoglobin (or

hematocrit) to be able to donate. Hemoglobin levels vary daily, and you may return to donate the

next day, provided your hemoglobin level is above the required threshold” (If You’re Not

Eligible to Give Blood). In order to increase iron levels iron-rich foods including: meat, green

vegetables, and seafood should be consumed. Also, an iron supplement is an option. If the donor

does not feel well or has illness symptoms, for the donor and recipients safety, should not donate.

However, the donor may donate once all of the symptoms are gone. Other reasons for deferrals

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could be based on certain travel done in the past, some medications being taken and medical

conditions that the donor may have (Am I Eligible?).

By running a blood drive for my senior project I will learn what it takes to accomplish

this. Also, I will learn some aspects of nursing. Dealing with donors at the blood drive will help

prepare me for working with patients in the future. Organizing a blood drive will also help with

my management skills. Time management and managing a team or staff is very important. I can

discuss concerns or comments with the nurses working at the blood drive. Running and

organizing a blood drive could be beneficial to anyone wanting to pursue a career in nursing.

 

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Works Cited

“About Donating Blood.” Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.giveblood.org/ about-donating>.

“About LifeSouth.” LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.lifesouth.org/ index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=4&Itemid=53>.

American Red Cross. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.redcrossblood.org>.

“Am I Eligible?” Atlanta Blood Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://atlantabloodservices.com/

gen_eligibility.htm>.

“Blood Donation.” PubMed. NCBI, n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/

15666658>.

“Blood Donor Center.” St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.stjude.org/ stjude/ v/ index.jsp?

vgnextoid=dcebfa2454e70110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD&vgnextchannel=10c315faf711801

0VgnVCM1000000e2015acRCRD>.

“If You’re Not Eligible to Give Blood.” American Red Cross. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.redcrossblood.org/ donating-blood/ eligibility-requirements/ what-do-if-you-do-

not-meet-eligibility-requirements>.

“Organize a Blood Drive.” My Blood, Your Blood. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.mybloodyourblood.org/ hs_saving_organize.htm>.

“Our History.” LifeSouth. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.lifesouth.org/ index.php?

option=com_content&view=article&id=396&Itemid=243>.

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“What is Blood?” United Blood Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.unitedbloodservices.org/ learnMore.aspx>.