System in place for first aid during exams

Ms. Koi · 14-05-2010 06:41PM #1

I'm just wondering does anyone know the plan in place for people who are sick. I was sick today and the examinations office knew about it.
yet I walked out of the exam and fainted. There was no one on campus available to come over, as I was out cold. One invigilator went in and told the head invigilator who called the nurses station, who were gone home, called Dr. Gaffney who recommended he call an ambulance and so called an ambulance. He never sent anyone out to see how I was, with the invigilator staying with me. He came out 20 minutes later when I was leaving (luckily one of my friends who was there is a nurse and helped me), and was shocked that I was leaving because he had spent 20 minutes trying to get one.
I just think it's ridiculous that there is no one near the examinations centre during the exams, as I severely doubt I'm the only person to have ever fainted during an exam.
Can anyone enlighten me as to any suggestions or if they know of the plan in place?

The examinations office have a letter from my doctor stating I wasn't well and I was in the B seat, which is left for people who aren't well and may need to leave quickly!!

/rant!!!

Rozabeez · 14-05-2010 06:47PM

The exam office have been great to me, they've put me in a seperate room with only about 15 other people to avoid being around too many people and catching an infection, maybe you should call them and ask what the story is?

Ms. Koi · 14-05-2010 06:50PM

At the moment, any time I speak I burst into tears...really not doing too good! Maybe an email would be better! :P

Rozabeez · 14-05-2010 06:52PM

Email them, but they're under a lot of pressure at the moment...

When's your next exam?

Ms. Koi · 14-05-2010 06:55PM

I suppose. Exam Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Thursday.
I should be OK by Monday, so not worried about them!

Rozabeez · 14-05-2010 07:01PM

Hope you feel better soon

banquo · 14-05-2010 08:19PM

Get well soon!

Ms. Koi · 14-05-2010 08:47PM

Cheers banquo and sexy Rosaebees!!!

JBoyle4eva · 15-05-2010 12:15AM

Gonna be completely honest, I suffer severe anxiety....it's particularly worse during exams. I informed my academic departments about it last year and they were very good at handling it.

Unfortunately for me, it's not enough to be given another exam venue but I remember last year during the repeat exams, when some big cock-up was made that wasn't my fault, head invigilator let me stand outside so I could calm down and she stayed with me while they sorted it out. Generally, the exams office and the university in general are very good about handling stuff like this. And with exams, the exams office WILL be open tomorrow. Probably wouldn't hurt to email them tonight and ask them to be aware of your situation kellief. Tell which exams you shall be sitting and they might let those particular invigilators be aware of your symptoms.

LeixlipRed · 15-05-2010 12:29AM

I'm slightly biased as I work for them but the Exams Office are extremely sympathetic to student's needs during exam periods. And in general, the vast majority of invigilation staff will go out of their way to help students, particularly those sick or with other issues. Contact them by calling into the office, they're really nice in there and it's ok to be upset around them, they've seen it all before. Get well soon

Columbia · 15-05-2010 12:31AM

I'm an invigilator in the college, and if you perhaps email the exams office to let them know you're ill they may let you sit the rest of your exams in JHL5 and 6. The difference between that and your main hall is that the invigilators there will know you're ill and you can just run straight out if needs be. You may have delays getting out/back in if you're in a main hall.

Unfortunately it doesn't get you any closer to the nurses. I'm not quite sure why the station was closed, as with at least 1,500 students sitting exams on any given day, it seems careless on the college's part to leave that unattended.

I hope you feel better for the rest of your exams, I woke up today with a terrible fever myself, not pleasant for the first day!

Ms. Koi · 15-05-2010 10:53AM

I'm feeling much better today so I should be alright, I just felt that because they knew I wasn't well, there should have been someone who was trained in first aid there.
I doubt I'm the first person to faint after an exam and I doubt I'll be the last! It was unusual that the nurses station was closed, with that many staff there.

Thanks for all your help!

ash xxx · 16-05-2010 02:22PM

I was there with Kellie and had to give her her meds and I thought the way the whole situation was dealt with was appalling.

The main invigilator did not have a clue what to do, he came out once and didn't come back out until we were leaving, which was 20/25 mins after she fainted.

He then seemed angry that she was leaving with her father and made her feel guilty for not needing the ambulance, even though he had never informed anyone he was calling one.

I am glad I was and others were there to help, as the invigilators failed to look after a sick student.

Alt_Grrr · 16-05-2010 11:33PM

ash xxx wrote: »

I am glad I was and others were there to help, as the invigilators failed to look after a sick student.

I've heard horror stories from exams, such as one student getting sick on the floor during the exam and the invigilators didn't ask if he was okay or remove him from the room, they left him there to continue on as the others sitting exams around him had to put up with the smell of vomit for 2 hours.

I honestly don't think that there is a fully and proper procedure in place and if there is, it isn't communicated to the invigilators very well.

princess_calico · 18-05-2010 12:32PM

Alt_Grrr wrote: »

I've heard horror stories from exams, such as one student getting sick on the floor during the exam and the invigilators didn't ask if he was okay or remove him from the room, they left him there to continue on as the others sitting exams around him had to put up with the smell of vomit for 2 hours.

I honestly don't think that there is a fully and proper procedure in place and if there is, it isn't communicated to the invigilators very well.

I would have died right then and there. Just died. No exaggeration.

Did he just keep doing the exam??:eek:

Rozabeez · 18-05-2010 04:46PM

That's probably an urban legend.

Alt_Grrr · 22-05-2010 08:14AM

Rozabeez wrote: »

That's probably an urban legend.

Sorry, its not...

I know the guy who got sick...

Alt_Grrr · 22-05-2010 08:16AM

princess_calico wrote: »

I would have died right then and there. Just died. No exaggeration.

Did he just keep doing the exam??:eek:

If by doing the exam you mean sit there, holding onto the table in a dizzy spell,

then, yes.

lordgoat · 22-05-2010 12:57PM

Alt_Grrr wrote: »

If by doing the exam you mean sit there, holding onto the table in a dizzy spell,

then, yes.

I'm sorry but i invigilated manys' the exam and find it incredible. Was it this year? And what venue was it in?

I just can't imagine people walking past his desk and not even stopping to ask him if he's ok.

hypersquirrel · 22-05-2010 02:51PM

I'm going to have to second lordgoat on this one.

I've invigilated plenty of exams and if a student so much as feels lightheaded they are allowed to go out for air. I had a student who was feeling sick and as soon as she mentioned it she was taken outside for a few minutes and asked did she want to be moved to a smaller room where it would be cooler and there would be more air.

Not to mention that if he had actually thrown up then I can't imagine the invigilators would just leave it seeing as I'm pretty sure they don't want to be walking past and getting a whiff of that every few minutes, especially when they would have to put up with it for an entire day.

Rozabeez · 22-05-2010 07:08PM

I really think we have great invigilators most of the time. Today the guy came over and put his hand up to symbolise "5 minutes left" to the 3 or 4 of us that were due to finish. I had the urge to high five him when he did it.

Back on topic though, I really can't imagine that they'd leave someone sitting there after throwing up, and also not clean it up either as the smell would be VERY distracting to all the other students. There would have been outrage, people get very angsty at exam time and it would have been, "WEWANTAREPEAT" central from a lot of people.

lordgoat · 22-05-2010 08:42PM

Rozabeez wrote: »

I really think we have great invigilators most of the time. Today the guy came over and put his hand up to symbolise "5 minutes left" to the 3 or 4 of us that were due to finish. I had the urge to high five him when he did it.

Back on topic though, I really can't imagine that they'd leave someone sitting there after throwing up, and also not clean it up either as the smell would be VERY distracting to all the other students. There would have been outrage, people get very angsty at exam time and it would have been, "WEWANTAREPEAT" central from a lot of people.

Exactly, i still have alot of friends among the seniors and they do not believe this for a second, not matter how much some of the invigilators can be a dick, i could not ever imagine the above situation happening. BS

Alt_Grrr · 23-05-2010 01:04AM

lordgoat wrote: »

Exactly, i still have alot of friends among the seniors and they do not believe this for a second, not matter how much some of the invigilators can be a dick, i could not ever imagine the above situation happening. BS

I can, but I'm waiting on a reply from said student to confirm the details (ya know, time, place, exam, colour of vomit, etc)

From my own experience, in the main exam halls, there's enough invigilators and usually there's one who knows enough to ensure it doesn't break down into chaos. (Of course, this case might have been an exception)

If, again, from my own experience, your unlucky enough to be left in a special exam centre, like long corridor, god help you.

I've had to argue with an invigilator about how long was left during an examination, after she tried to take my script/print out with an entire hour left in the exam. plus my extra time.

The instructions where written out for her from the examinations office, yet, she never read them, nor the bit on the front of the exam paper with the length of time for the exam.

Not all the invigilators are/were that bad, in fact most are fine, if not helpful or attentive or even overly attentive (which I find quite annoying sometimes).

LeixlipRed · 23-05-2010 08:25PM

That story is such rubbish, never in a million years would that be allowed to happen.

lordgoat · 23-05-2010 09:36PM

LeixlipRed wrote: »

That story is such rubbish, never in a million years would that be allowed to happen.

That's pretty much what i expect but i'll wait to hear the particulars...

Alt_Grrr · 23-05-2010 11:06PM

lordgoat wrote: »

That's pretty much what i expect but i'll wait to hear the particulars...

January Examinations in 2008,
Main Sports Hall.

The "Innocent" Person in this case has asked me not to mention the exam.

But, seeing as a few others have told me that this "innocent" person was out the night before getting hammered...

I'm not sure what more to add to those. (Seeing as they seem like two very vague details).

I am told the exams office did apologise for the slight miss handling of the situation.

Rozabeez · 23-05-2010 11:32PM

Well, we could speculate and give out about invigilators/how exams are run, or we could close this thread before all hell breaks loose and people can choose believe what they want.

As regard the original topic, if you are unwell during exams, drop into/call/email the examinations office as early as possible to see if they can accommodate you, if not, let the senior invigilator know before the exam what the situation with your health is.

Thread closed.

System in place for first aid during exams

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