Matt, a 54-year-old roofer, just fell 12 metres from a building under construction. Initially he struck the ground with his feet, then fell onto his left side. Conscious and alert at the scene, he...

Matt, a 54-year-old roofer, just fell 12 metres from a building under construction. Initially he struck the ground with his feet, then fell onto his left side. Conscious and alert at the scene, he complains of severe back and lower leg pain.


His vital signs: Blood Pressure- 140/88 mmHg; Heart Rate- 112 bpm; Respiratory Rate- 28 bpm; SaO2- 96% on Room Air; and Temperature- 36.7⁰C. His Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is 15.


Paramedics administer oxygen at a flow rate of 15 litres/minute via Non-Rebreather Mask and apply a cervical collar and a backboard to immobilise his neck and spine. They also place a 16-gauge Peripheral Intravenous Canula (PIVC) in his left forearm and begin an infusion of 0.9% Sodium Chloride solution.


When Matt is brought into Emergency Department (ED), he can speak clearly and provide an account of the accident.


Identify the nursing assessments with rationales that should be provided in the first hour upon receiving Matt from the paramedics