GUILTY

Nurses General Nursing

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let me begin by stating the following, this has only happened to me once... and so it goes, i was rushing to my work when the flash-lights of the patrol-car came into view in my rear-view mirror. needless to say i thought "s*## now i'm gonna be late for sure" i pulled out my i.d. and registration before the officer asked as i heard him say "doc, did you realized you were doing 80 on a 65 speed zone, are you in some kind of hurry or something? i said "i'm going to work sir, my apologies for speeding i"... he then interrupted me by saying "are you going to st.joseph's hosp.?" i said "yes" he then said "well doc, i'll give you an escort since i'm headed that way and step on it" before i could say anything he got in his car... i think since i was wearing my scrubs and had my stethoscope around my neck he assume that i was a physician... therefore, i'm guilty for not correcting him on my line of work..my question is, has this happened to any of you?

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
My husband has a CCW (concealed weapons license) that has gotten him out of a few speeding tickets in the decade-plus that he's had it. When he was taking the class to get his CCW, the state trooper who was teaching the class said to always hand over your driver license, registration, insurance, and CCW at the same time, even if you're not actually carrying a weapon right then. We're in a "shall-issue" state, and cops here don't give "trivial" speeding tickets to CCW holders. ("trivial" meaning "not reckless endangerment"... something like 80 in a 70 zone)

I was considering taking the class and getting a CCW, but when I decided to go to nursing school, I learned (from an old thread here on AN) that cops also don't give tickets to nurses, so now I don't have to bother with the CCW class. :up:

You don't get a speeding ticket because you're carrying a concealed weapon? Mmmkay. I figure if I get pulled over for a traffic offense, I have no reasonable expectation of getting out of it just because I'm a nurse. You break the law, you pay the penalty.

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Specializes in Emergency, Haematology/Oncology.

Just a quick good story, overnight in our emergency department there is one consultant physician on call for the registrars if there is a serious trauma / resus / need for a specialist. Our registrar had been battling with a difficult airway post trauma and had to get the nurse in charge to call the consultant at home as she couldn't leave the patient. Our consultant simply said "If she isn't making the call herself then it musn't be good, I'll be there as soon as I can" no questions asked. It was the very early hours of the morning and as you would expect our consultant physician was trying to get to us as fast as he could. Needless to say the police spotted him speeding and were trying to pull him over, he didn't pull over- airway emergency and all, and while running into the department with 4 police officers in tow said "sorry guys, I can't do this right now, but you're more than welcome to wait for me". The police watched this difficult intubation and sort of looked at each other and said "have a good night doc" and left. I like it when people err on the side of reasonable and more than anything, that our doc was quite prepared to pay his fine!

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

once again, i can't be judgmental since i was also caught for speeding on my way to work, however, your story regarding the physician it's one that needs to be told~ thank you for sharing...aloha~

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I was making the 3 hour drive home after a 16 hour shift (as an agency nurse) and got pulled over in an unfamilar town when I missed the decreased speed sign. I fell asleep waiting for the officer to run my license. He let me off and had me follow him to a Dennys where he bought me a cup of coffee and sat & visited while I drank it.

I've been pulled over a few times as a home health nurse (for various reasons, usually the big one being my out of state plates). Once I explained what I was doing/where I was going I've been let off with a warning.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
You don't get a speeding ticket because you're carrying a concealed weapon? Mmmkay. I figure if I get pulled over for a traffic offense, I have no reasonable expectation of getting out of it just because I'm a nurse. You break the law, you pay the penalty.

It's up to the officer whether he wants to ticket someone or warn them. I didn't make the law that gave police officers discretionary judgment. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you take it up with the multitude of cops who make the decision to give CCW-holders and nurses a warning rather than a ticket.

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Instead of school stickers maybe I'll get a new baby instead?

Yep, nothing like a precious cargo to make you see the folly of selfish, dangerous behavior. ;)

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Specializes in LTC.

Hahaha, I've been pulled over once in Army Fatigues (tail light) and let go-

Once during nursing school for speeding, and let go with a lecture and a finger shake.

Once in civilian clothes...

"Where are you headed in such a hurry, Ma'am"

"I'm going to _______ camp, I'm volunteering for a week at a camp for burned children"

Yep... knew I was going to get off on that one, haha- he even went back to the car to look up the camp and make sure I was legit.

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Specializes in none.
let me begin by stating the following, this has only happened to me once... and so it goes, i was rushing to my work when the flash-lights of the patrol-car came into view in my rear-view mirror. needless to say i thought "s*## now i'm gonna be late for sure" i pulled out my i.d. and registration before the officer asked as i heard him say "doc, did you realized you were doing 80 on a 65 speed zone, are you in some kind of hurry or something? i said "i'm going to work sir, my apologies for speeding i"... he then interrupted me by saying "are you going to st.joseph's hosp.?" i said "yes" he then said "well doc, i'll give you an escort since i'm headed that way and step on it" before i could say anything he got in his car... i think since i was wearing my scrubs and had my stethoscope around my neck he assume that i was a physician... therefore, i'm guilty for not correcting him on my line of work..my question is, has this happened to any of you?

many, many times. if i'm in my uniform and i get stopped the strongest thing i get is a warning. here in this section of south jersey the police have given me a pass more than once. one did asked me where i was going. i said that i was going to work at happy dale, (not the name of the local psych hospital) he said, "i'll give you an escort and when we get there i'll pray for you, at lease as a cop they give me a .45 what to they give you?" i said, "a set of keys"

he laugh and said "oh, there's goin' be some praying tonight!" i once ask a policeman why don't the cops in this section give me tickets. he said "we never know when we go on duty if we will be shot that night and the last thing we need is a ****** off nurse or doctor working on us." so that may be the reason "doc" that is why if i get a policeman for a patient i give him/her the best care that i can give.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

My husband is a police officer. I can't see him letting anyone off for doing what his wife does, LOL

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Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

Haha What a story! It is probably because you are a male.

We had an interesting incident last week at work. My coworkers and I (I am a CNA, my coworkers were an RN and a Moniter Tech) went for a McDonald's run to get food for 'lunch.' Well, on the way, we were pulled over. Mind you its like 2 in the morning. Well even seeing all of us in scrubs (the RN was driving), and our name tags and everything, she was still issued a ticket. Not for speeding or broken tail lights, but for tinted windows! What the heck? It is so dark where we were at that there was no way to tell how tinted they were! Well I was not surprised because the cops in the city where the hospital is, are very uptight.

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You don't get a speeding ticket because you're carrying a concealed weapon? Mmmkay. I figure if I get pulled over for a traffic offense, I have no reasonable expectation of getting out of it just because I'm a nurse. You break the law, you pay the penalty.
Just as there is no black and white in nursing, nor is there, necessarily, in law enforcement.
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