Would You/Do You Offer Assistance?

[KellNY]

I was just wondering this....Last night after ER I went to take my trash out to the dumpster and saw a 1st Responder and police car (standard when someone calls 911 here) in front of a neighbors house. As I was walking back from the dumpster, an ambulance was pulling up.

My son said to me "You should go see if they need help!" and got upset when I declined. (He's 7 and very proud that his mother is a nurse and 'helps people stay alive and be healthy')

Would/have/do you offer your help with EMS?

I'm *not* talking about if you saw someone choking in the food court, pass out in Macys or witnessed an MVA. I'm saying you saw an ambulance (or 2 or 3) in front of a home, or pulled over on the road near an MVA, or similar.

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

I would let the EMT's do their job. They are used to working as a team. However, in another situation, like multiple victims, you could ask if they need help before reinforcements arrive.

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

And.... always remember to put yourself if the PATIENT'S shoes. If that were you as the patient woud you want your neighbors and others sitting there listening to your medical history, some of which may be very private? A LOT of patients complain to me that it is very embarrassing having people that are not family there listening and watching their care.

Swtooth

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I'm a volunteer in my rural area and hold a pre-hospital RN license. I have 8 years on the rescue squad and 10 years in a level one trauma center. I do go to all of the calls where I'm home. Yes, it does take me a few mintues to get out the door but if I hear someone else has responded in the ambulance, I go in my own car.

As to going to see what happened when an ambulance pulls up in another neighborhood - nope, never. I do stop at accidents but again only if EMS is not on the scene. Many of the county officers know me and I do ask them (from my car) if they need any help.

My biggest pet peeve is bystanders. People who call 911 need and want their privacy. Recently (last week), we got a 911 call during the day and I was the only one to respond. The lady was elderly, stark naked in the kitchen. Her neighbors start banging on the door to see what the ambulance is doing outside the door and I told them that everything was under control and no they didn't need to come in. Honestly, if you are not EMS or the police or a close relative, you don't need to go on over and "see if you can help."

I have to ask too what would you tell your 7 y/o son if he witnessed something traumatic and very emotional or conversely, very dangerous (suicidal person with a gun)? There is no reason to expose your son to that.

[KellNY, RN]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

I was talking more along the lines of if there were not enough EMS (ie, there was a multiple car pile up and numerous bleeders/trauma people, but only one ambulance had arrived, another type of scene where EMS had not arrived yet.

If it looked like there were adequate EMS I wouldn't even think about intervening/interfering.

I have to ask too what would you tell your 7 y/o son if he witnessed something traumatic and very emotional or conversely, very dangerous (suicidal person with a gun)? There is no reason to expose your son to that.

I'm not sure what gave you the impression that my son would have come with me had I went over. He just saw the flashing lights, asked what was going on and I told him "I dunno, there's an ambulance down the road". And that's when he told me that I should go help.

[Sylv]

I'm a volunteer in my rural area and hold a pre-hospital RN license.

What is "a pre-hospital RN license"?

[jimthorp]

I would have offered help. Introduce yourself as a nurse and ask what you can do to help. It may be nothing or nothing more than physical labor or scene control.

If they say they don't need help then just leave. Don't be one of those rubber neckers!!!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

KellNY - I assumed your son was with you when you took out the trash: "Last night after ER I went to take my trash out to the dumpster and saw a 1st Responder and police car (standard when someone calls 911 here) in front of a neighbors house. As I was walking back from the dumpster, an ambulance was pulling up.

My son said to me "You should go see if they need help!" and got upset when I declined. (He's 7 and very proud that his mother is a nurse and 'helps people stay alive and be healthy')"

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Sylv - in IL, a pre-hospital RN(PHRN) is an actual license issued by the state just like my RN and APN licenses. There are only three in the state.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

I agree to be of support to family but nothing else. If they have 3 ambulances already there the medical aspect of the emergecy is already being handled. They dont need more fingers in the mix, be there for family thats where the need might lie, not in nursing skills.