Medical Emergency and Abandonment

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

A coworker and I had discussed this last night and we couldn't find an answer to save our lives.

I work somewhere where we work alone during a shift. There is only 6 or 7 nurses employed. I'm wondering... Let's say I have a medical emergency. Like life or death (like I'm in labor and bleeding out, for example) let's say it's middle of the night and you cannot get ahold of anyone to come in and take over while you go to the hospital.

What do you do? It would be considered abandonment to just leave sooo how does that work? Lol

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There should be a way to get emergency relief. I would talk to your nurse manager or supervisor or whoever you report to and ask what protocol is.

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Specializes in geriatrics, hospice, private duty.

I just had an incident with this. I work at a place with only one nurse in the building on certain shifts and I had to leave d/t a medical emergency. It took about twenty minutes to find someone to come in and all the while I was wondering what would happen if I passed out while waiting for relief. It was a terrible feeling. Finally someone came in and I literally threw the keys at her as I was on my way out the door on a stretcher.

Most places I've worked have at least one other licensed nurse on site or nursing management who will show up in the case of an emergency.

I am curious about the legal aspect as well. I assumed if I'd left without relief it would have been abandonment; plus I had narc keys.

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There should always be relief, but we know in the real world this doesn't always happen. If you work with other licensed nurses they should take over care of your patients if it is a true medical emergency. If you are alone I would talk to your DON/ADON now to decide on a plan in case something would come up in the future.

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Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
A coworker and I had discussed this last night and we couldn't find an answer to save our lives.

I work somewhere where we work alone during a shift. There is only 6 or 7 nurses employed. I'm wondering... Let's say I have a medical emergency. Like life or death (like I'm in labor and bleeding out, for example) let's say it's middle of the night and you cannot get ahold of anyone to come in and take over while you go to the hospital.

What do you do? It would be considered abandonment to just leave sooo how does that work? Lol

I fell and broke my elbow and dislocated my patella while at work one night. I was unable to walk (obviously) and in serious pain. I had to pass my keys off to another nurse (who refused, because she is just like that. She really wanted me to walk down to the unit and wait until 11pm. It was about 9pm when this happened. Fortunately, my manager showed up before EMS did (well, they were there, we had a code, had 2 ambulances for some reason. Maybe they know?) and she took my keys (and tore shreds off the nurse who refused to take my keys).

Forntunately, i now work with many nurses and they just called a code PI on me and ship me to the ED.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

That is what the manager is for...emergencies.

CelticGoddess....If one of the staff on my unit refused to assist another nurse who was in dyer need there would be a conversation about professionalism and caring for an injured person...even if that person happened to be on duty.

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I worked somewhere like this, the DON would come in.

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