speeding while on call

[nrsman1]

I was just curious if any of you speed when you have to go in while on call. If there is a major emergency do you speed to get there, and if so if you get pulled over will the cop be understanding of your situation. Just curious.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I see absolutely no justification for speeding just because you're the on call nurse. If you can't be at the hospital within the required timeline, then you need to make arrangements to stay somewhere closer or in the OR itself. Our department has an apartment a block away for anyone on call to use, and there was actually a night where it snowed that I slept on the couch in the lounge because there was no way I'd make it back within the half hour.

You wouldn't be any good to your patient injured in an accident or stuck sitting on the side of the road forever while the cop runs your license plates. The cops here spend ten minutes on their computer before they even come to your window.

If the patient is critical, our in house team will start the case while the on call team is still on the way. I know that there are hospitals that don't have in house teams 24/7, but that is still no reason to put yourself and innocent bystanders in danger.

[Argo]

tell it to the judge, I did and strangely enough he saw it in my favor...... not many innocent bystanders on Ithe interstate at 1am..... not many people going under 80 either.... It takes me 20 minutes to get to work at my regular speed, it takes a ruptured AAA less time to die so anything I can do to get in a little quicker, I will.... again, the judge seemed to see it my way and I didnt even pay court fees, $0 ticket