speeding while on call

linda2097 · Dec 29, 2009

Guess it depends on the cop. Some cops might blame you for not staying close to the hospital while on call.

Trauma Columnist · Dec 29, 2009

No - you should be located in a reasonable distance where you would be able to follow the laws of your state and still make it safely to the hospital in the alotted time.

If you get pulled over, you are losing the time you would have gained by speeding.

mcmike55 · Dec 31, 2009

nrsman....if you want, search the prior posts on just this subject in Allnurses.com.

I think you'll find..if you are speeding, you are breaking the law. Period.

Not many OR nurses I know have the high speed driving skills to handle a high speed run to the hospital.

When you think about it, how much time are you really saving?? Do the math, I bet it's not much.

At our hospital, you must live within 20 minutes response time to the OR. In some situations, such as bad weather, the scrub tech's in the Child Birth Center, know how to go down to our OR and at least open the basics for us, saving some time.

If you are in good with the ED and house supervisor, who ever calls you in, hopefully they would be on the ball enough to get you rolling in ahead of the official call out.

Many times I've come in for a trauma, to find out that the OR isn't needed. It's a win/win, if we need the OR, I'm here, if not, I'm here to help the trauma team.

I had a good friend, coming in for an appendectomy, almost get killed when someone blew a light in the middle of the night. It wasn't his fault, but to me, drove home the point that you need to get there, but safely. You're not helping anyone by going in a ditch, or worse.

Mike

lindaloo51 · Jan 1, 2010

In the late 60's, early 70's, I worked with a tech who lived about 15 miles from the hospital. That translated to about 20 minutes to the hospital. If it was a trauma or C-section, she would tie a white bra to her antenna and fly to the hospital. Rural area, everyone knew her and where she was headed. I don't think that she ever got a ticket. (You have to also remember that those were the years that women were burning bras so, at least she had a good use for hers).

trepinCT · Jan 14, 2010

speeding is speeding and not worth the ticket or a crash!!! No one should be exempt..although I do know police officers who allow "professional courtesy"..but reckless driving- never.

An accident isint going to be avoided just because you are a nurse going to work, you car or the other drivers really cant tell the difference.

Scrubby · Jan 15, 2010

There is no excuse for speeding and putting other people and your own life at risk.

CIRQL8 · Jan 22, 2010

Agree that speeding is a safety risk.

I had a Pt that was/is a cop, and he said that he's pulled over speeding nurses before. When they say they are on the way in for an emergency, he lets them go with a warning; but if they claim they are on their way in for an emergence at 6:30 AM, he knows they are simply running late to work and writes a ticket because they lied. When the truth was told, he let them go with a warning.

I think that nurses, docs, etc. that take emergency call should be able to place a blue or green dome light on the car like volunteer fire fighters do!! It doesn't give one the right to speed or break laws, but it requests of other cars to provide the right-of way to the responder.

AZTECA · Jan 22, 2010

I have several aquaitences in law enforcement. They tell me they ALWAYS let nurses off with a warning (for infractions of course). They say "you never know when you will need that nurse's help. What if they remember you were the one that gave them a ticket".

I can't speak for them of course and I agree... Speeding in general should not be common practice. And if you're on call you should be near the hospital.

p.

KmaRN · Jan 28, 2010

I know of nurses that have been pulled over in the early morning hours. One nurse had the policeman follow him to the OR for an "trauma" case that he was called in for. The policeman let him go.

As for me, do I speed or go through lights when I get called in for a lap appy, etc. No, as someone said above, most of the time the patient isn't ready yet and I do live close enough to be there in the alloted time; however, when I get calls stating, "I have a patient crashing" and it is 0200, you bet I drive faster than normal but not excessively fast, I will stop and look both ways on a red light and if no one is coming you bet I will go through it. I will do the same thing for a ruptured tripple AAA or any trauma. I do not haphazardly run red lights, I always check for cars. If it comes to my getting a ticket vs the possibly of losing the life of another, I will take the ticket. I don't know of one OR nurse where I work who does not do the same.

I kind of agree with the person who said we should have lights too! :-)

Argo · Feb 1, 2010

I got a ticket about 2 months ago for going 82 in a 75 coming in for a ruptured AAA. The cop wanted to lecture me about it even though I told him the situation. I ripped the ticket off his machine and took my license out of his hand and drove off....... ab out $300 ticket..... I got my VP to write a letter to the judge and I went down and handed it to him(with the cop present), the judge was shocked that the dude wrote the ticket and told him he should have escorted me there at 1am rather than delayed me. I got there in time to meet the guys by the elevator and roll into the or ASAP, I had a senior scrub that lives across the street come and open the case when I got the call.... the dude lived.....

Trauma Columnist · Feb 1, 2010

I still say everyone is expendable. If you are on call and have a certain amt of time to get into work, then you live closer or you stay at the hospital.

FYI, I'm a volunteer firefighter and yes, I do have a blue light. However, I don't speed.