A Nurses Duty to act

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I'm looking for opinions for a situation.

Is it a nurses duty to get immediate medical treatment ( I'm meaning call 911 ) for a person in their home who has a medical emergency?

I'm not asking if he / she should give medical treatment, but I'm saying get EMS to a person with a life or death situation?

Wouldn't that be anyone's duty? If you live or in a home with another and there is an emergency, to ignore and watch them suffer or die would be at the least immoral, at the most illegal I would imagine. Maybe I'm not understanding your question.

For some things professionals are required to go above and beyond. The best example I can think of is teachers and healthcare professionals being mandatory reporters of abuse.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
Do people think "a lot of people on a random internet forum agree with me," is a valid argument in court?

^GENIUS^

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Depends on whether or not it's one of my ex- husbands.

Or current husband.

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Specializes in Pedi.
For some things professionals are required to go above and beyond. The best example I can think of is teachers and healthcare professionals being mandatory reporters of abuse.

In our professional life, yes. The law doesn't mandate us to report suspected cases of child/elder abuse that we come across in our personal lives.

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
In our professional life, yes. The law doesn't mandate us to report suspected cases of child/elder abuse that we come across in our personal lives.

Actually, here in Texas all adults are mandated reporters...

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Actually, here in Texas all adults are mandated reporters...

I don't doubt what you are saying, but I'm thinking....

What is the standard that someone is supposed to use when deciding to report child abuse? For example, what about when you are in a department store, hear a kid in the next aisle screaming as mom yells "let's go." A few seconds later you hear the kid yell "quit pulling me like that...I think you broke my arm." Is a lay person supposed to report that?

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Specializes in ICU/community health/school nursing.
I don't doubt what you are saying, but I'm thinking....

What is the standard that someone is supposed to use when deciding to report child abuse? For example, what about when you are in a department store, hear a kid in the next aisle screaming as mom yells "let's go." A few seconds later you hear the kid yell "quit pulling me like that...I think you broke my arm." Is a lay person supposed to report that?

AH! Whelp...we don't have to prove, just suspect it. Having said that...in your example, probably not.

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In our professional life, yes. The law doesn't mandate us to report suspected cases of child/elder abuse that we come across in our personal lives.

Depends on your state. Some states have the requirement tied to duties in an official capacity, other states only state when you have knowledge thereof regardless of employment. Some states even expressly separate the law from employment stating that you are a mandatory reporter regardless of policy.

Keep in mind that in nearly all states, all of them as far as I have researched, you are a licensed professional regardless of employment and subject to the restrictions put forth in or out of employment. There was a famous court case in Arizona where the board revoked the license of two RNs who were consensually engaging in Mediaography outside of their employment. Board thought it looks bad, pulled their license.

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I don't doubt what you are saying, but I'm thinking....

What is the standard that someone is supposed to use when deciding to report child abuse? For example, what about when you are in a department store, hear a kid in the next aisle screaming as mom yells "let's go." A few seconds later you hear the kid yell "quit pulling me like that...I think you broke my arm." Is a lay person supposed to report that?

Reasonable.

"Another standard frequently used is in situations in which the reporter has knowledge of, or observes a child being subjected to, conditions that would reasonably result in harm to the child. In Maine, a mandatory reporter must report when he or she has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is not living with the child's family."

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
AH! Whelp...we don't have to prove, just suspect it. Having said that...in your example, probably not.

Do all adults know that they are mandated reporters? Again, just curious.

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Do all adults know that they are mandated reporters? Again, just curious.

I doubt it, most people are unaware that it is a felony to join an unsecured WiFi network without permission according to the CFAA.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I doubt it, most people are unaware that it is a felony to join an unsecured WiFi network without permission according to the CFAA.

Yeah, that's a new one on me. Of course, it doesn't apply to me because I pay a bundle for cable + Internet, but it's good to know.

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