Are Nurses First Responders?

[ScrubADub12]

Hi Guys,

I recently entered a contest for my wedding on facebook and was selected a a finalist among Police, Paramedic, EMT etc. I am just interested to find out if we would consider Nurses to be First Responders? From the moment patient enters any medical institution we are the ones who provide care, but often this can happen before the hospital. I understand that paramedic, police, firemen etc. are typically the first on scene but why are nurses never really given much credit beyond the four walls of a hospital?

[Guest03/15/15, BSN, RN]

No, I do not consider nurses first responders.

First Responders

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

First responders are the ones that are first on the scene such as police,medics,EMT, and fire fighters. We are the first line in the hospital, but not in the community.

[TheNGTKingRN]

Flight nurses!

[roser13, ASN, RN]

We certainly are not trained to be First Responders.

[Anna S, RN]

Why? Because we're not.

[SierraBravo]

The only way that I can see a nurse being a first responder is if they were a flight nurse.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

No, I don't consider nurses first responders, unless the nurse is a flight nurse. Or on that rare occasion if you come upon a person in need of help, you may be the 1st responder then, but usually we aren't doing that often.

You said, ' I understand that paramedic, police, firemen etc. are typically the first on scene but why are nurses never really given much credit beyond the four walls of a hospital?"

We aren't given much 'credit' beyone the 4 walls of the hospital (or health care office etc) or as 1st responders because how often are we acting as nurses just out and about? Rarely, if ever.

[ScrubADub12]

I would have to concur, my best friend is a flight nurse I would definitely consider her a First Responder

[FlyingScot, RN]

ScrubADub12 said:

I would have to concur, my best friend is a flight nurse I would definitely consider her a First Responder

Nope not a first responder. The first responder is the person FIRST on the scene. Flight nurses are called by first responders or sometimes by second responders. I have functioned at all of these levels.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

I think ER nurses are sometimes considered first responders?

[TransportJockey, EMT-P]

dirtyhippiegirl said:

I think ER nurses are sometimes considered first responders?

The only nurses that could possibly be considered first responders would be rotor flight nurses. Or if a nurse is working in some capacity as an EMT/LEO/FF/Paramedic.