So, I was sitting at the bus stop the other day, waiting for my bus, when I turned mty head to see a girl not much younger then me get hit by a car. She was hit on the side of her leg causing her to start to upend and slam her head into the windshield. I knew she was going to be injured so I put my book down and grabbed my extra tshirt I had and ran over to her.
She started to get up(thank goodness) and I immediatley told her to lay back down. She was bleeding severly from her head when she had impacted with the windshield. I told her my name and that I had EMT training, and I wanted to help her. She said yes, so I proceeded to place the t-shirt on her head while starting to talk to her. I checked for her ABC's asked her where she was, if she knew what happened, what her name was, basically kept her talking.
By this time there were numerous poeple crowding around screaming crying and yelling, including the person calling 911. This was not helping so I told a everyone to calm down and back up. I told the citizen who was on the phone to put the phone to my ear so I could speak to the operator because he was not providing information, just yelling at the person to stop asking so many questions and get out there because she was hurt bad. I spoke with the operator who was clearly frazzled due to the previous person and calmly told her where we were at.
After what seemed like ages, the paramedics arrived and took over cspine and care for her. She was rushed to a local hospital and that was the last I heard or saw of her. I am concerned tho, because I do not know if there was anything else I could have done or should have done to help her. Due to the new HIPPA regulations I cannot and could not find out anything about how she is. I even tried to talk to the responding fire company and they told me something similar, that even they could not find out.
While I recognize that patient privacy is of utmost concern, isn't that a bit extreme?? I have been tossing it around in my head and while attempting to analyze it, I do not know if she made it. Sigh just worries me. Anything I could have done different? I am not a nurse yet just finishing up my prerequisite lower division classes so what do you all think? Is there anyway I could find out if she's ok?
One thing I found odd about the whole situation is I was shockingly calm throughout the time. Which brings me to wonder if maybe ER is in my future? I don't know...just wondering what you all think about it all....
Also posting this from my phone so sorry for the bad grammar and spelling lol.
I have never worked as an emt, just done ride alongs with the fire department and went through the emt-basic training which also included triage and disaster training. I know of HIPPA from working for a health insurance company however ii did not know until this thread how extensive the regulations were. I will move on, I was just worried....because I've never been in a situation like that or worked in a job were that was a part of the daily activites.
I am from here, but citizen seemed appropriate for him at the time because while he was attempting to do the right thing he was panicked but was trying to be a good citizen.
Thank God you were there. You did an excellent job. I understand wanting to know how she is. I've assisted in a few accidents, wondered about the outcome and moved forward. I know what you say about being calm while assisting, it's wierd, cause normally even though I've been an RN for a long time, I usually freak out then the calm overtakes me. I think the professional medical mind takes over. Thanks goodness it does.
Thank you for posting that. I often wonder how I will handle emergency situations as I've been known to completely freak out when my kids have been hurt or in danger. I'm glad to know it will still be possible to keep my head on straight as a nurse..
You are to be congratulated for stepping in, thanks. If you have a concern about exposure, in the future, get the patient's name and destination. I keep some BSI stuff in my car for this reason. Good job!
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
ok. thanks for all your responses.
i have never worked as an emt, just done ride alongs with the fire department and went through the emt-basic training which also included triage and disaster training. i know of hippa from working for a health insurance company however ii did not know until this thread how extensive the regulations were. i will move on, i was just worried....because i've never been in a situation like that or worked in a job were that was a part of the daily activites.
i am from here, but citizen seemed appropriate for him at the time because while he was attempting to do the right thing he was panicked but was trying to be a good citizen.
thanks again.
no problem.:)..it was just an odd phrase citizen vs bystander. i've noticed people from europe use the term citizen at times in reference to by standers.....so i was curious.....:)
but one of my pet peeves.....for those of you i drive crazy with this......i'm sorry:redbeathe:redbeathe...... i tried and i just can't help myself.........it's hipaa.....not....hippa:nuke:
the health insurance portability and accountability act (hipaa) of 1996 (p.l.104-191) [hipaa] was enacted by the u.s. congress and signed by president bill clinton in 1996. it was originally sponsored by sen. edward kennedy (d-mass.) and sen. nancy kassebaum (r-kan.). title i of hipaa protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs. title ii of hipaa, known as the administrative simplification (as) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers.......
The citizen??? That is a very odd way of speaking......where are you from?? When stop and help someone you need to be sure that you are acting within your scope of practice even if there are good samaritan laws...which vary state to state but essentially say......
You did your thing now move on........just because you helped doesn't give you the right to know any further information. Check the news or local newspaper....you may try the EMS/firedepartment but they don't have to release their information either. Be glad you helped but you need to just let it go.....they are entitled to privacy.
It is what it is and it's the law.....peace
Sheesh, way to be supportive . Your comment, I'm sorry, seems a bit brash and harsh. I don't think she acted out of her scope of practice at all. Sadly, it is a fact more people DON'T act in critical times at all, whether scope of practice or not. More people will stand around and watch then do anything.
She followed protocol, she advised the injured person of her training and asked for permission to care for them. She didn't immobilize the patient of any sort, do any drastic life saving measures. Simply she protected the bleeding wound, assessed the situation and was able to accurately give information to the 911 operator. What am I missing here?
On the citizen comment, I'm not sure where YOU are from, but I'm considered a "citizen" of my Country. We tend to refer to others sometimes as, "good citizen" or "fellow citizen". Lets be a bit more supportive and congratulate OP on a job well done. Simple advice would have worked I believe. Maybe something like this:
OP, the job you did was fantastic, and it sounds like you really have the basics down. Just remember for future always to maintain that scope of practice. If the ER is for you, then I say go for it! But maybe this is also a good lesson, working in the ER you will encounter many, many people that you will help save and then never know about again. It is just the law and be proud of the moment you were there. Relish that, and know you did the best you could and what happens afterwards is beyond your control, just hope for the best and move on to the next.
To you and the OP, we are all here for the betterment of others. Lets focus on that, thats why we choice the field we are in :)
You are to be congratulated for stepping in, thanks. If you have a concern about exposure, in the future, get the patient's name and destination. I keep some BSI stuff in my car for this reason. Good job!
That was one of my concerns, I also keep a very basic kit in my backpack. With a mask and gloves but of course murphys law strikes again, and I did not have my backpack with me. I thought of it before and decided just to make sure I didn't touch anything like my phone or clothes till I could wash my hands thoroughly.
Thats nursing! You never know what happens to your pts. Unless of course your with them when they die, but even then I wonder about their families. You just have to be satisfied knowing you did the best you could for them and move on to your next pt.
PS sounds like you did a great job. I bet your just itching to start nursing now!
Sounds like you've got the stuff to do the job and she was lucky you were there. As for being given info regarding her condition following the accident as other posters have stated, confidentiality policies would prevent that. I might have given my contact info to the EMT's or hospital with a note saying that you would love to hear if she was OK if she was comfortable with letting you know. (But then the cynical side of me is saying"yeah, and the insurance co would LOVE to call you as a witness!")
That was one of my concerns, I also keep a very basic kit in my backpack. With a mask and gloves but of course murphys law strikes again, and I did not have my backpack with me. I thought of it before and decided just to make sure I didn't touch anything like my phone or clothes till I could wash my hands thoroughly.
Since I became a nurse, I have always pulled over to help. I have helped at various things and I always kinda just help and drive away. I am not sure I really want to know the outcomes.. None have been obvious fatalities, one very recently was entire car on fire, stopped, found driver in perfect condition, stayed until his dad came, it was raining, and cold, provided warm vehicle for victim, cuz after the fire trucks put out the fire, they left.
It was very,very eerie scene at the side of a freeway. You know what the young kid said to me? "Have a great life!" Made me want to cry. What a thought he had for me!!!!I do think about him everytime I drive by that part of the freeway, glad he survived, jumped out of the car, thought to pull over, grabbed a blanket from the back of his car, to try to put out the fire, grabbed his cell phone and saved his own life. Amazing. We had an amazing "watching the car burn" conversation as well. Life changing moment. He was unscathed, not a scratch on him. Divine providence.
My dad was a first responder (citizen) and responded to several fatalites, and he taught us to be critical thinkers. He once held the hand of a young man stuck in a car until medics arrived, knowing full well the driver was DOA/DOI. Car upside down, my dad kept reassuring young passenger man, holding his hand, talking to him and telling him the driver was fine. He then stuck around to give name and address as a witness, later regretted it, got called to court years later and lived out of state, so he wrote a letter to the court and stated he had NOT witnessed the accident, just stopped to help. He never did find out anything more than what he saw at the scene.
. Your comment, I'm sorry, seems a bit brash and harsh. I don't think she acted out of her scope of practice at all. Sadly, it is a fact more people DON'T act in critical times at all, whether scope of practice or not. More people will stand around and watch then do anything.
We tend to refer to others sometimes as, "good citizen" or "fellow citizen". Lets be a bit more supportive and congratulate OP on a job well done. Simple advice would have worked I believe. Maybe something like this:
M.Nurse
15 Posts
Ok. Thanks for all your responses.
I have never worked as an emt, just done ride alongs with the fire department and went through the emt-basic training which also included triage and disaster training. I know of HIPPA from working for a health insurance company however ii did not know until this thread how extensive the regulations were. I will move on, I was just worried....because I've never been in a situation like that or worked in a job were that was a part of the daily activites.
I am from here, but citizen seemed appropriate for him at the time because while he was attempting to do the right thing he was panicked but was trying to be a good citizen.
Thanks again.