boston's explosions make me wonder what help could I have been?

[SNB1014, RN]

i live in houston, far far away. i have volunteered at the chevRUN marathon and countless other run/walk/olympiads, mostly providing water, electrolyte supplements and ice/heat on a sore joint.

but if i was a by stander, who happened to be a RN, what could i use to help? pour bottled water on wounds, tie yoga pant tight enough to prevent hemorrage and wrap thrm in a clean white sheet to prevent hypothermia? i suppose i could start triaging levels of care and help guiding, but i think i would be a little lost.

anyone has any suggestions about what a rn can be utilized as in a emergency out in the field?

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I think the best thing an RN bystander could have done is to help guide the walking wounded away. They would have already had EMTs and Paramedics who had the resources to begin taking care of the more seriously injured.

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

Most well intended persons, even those who are RN's would be in the way.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

I completely disagree with you that there is nothing you can do. While EMT's are trained for trauma, as a nurse, you know how to do plenty.

You should know how to work a code, if needed. You can apply pressure to wounds. You can stop people from trying to move someone with a possible neck or back injury, you can start applying makeshift tourniquets to those that lost an entire limb, etc.

When something like that happens, they need every available person that is able to help, because you can be assured there isn't enough EMT's going around.

We have too many people in our society today with a "oh, let somebody else do it" attitude...that is what is wrong with our entire society.

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

That was not my point Jory, not at all. There are alot of people who want to do, but if they are not part of the structure put in place ahead of time, they risk adding up to an obstacle for others. I'm not talking about the situation where you are right there, someone is right in front of you with an amputated limb or bleeding out from somewhere. I'm talking about those people who are somewhere within 5-15-100 miles who suddenly go "I have to be there", don't do it. If you work at the hospitals nearby, call in and go there to pitch in unless you're trained to handle this kind of trauma or scenario.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

You could do what you can for the people around you. You could then go to the medical tent and identify yourself as an RN.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

i live in Houston, far far away. i have volunteered at the chevRUN marathon and countless other run/walk/Olympiads, mostly providing water, electrolyte supplements and ice/heat on a sore joint.

but if i was a by stander, who happened to be a RN, what could i use to help? pour bottled water on wounds, tie yoga pant tight enough to prevent hemorrhage and wrap them in a clean white sheet to prevent hypothermia? i suppose i could start triaging levels of care and help guiding, but i think i would be a little lost.

anyone has any suggestions about what a rn can be utilized as in a emergency out in the field?

You do exactly as you said. Basic frist aid.....tie a tourniquet, apply pressure to a wound, offer comfort, if you see someone panicking calm them....find the support personnel and ask them if they need help what can you do for them. Hold someone's hand until someone comes.

You function and think much better than you think you would....:)

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Just because you're not trained as an emergency responder doesn't mean you'll be in the way. As previously stated, you are a nurse. You DO know what to do in an emergency--all you have to do is translate those in-hospital skills to the outside.

For instance, what would you do if your found your patient apneic? Bleeding profusely? Fell and hit his/her head? It's the same scenario, just in a different setting. :)