But you're a nurse, you could've done this....

[Madras]

So today I left work and was on my way to meet hubby and kiddo to run errands. I was about 5 minutes away when I get a call from him saying they've been in a car accident! "We're ok though".

I arrive on scene, police had just gotten there as well. I see the car and someone sideswiped the passenger side of his 2 door coupe. My son was in the back seat passenger side. I do a look over of him, quick assessment and take him out of the car. He's blabbing on and on about his new crazy experience. (6 yr old aspiring race car driver) looking good.

The officer asked if I wanted an ambulance to come and I said yes.

So ambulance arrived on scene. My kid is just yapping away and enjoying all the attention. The medics take one look at me and say "but you're a nurse, you could've handled this, he seems fine". (Still had my badge on from work)

I said "yes but I'm an OR nurse so not exactly my forte plus I'd feel much better if he got a full assessment and some vitals".

So all in all everything is fine, the medics were really great but this raised a thought for me......

What would other nurses have done? Thoughts?

[jamisaurus]

Exactly what you'd done. We're not trained first responders, and it's a conflict of interest to treat family the way they needed treated. You needed a different set of eyes and you did exactly what I would have done.

[Mom2boysRN]

I am not able to objectively assess someone I love. I would have done the same as you.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

The stress of the situation would make me stupid. I would want the EHS assessment, and I'm an ER nurse.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

This is what happened to me at a grocery store when my grandma passed out and hit her head hard on the cement floor. The medics acted like I was crazy to want her taken in. She was 89 at the time and fell from a standing height. I heard her head hit the floor and felt it too. Once they had her up and to walk her to the rig she couldn't walk hardly at all. I insisted before that they take her to the hospital. Glad I did. Her CT of her head was negative, but later the next day in the obs unit we noticed she had some bloody stool. We found out she had colon cancer and it was a bleeding tumor and her hgb was dropping.

I would have done exactly what you did. We aren't first responders and it was a good idea to have him checked out.

[michigansapphire]

I would have said "Right now I'm not a nurse, I'm his mom."

Glad no one was hurt!

[anewsns]

I would have popped the trunk and pulled out my CT scanner

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Exactly what the OP did. I'm not qualified or objective enough to make that assessment on my own family.

[Libby1987]

I would have popped the trunk and pulled out my CT scanner

No kidding, what's wrong with the OP anyway?

OP glad your family is okay!

[MunoRN, RN]

Police have certain indications to call an ambulance to evaluate people in a car accident, and it doesn't sound like he felt there was any need, but you being a nurse he thought he would ask your opinion and your response was "yes". Everyone appeared fine so the medics asked why they were there, which is a reasonable question.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I probably wouldn't have called an ambulance because I don't like to bother anyone. That might have been the wrong call. But then, I'm the fool who drove myself to the ER with a HR approaching 200 and sweating like a pig because I didn't want to bother anyone . . . that was the wrong call, too.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

If everything was under control when they arrived, I don't blame the EMT for wondering why an ambulance was called. But saying "But you're a nurse, you could've done this...." strikes me as spectacularly bad bedside manner.