I've been a lurker for awhile, and I know that this post has been brought up 1-2 times in the last 2 years that I've been an RN. So... you grouchy old farts that would rather I'd revive an old post can just stuff a sock in it. I want to gauge opinions based on our CURRENT situation after the shooting yesterday in San Bernadino, CA.
Truth be told, One single caregiver with a concealed carry permit could have shut this couple down before they hit 14 fatalities.
I plan on getting my CC in January, but I know as an RN, should my handgun be discovered, I'll probably lose my license. It will stay in my car when I am at work. If someone wants to carry out mayhem at my workplace, we are ALL sitting ducks. It is not ok or fair. What are your thoughts?
Not to mention all the arms sold from the US to various military regimes in South America, which a study has proven to fall into the illegal weapons route. It's easy for that to happen when you have soldiers (in SA) that can make money selling such weapons on the black market. Remember, the same thing happened in the Soviet Union-several thousand weapons of various types landed on the black market after the country fell apart (we're talking bombs, high caliber machine guns, hand guns etc).
I had a patient that was (is) a gang member and asked him how easy it was to get guns; he said it was easier than getting drugs, which is also easy for them to obtain. One just has to know who to ask.
Specializes in E/R, Med/Surg, PCU, Mom-Baby, ICU, more.
I find it HILARIOUS when people think .223/5.56 is a large "high-powered" round from the AR-15.
It is actually one of the smallest LEAST energetic of the common rounds you will find int he store. My go to gun for hunting large game is my Winchester 70 chambered in 300 Win Mag. The energy released from my regular ol' hunting rifle is literally about 3-4 times what my AR-15 chambered in .233 can deliver.
Rather than research for themselves they just parrot what the anti-gun news agencies tell them. According to FBI stats homicides by firearms are DECREASING. More people are killed by hands, fists, and feet then rifles and shotguns BOTH put together.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I grew up in an area where hunting and fishing are considered natural and a way of life. Guns were for safety against predators, because you really could be eaten by what lurked outside in the dark. One simply just does not negotiate†with a hungry animal.
If you've never been raised around the respect for what owning a gun offers you, then I can understand where people come from, who think that guns should be banned.
I think the mentality that guns have no purpose other than some weird fascination as a hobby is what leads to the idea that no one should own a gun.
It all depends upon your perspective.
I would never carry a gun into the workplace. At my hospital, we have Pinkertons who carry guns. They KNOW how to use them if necessary, and I've seen them in action - a gun is the last resort for them, because they are capable of taking you out without a bullet, lol.
I had no idea the Pinkertons were still in existence!
Specializes in E/R, Med/Surg, PCU, Mom-Baby, ICU, more.
We need more strict gun control laws. There's nothing to argue here. There are so many loopholes with buying a gun, it's insane that almost anyone can get a gun and legally have the right to use it. Do you realize that almost 100 people a day die from gun related violence???
Gun laws don't work with criminals for one. Chicago and Washington DC have very strict gun laws and their homicide rate by guns is through the roof. Next how did you get that "almost 100" figure? According to FBI stats there are 22.25 gun homicides average.
Well, as for the topic not coming up in this thread, don't you think that those of us who might be injured or killed by your bullets get to have something to say about the issue?
Sorry, but boasting about your "discipline" and dropping dark hints of what would happen if someone should reach for your gun somehow don't contribute to a sense of confidence in your skills.
Guns don't kill people ... but incompetent, panicked shooters do. I'd prefer not to be one of them. I cannot agree to concealed carry in a caregiving setting unless that carrier can demonstrate the ability to hit the broad side of a barn and function calmly in a shooting emergency and guarantee that s/he can maintain control of their weapon at all times.
The terrorists sure as heck aren't going to take your concerns into account before shooting you down. Also, as I stated before, those generally responsible enough to legal carry via permit will have significant training/education for their own satisfaction and feelings of being proficient (while a different situation, requiring a permit carrier attempting to save your life to first demonstrate effectiveness in a life-threatening situation, what about your coding patient? Just finish report, code called on your patient. Spouse doesn't think you look big/strong enough for effective compressions and wants you to demonstrate efficiency BEFORE touching her husband(or thinks somebody looks like a dumb airhead and doesn't trust them to administer proper medications in doses, timing etc. Yes, somewhat different, but isn't SOMETHING better than NOTHING!
And, sorry to be rude, but I sort of feel like shame on you, for saying this person has dark thoughts/ideas when he mentioned the means they would take to retain his gun if situation arose. The question was posed about wanting to know how he would ensure possession of his personal weapon if threatened. You got an answer. Don't like itFine, but don't assume they have dark intentions/whatever because they will take necessary means if situation arises. From the sounds of it (knowing my own self and hearing how Akula responds, I feel he would be a good person to have around) Only using ‘he' to simplify & no offence meant either way.
I think the terrorists kill a heck of a lot more folks than panicked gun owners. If a gun owner must take action (license/permitted/conceal carry, whatever) unless they have significant experience and confidence, they likely will not go for a kill shot immediately, decreasing the likelihood of killing an innocent. Depending on it being a terrorist attack versus a mass shooting (for example a younger person mad at professor or classmate, as we've seen recently) they've got bigger, better weapons and will usually plan on death during mission (being taken out or suicide) and will not stop if physically able to continue. Whereas the other attack situations involving a single person, they will 9 times out of 10 surrender at first return fire shot. Further, as some continue to push for ‘gun-free' zones, the terrosits know they've got the huge advantage and how long until police/military aide arrives, especially if barricaded inside. By that time, all will be dead. Sometimes, you cannot rely upon others to rescue you and must take action yourself. Look at 9/11: those on the plane in central PA were smart, figured it out and took action. They knew they would die, but in a truly awesome spirit of sacrifice for their country, successfully prevented their plane hitting another target. I am NOT saying you should sacrifice, but had those individuals waited for help, it never would have come and who knows how many more on the ground would have perished.
Gun-free zones/gun control: There are legal gun-free zones†but not general gun-free zones. The ideal is decent but our world will never be utopia and there will always be folks willing to break any law, simply because they want what they want when they want it and ‘ain't nobody gonna stop me!' (entitled in this country is a whole ‘nother issue…) If the plan for gun control were good, the applicants for personal guns were honest on paperwork AND the program were enforced (a huge issue right now) then maybe we would see positive results. Until we live in this society with all angelic neighbors, gun control is not going to help, at least not all that significantly.
Especially with everything happening recently, I just don't understand why others think removing guns from general population would benefit our country. If terrorists heard this/knew it was true, the US would be invaded and never be remotely the same.
While mine and quite a few others' comments are CC in general, to consider OP's question about carrying in a healthcare setting as an employee, perhaps not carrying the weapon around, as a patient could grab and cause issue, but what about locking a weapon somewhere? Only a limited number of folks know it even exists at facility, fewer knowing the location and even fewer having a key/access (these employees having to prove competence to employer & continually demonstrate upkeep of competence, much like CEU's) and a certain number of these specified/trained employees are there at different times/locations of facility, etc. Unfortunately, with any new policy there are kinks to work out, that only become evident when the policy is put into action.F
I must admit that I was anxious about this thread, after seeing numerous instances of flaming and shutting down threads. It is nice to debate such hot topics while doing so respectfully. We all grow & learn.
Gun laws don't work with criminals for one. Chicago and Washington DC have very strict gun laws and their homicide rate by guns is through the roof.
The Gun Laws in both Chicago and other suburbs in the surrounding area were originally enacted to enable Law Enforcement to IMMEDIATELY seize a gun if one was found at a crime scene or during an arrest.
As for "Gun Laws don't work with criminals", perhaps we should just get rid of laws regarding assault, burglary, theft, and murder as well since criminals don't seem to care about any laws.
Specializes in E/R, Med/Surg, PCU, Mom-Baby, ICU, more.
While, unfortunately, I have to agree to some extent with your description of American culture (although I would argue that it is still true that the vast majority of us never kill anyone, or even think seriously about killing anyone),
There is a 13% segment of the population that is responsible for 52.5% of all homicides in America from 1980-2008. Page 12 table 7 at
Specializes in E/R, Med/Surg, PCU, Mom-Baby, ICU, more.
The Gun Laws in both Chicago and other suburbs in the surrounding area were originally enacted to enable Law Enforcement to IMMEDIATELY seize a gun if one was found at a crime scene or during an arrest.
As for "Gun Laws don't work with criminals", perhaps we should just get rid of laws regarding assault, burglary, theft, and murder as well since criminals don't seem to care about any laws.
In Illinois having a concealed carry permit was not possible until July 9, 2013 so anyone with a gun except for off duty law enforcement or POLITICIANS were not allowed to have CCW.
My point with adding new gun laws is what is the point of punishing law abiding gun owners as they have no effect on the criminal offenders. Can you tell us how many perps have picked gun free zones to go on shooting rampages.
Specializes in Med/Surg, OR, Peds, Patient Education.
I've been a lurker for awhile, and I know that this post has been brought up 1-2 times in the last 2 years that I've been an RN. So... you grouchy old farts that would rather I'd revive an old post can just stuff a sock in it. I want to gauge opinions based on our CURRENT situation after the shooting yesterday in San Bernadino, CA.
Truth be told, One single caregiver with a concealed carry permit could have shut this couple down before they hit 14 fatalities.
I plan on getting my CC in January, but I know as an RN, should my handgun be discovered, I'll probably lose my license. It will stay in my car when I am at work. If someone wants to carry out mayhem at my workplace, we are ALL sitting ducks. It is not ok or fair. What are your thoughts?
Experiments have been carried out and prove that having a gun in your possession does not mean your safety or the safety of others. It is impossible to act quickly enough to harm or kill the shooter.
A college wished to prove this by arming their students, in one particular class, with paint guns. They were told that "someone would enter the classroom sometime and try to 'kill' them with a paint gun." Days passed and the students all, dutifully, brought their paint guns with them to class but nothing happened and no one entered the room armed with the paint gun. A week or so later, during a, particularly interesting, lecture, a 'shooter' entered the classroom, took aim and 'shot' several students with his paint gun, and quickly left, before any student could react, aim and fire at the shooter. People, even if warned that this will happen cannot respond with the rapidity necessary to kill or maim someone with a gun.
Ya, you are right. However with 300+million guns floating around the county it's simply fantasy to talk about getting rid of them. Talk of banning guns will immediately cause a loss of credibility as its in the fantasy realm.
Did I say anything about getting rid of guns? I was just responding to your statement that Americans want to kill each other and the weapons used "don't really matter." To me, that statement is "simply fantasy."
Specializes in E/R, Med/Surg, PCU, Mom-Baby, ICU, more.
The Gun Laws in both Chicago and other suburbs in the surrounding area were originally enacted to enable Law Enforcement to IMMEDIATELY seize a gun if one was found at a crime scene or during an arrest.
As for "Gun Laws don't work with criminals", perhaps we should just get rid of laws regarding assault, burglary, theft, and murder as well since criminals don't seem to care about any laws.
In Illinois having a concealed carry permit was not possible until July 9, 2013 so anyone with a gun except for off duty law enforcement or POLITICIANS were not allowed to have CCW.
My point with adding new gun laws is what is the point of punishing law abiding gun owners as they have no effect on the criminal offenders. Can you tell us how many perps have picked gun free zones to go on shooting rampages.
I want to gauge opinions based on our CURRENT situation after the shooting yesterday in San Bernadino, CA. 
SkaterGurl
35 Posts
Not to mention all the arms sold from the US to various military regimes in South America, which a study has proven to fall into the illegal weapons route. It's easy for that to happen when you have soldiers (in SA) that can make money selling such weapons on the black market. Remember, the same thing happened in the Soviet Union-several thousand weapons of various types landed on the black market after the country fell apart (we're talking bombs, high caliber machine guns, hand guns etc).
I had a patient that was (is) a gang member and asked him how easy it was to get guns; he said it was easier than getting drugs, which is also easy for them to obtain. One just has to know who to ask.