Concealed Carry...as a nurse?

Nurses Activism

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  1. Do you have a concealed carry license?

    • 148
      Yes, although it stays in the car/home while at work.
    • 68
      Yes, it is always on me no matter where I am.
    • 104
      No, I do not see the need.

227 members have participated

With the current news over gun control and gun rights legislation being pushed through Congress as a result of the tragedies of Aurora, CO, Newtown, CT and the others like them, the thought of concealed carry among healthcare workers has got my attention peaked. Recently, another Allnurses member started a thread (up to 22 pages presently) about what nurses can do as a result of these horrific events.

This post is not meant to reflect my personal stance on this issue, although I can inform that I am not a CCL holder (however interested), nor is it meant to be a bashing session from either side, but I am interested in seeing how many individuals have their concealed carry license, and if they carry while they are at work (and, yes I am well aware of the legal stance healthcare facilities take as being gun free zones)?

I, also, am aware of some of our members being both nurses and current/former law enforcement officers, so what is your take on this issue?

To those saying leave the guns to law enforcement...you DO realize in an active shooter situation you could have SECONDS in order to defend yourself. Police response time could take many minutes. You could save yourself, your coworkers, and patients. That is very dangerous and naive thinking. Fully support people who decide not to exercise their 2A rights, but please do not act like "I have nothing to worry about because the police will always be there to save me"

6 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care.
On 6/12/2022 at 9:18 PM, armedprofessional said:

To those saying leave the guns to law enforcement...you DO realize in an active shooter situation you could have SECONDS in order to defend yourself. Police response time could take many minutes. You could save yourself, your coworkers, and patients. That is very dangerous and naive thinking. Fully support people who decide not to exercise their 2A rights, but please do not act like "I have nothing to worry about because the police will always be there to save me"

I really don't think that firearms carried by direct care staff are less likely to be used by an active shooter than they are to be used against an active shooter.  No holster is so secure that a patient can't get at it.  We don't trust many of our patients with silverware, letting them at a firearm is a pretty bad idea.

Legitimately secure hospitals (security screening at all entrances, even patients coming in on EMS stretcher unless there is active CPR occurring) has proven to be effective.

2 Votes
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I have no illusions that the police will save me in an active shooter situation. I also have no illusions that a "good guy with a gun" will save me either. In fact, study upon study have shown the horrific fallacy behind "only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun" and anyone who still believes that trope - well, Wayne LaPierre's marketing clearly works!

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-the-good-guy-with-a-gun-became-a-deadly-american-fantasy

1 Votes
1 hour ago, klone said:

I have no illusions that the police will save me in an active shooter situation. I also have no illusions that a "good guy with a gun" will save me either. In fact, study upon study have shown the horrific fallacy behind "only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun" and anyone who still believes that trope - well, Wayne LaPierre's marketing clearly works!

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-the-good-guy-with-a-gun-became-a-deadly-american-fantasy

Pretty bad article, lots of emotional fallacies, skillful omissions and correlation/causation errors. Thankfully your opinion doesn't matter in this instance.

Gun violence remains primarily inner city gang and suicide-related which heavily skews these numbers. Elephants in the room no one wants to talk about.

Your solution is not to rely on the cops, yourself or someone else. Good luck. Better just accept your fate.

2 Votes
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
8 hours ago, Numenor said:

Your solution is not to rely on the cops, yourself or someone else. Good luck. Better just accept your fate.

I live in a neighborhood where the cops aren't welcome, and don't come. It's a fact I've accepted, and it doesn't cause me distress. I think Uvalde showed how useful the cops are, anyway.

1 Votes
On 6/17/2022 at 1:49 PM, klone said:

I live in a neighborhood where the cops aren't welcome, and don't come. It's a fact I've accepted, and it doesn't cause me distress. I think Uvalde showed how useful the cops are, anyway.

That's fine but to also be against guns/self-defense makes 0 sense.

2 Votes
Specializes in ER, Occupational Health.
BlueDevil,DNP said:

Floored that you would brandish a firearm in your workplace as a means to intimidate a patient. You have made some suspect comments in the past, but this is truly the most unprofessional thing I have seen on this website. Ashamed and embarrassed by you/for you.

The word "brandish" carries a specific meaning relative to firearms and nothing in Angel's post indicated that it was brandished.

My state currently does not require a concealed permit to carry. Yes, I own and carry a firearm but do not take it into places that law explicitly prohibits.

Numenor said:

That's fine but to also be against guns/self-defense makes 0 sense.

 

klone said:

I live in a neighborhood where the cops aren't welcome, and don't come. It's a fact I've accepted, and it doesn't cause me distress. I think Uvalde showed how useful the cops are, anyway.

That is part of the problem.."cops aren't welcome" just like all nurses are serial killers etc, all cops aren't bad.

Just like ANY group/profession, the response/lack there of in Uvalde shouldn't be used as broad bush to paint all who are in the law enforcement profession in a negative light. 

JadedCPN said:

Care to cite your sources?

My personal experience has been that many are NOT anti-cop, just want justice for the clear injustices, oppression, and continued systemic racism that has been prevalent in our country for hundreds of years.

So by looting stores, breaking windows, burning cars, blocking highways, etc they are effecting change? No, they are destroying their own cities/communities, shutting down real conversations and reinforcing stereotypes while drowning out the voices of peaceful protestors and spitting on the graves of many from all races and walks of life who have stood up to change (and yes, there has been changes) these injustices, etc you reference.  

Law enforcement is needed and valuable whether some people fail to see it or not, just as health cannot be free as wonderful as that would be. Some things in life ARE just fantasy and always will be because..you know..reality.

Numenor said:

Most of these people are anti-cop (defund the pigs/kill cops is spray painted outside apartment right now) but also anti-gun, hilariously sad twist of irony.

Exactly.

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