Cops and Nurses

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So a lot of the nurses I have spoken with believe they have a greater chance of being given a warning, instead of a ticket, for speeding if they have their RN badge visible when they are pulled over. Who here has been pulled over on their way to or from work and been given a pass? Who has bee ticketed? Is there any truth to it?

When the funeral detail was clipping along in the van on the way to an engagement, the NCOIC kept the folded flag on the dash. This worked the one time we were pulled over.

I got pulled over for expired registration, expired inspection (I procrastinate) and had no proof of insurance of driver's license with me (although I had them both current). Cop asked what I do and then said, "Oh...I don't give tickets to nurses- just get it taken care of."

True.

I was pulled over on my second week on the job (I was working out of town). Cop asked what I was doing in town. I replied that I just started working at the hospital. He inquired as to me role to which I replied that I was a new nurse there. I left with a warning.

I was pulled over the California Highway Patrol and got a ticket. A few months later I was talking to a CHP officer and relating the story. He said, "Did you tell him you worked here?" I told him, "No." He replied, "He probably would've let you go." Go figure but 2 hours later, the cop that wrote me up came through the door and said, "Hey, ___ tells me I wrote you. You should have told me you worked here."

Finally, one day I was at a party and met a guy who is a CHP officer. He said, "I never write the local ER nurses."

We work with LEO all the time... and understand each other in a way that most others don't... and definitely get the extension of a professional courtesy from many cops.

I don't know about nurses in general but ED nurses for sure.

That being said, I've a friend who's a Fed and he actually got written by a city cop so professional courtesy isn't a given, even between cops.

Specializes in ICU.

Twice got out of speeding tickets going to/from work. Pretty sweet deal considering how much they would've cost and how much my insurance would've gone up.

I must be a stick in the mud.....but all of this really bothers me.

I must be a stick in the mud.....but all of this really bothers me.

Bothers me too. I wonder how the general public would feel if they heard this? In the first place you all shouldn't be speeding or breaking ANY laws. People here are quick to judge patients who are frequent flyers and other "low value" patients but at least their activity is only hurting themselves. You all could kill someone with your speeding. Talk about hypocrisy. You're not special so I fail to see why you receive special treatment from cops.

My husband is a retired cop and he's told me that he would never give a nurse a ticket. The nurse would have to be doing something pretty bad before he'd even consider it.

Now, I do not speed and I try to do whatever I have to do so that I won't get pulled over. I think it's embarrassing.

However, I have been pulled over-- it happens-- and I have not gotten a ticket. I was in scrubs and my car also has a FOP sticker on the rear window. I am also very respectful.

So was it because of my scrubs, my husband's sticker or my delightfully polite and charming demeanor :sarcastic:?

I don't know, but probably none of that hurt one bit.

I don't think any of us should be zooming around breaking speed records-- or the law, in general-- because we think we're going to get a free pass...

But if I get pulled over and the kind officer wants to give me a break, I'm not dumb enough to argue.

I give myself enough time to get where I'm going without busting the traffic laws. Seems to work fairly well.

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

Nobody here is perfect, and I certainly have never claimed to have never made a mistake in my life. I certainly don't go around town, speeding with impunity, thinking that I'll simply play my nurse card and be let off. Yes, I've gone over the speed limit a few times in my life and got caught, and when they've learned I'm a nurse, they've let me off with a warning. I was simply answering the question asked by the OP, not endorsing speeding and playing the nurse card.

Hm, I live very close to tornado ally...and last year we had a small F1 tornado right around shift change, before I was going in for anight shift. Warnings were out, clearly I was going to be late...as is everyone else. Anyway, we have a plan for this sort of thing. And plan is Code grey. Meaning everyone currently working as to stay until it is safe for the new shift to come in. So I waited the storm out. There had been several people injured, nothing too serious. Many trees and things blocking the roads. The main road to get into the hospital was closed. and only emergency vehicles they were allowing to pass.

When the cop came to my car and told me I needed to turn around, I pulled out my badge and said "I work at the hospital and with the traumas coming in I don't have time to take the back way" He let me threw.

I lied...there really were no traumas...couple minor cuts needing stiches and such but, still it got me where I needed to go.

Specializes in pediatric.

One doesn't have to be speeding or endangering lives to get pulled over. Expired registration and tabs can get you pulled over as well. I doubt anyone is thinking, "I'm not going to register my car because I'm a nurse and I can use that if I get pulled over."

My experience was as a nursing student. Got pulled over for talking on my phone (shame on me), and I told the officer that I was calling my husband because I had just taken and passed the state NCLEX exam. He let me go with a warning. I swear it was because of some kind of "public servant" connection- even said as much to my husband when I told the story!

So to answer the original question: yes, I think for the most part, nurses get special treatment from cops (but shouldn't expect it).

Specializes in Pedi.
Bothers me too. I wonder how the general public would feel if they heard this? In the first place you all shouldn't be speeding or breaking ANY laws. People here are quick to judge patients who are frequent flyers and other "low value" patients but at least their activity is only hurting themselves. You all could kill someone with your speeding. Talk about hypocrisy. You're not special so I fail to see why you receive special treatment from cops.

You've never driven over the speed limit in your life? Really? I find that hard to believe. Come to Massachusetts and try driving 55 mph on the highway and see how you make out...

To the OP- I've never been pulled over on my way to or from work. I have gotten out of speeding tickets for reasons other than being a nurse though.

+ Add a Comment