Did I do the right thing?

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

A student cut himself in the shower at my school. He was bleeding a lot and the wound required a pressure dressing to get the bleeding to stop. I called the mother to take the student for medical care, which she promptly did. The cut was quite deep and required quite a few stitches. I am now being complained about because I did not clean the wound. It happened in the shower, so it wasn't like there was debris in it and I felt it was well cleaned with the large amount of bleeding. I explained to the parent that I did not want to cause even more tissue damage by cleaning it with H2O2 or even soap and water. I was sending the student to a medical facility where he would receive stitches and any special dressing they felt necessary. Was I wrong?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Doesn't sound like it. Who's complaining?

[luvschoolnursing, LPN]

Parents.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Just stand your ground. You are not equipped to deal with serious injuries other than to stabilize and ship. Attempting to do more than stanch the bleeding and get him more care would have been irresponsible.

[flightnurse2b, LPN]

i don't think you did anything wrong.

your priority was to assess the wound quickly and apply pressure to help stop the bleeding. if you had called 911, the paramedics would have done the same thing.

[Needsmorechocolate, ASN]

If that situation happened at my school I would have done exactly the same as you did. You did nothing wrong. As Suesquatch said, stabilize and ship em out.

Keep up the good work!

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

i don't think you did anything wrong.

your priority was to assess the wound quickly and apply pressure to help stop the bleeding. if you had called 911, the paramedics would have done the same thing.

Excellent point - i've been a first responder for years and the EMTs or medics would do little more thanmaybe flush with saline. Given heavy bleeding and occurance in the shower (where i assume he washed in clean water!) this step would likely be left out.

[rdsxfnrn]

i agree, any attempt to clean it would have caused MORE bleeding. YOUR first priority was to stop the bleeding asap.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

Agreed. ABC's are priority. Circulation/bleeding outranks cleaning a wound anyday.

One thing I have noticed in the few years I have been doing this is that when a child is seriously injured at school, the parents almost always have some complaint about how it was handled. I don't know it it is guilt, or what, but I have never had a parent that did not at least say "I wish you had done x instead of z." Since you are the first responder, you are an easy target. Believe me, if you HAD cleaned it out, they would be complaining about the blood lost while cleaning it. Sometimes you just have to know that you did the right thing and just let them be upset.

[Keepstanding, ASN, RN]

yep, you did just as i would have. no shame in that. you should be commened for the great job you did for the boy. some people are so ungrateful. hang in there sweetie !!

praiser :heartbeat

[missfixit]

I would have handled it the same way. Great job! Some parents are NEVER happy!

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

It happened in the SHOWER!! It was well irrigated by the time you got there. Sheesh, some people!