Has anyone ever assisted in a roadside emergency?

PANurseRN1 · Apr 30, 2006

You can be sued if you stop and render aid. It has happened, unfortunately. I know there are people who carry all sorts of equipment in their cars "just in case." Not me; it's my car, not a medic unit.

PANurseRN1 · Apr 30, 2006

I thought this article was interesting.

PANurseRN1 · Apr 30, 2006

This is another reason why you will never catch me driving a car with some sort of vanity plate that ID's me as a nurse. I think it looks kind of arrogant, for one (Whoopee, so you're an RN. Am I supposed to be impressed?) and it makes you an easy target in these kind of situations.

control · Apr 30, 2006

I'm not judging you if you don't want to give aid that's up to you. I was just pointing out that you can be sued for NOT giving aid. In Louisiana it's called "Failure to Act" and it's applied to all citizens....maybe you should call your BON and inform them of their misinformation. And your attitude is totally uncalled for.

Repeata:

Until I know otherwise, I'm not going to play like I'm on Rescue 911. I live with two 3Ls, and I know what could happen to me if I stop at a trauma scene with my ZERO trauma experience. Being a nurse does not mean I have to swoop in to every accident on the highway like a superhero and save the day. My thoughts of myself and my abilities just aren't that grandiose/confident or whatever you want to call it.

Also, if I find the hard copies of the materials my BON sent me regarding this subject I will definitely post it here. Your suggestion to call the BON is a good suggestion though, because I definitely like to keep abreast of what is going on/changing with nurse practice law. However, "to inform them of their misinformation?" I'm not so sure of that, as some of your sources could be misinformed and/or not updated. There is a disclaimer listed at the bottom of one of your sources:

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

And the other is from a business' website. Wikipedia and cprinstructor.com have their places, but they aren't exactly entities that I want to base my nursing practice on.

Also, practicing nursing in a hospital or any controlled environment is not the same as practicing in an unstable, accident sort of situation: in the hospital you have medications, other similarly or higher trained people, and any items you will need, e.g., protective equipment. Some scenes of accidents are so unstable that by stopping you put your self physically in danger as well. You should evaluate all of that before jumping into a situation, too.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2006

I just took a CPR for health care provider class here in OH, and the instructor informed us that due the the Good Samaritan laws we can't be sued if we help, but we are not required to stop. Aiding the victims is entirely voluntary, the way he made it seem.

My understanding of the Good Samaritan laws is that they do not protect healthcare professional. We are held to a higher standard of the expectation of care- meaning that we are expected to know what we are doing, and are liabile for do so in a manner consistant with our field.
On that same note- in Ohio, we are expected to stop and aide. And liable if we do nothing.

NrsJena · Apr 30, 2006

Interesting debate- worth calling the BON on.....

LNDRN19 · Apr 30, 2006

My nursing instuctor assisted in a roadside emergency. He then got sued for not (allegedly) working at a level on par with his skill level. He had insurance and the insurance paid them off. My other nursing instructor refuses to work roadside emergencies. I stopped to help a drunk driver who had crashed into a wall. She later claimed I had caused the accident!!!!!!!! I had to go to court, at the last minute she accepted a plea bargain and I did not have to testify. Still, I don't do roadside emergencies.

That is SOOOOOOO wrong!!! Amazing how ungrateful, greedy, and audacious some people are!!!