I'm writing an article for allnurses about nurses jumping into action while off the clock (and away from the workplace). I'm hoping to collect some stories from nurses who've been at the scene of a crisis or medical emergency and were able to play a role in assisting someone.
Do you have a story to share? If you'd be willing to contribute, please send your responses to: [email protected]
If you prefer to remain anonymous with your story, I can cite you by your title alone. Otherwise, please send along your name, title and company.
I have saved my own life twice. Chocking on some innocuous food, (I know I eat too fast), totally blocked airway. My husband is there and does the useless pound on the back maneuver....as I'm thinking, "Ok the brain can last 4 minutes without oxygen" and "this is such an embarrassingly stupid way to die" I have to pantomime to him how to do the Heimlich! I think the second time he did it a bit quicker.
I'm not complaining, I think is is almost unavoidable, but my ribs were sore for a few days. Obviously it worked.
This has nothing to do with being a nurse pre se but I have rescued struggling kiddos from swimming pools at least 3 times. No CPR was needed, thank goodness I spotted them before it came to that!
I responded at the beach to someone who had a cardiac event while swimming. 35 minutes of CPR til the rescue squad arrived. He didn't make it. His wife and kids were watching the whole time. It bothered me for quite a while.
Last year I came upon a motorcycle/pick-up accident on the highway. As you can imagine the cyclist got the bad end of that collision. Compound tib/fib fx with jagged ends of both bones exposed. There was also some small amount of blood coming from beneath his helmet. Amazingly he remained alert and oriented, probably because he was wearing that helmet. As somebody else mentioned the hardest part was stopping the "helpful" people surrounding him from moving him and potentially doing even more harm. The driver of the truck had already called 911 so all I really did was keep him still and talking until EMT's arrived while my husband directed the cars blocking the 2 lane road off to the side so the responders had room to come through. The cyclists primary concern at the time seemed to be that his wife was going to make him get rid of his bike after this.
Cold morning, had to return to hospital after a 12 hour night shift, passed a utility worker flat on the ground. He'd gotten shocked on something or other, didn't need CPR but wasn't moving much; kept him still, covered him with my jacket (idiot working with him did nothing but watch me shiver). Company sent me flowers later.
Horrific MVA on 2nd day of vacation, in another state. She burned to death, he was ejected; totally degloved one leg from thigh down, and bystanders had put a belt on for torniquet, had not rolled him but I organized C spine and log roll to keep his airway open. Other leg also crushed. Pressue to femoral arteries. Got as much hx as I could for fear he would go unconscious. Sheriff no help, didn't have a c-collar in trunk like all of ours do. When helicoptor finally arrived helped with holding for BP & IVs. Daughter wouldn't let me back in the car until I changed my pants because there was some blood. Okay a lot of blood. But it wasn't dripping! So I changed right there on the side of the highway.
Fellow stepped out in front of the car in front of us, most likely intentionally. Semiconscious. T shirt had been pulled over his head from the impact, so checking for breathing was not easy, but he was on his back. Got that up to the top of his face (C spine!) he took some deep breaths (12), slow and likely agonal, +pulse, so some lady standing there says oh! then turn him on his side! A man and I both yelped NO! She sniffs, well I'm an LPN. Sniped back, well I'm a PCU nurse, and she huffed away. EMS arrives, we all log roll him on and they did a scoop&run, beings we were on the hospital's road less than 2 miles away. Didn't make it. Baby wipes do not take blood off your hands by the way, just make it dry and sticky.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
These are instances , that I can recall, where I was the First Responder:
1980's: Farmer flipped over tractor. Unconscious. Assessed/monitored until EMS arrived. Came out okay.
1990's: 3 wheeler crashed into concrete pavilion. Unconscious. Assessed/monitored until EMS arrived. Air lifted to St. Louis due to head injury. Came out okay.
Two young women rear ended bus. One screaming/one unconscious. Assessed/monitored/reassured until EMS arrived.
Lady passed out on sidewalk. Assessed/monitored/reassured until EMS arrived, summoned by Police on bicycles.
Sewed up a deep laceration on my hand. Came out okay.
2000's: A guy with CP fell off his tricycle on the KATY trail. Patched him up with first aid kit I keep in my bicycle bag.
A guy T-boned while making a left hand turn on a green light. CPR with Police. Didn't make it.
Oh....I hate this memory. My neighbor has 3 teenage girls who do a lot of the usual high pitched girly screaming. One nice spring afternoon hubby and I were sitting in the front room reading, I hear screaming. My perception is waaaay off the reality, but it seems like I sat and listened for a long time thinking it was them......finally I wandered out front.
A teenage girl had been walking along side of her sevenish year old brother as he rode his bike, a neighbor had backed her car out and hit him. The sister was doing all the screaming!
My biggest problem/issue was my confusion. The car had been moved, I hadn't seen the accident. The whole time I was feebly trying to help out I kept thinking....what in the world happened, all I knew/saw was a boy lying in the road, his bike, and his sister.
I told my husband to call 911 (I'm sure they had already gotten many calls). I went to them and in my memory I was alone on the side of the road with the sister and hurt boy. I'm sure there must have been others around.
I was rattled from the get go because I had not responded to her initial screams.
All I could think was ABC. (This was before CAB.) His airway, breathing were fine. Then all I could think was okay c-spine precautions. I remember looking at his left arm, it was mottled, I guess, assumed, there was a break there.
He was conscious, breathing, not moving much (what I can remember??????) The ambulance came, I don't remember what I told them, since I hadn't even seen the accident and wasn't really sure what in the heck had happened.
I think my biggest feeling was the guilt that I had been listening to the screams for a while, plus the confusion of not really knowing what was going on. It was after the fact the I even knew he had been hit by a car. A neighbor said afterwards, "We lifted the car off the boy!" Yikes!
The closest I have to a non-nursing heroics story is from when I was babysitting. I literally had to save the family's baby from choking - the middle child gave the baby a grape when I had went in the other room for literally two seconds to get something.
The only other thing that is kind of close was the time we coded a visitor on my unit when I was a new grad. Not a patient but we saved them (kinda).
These are instances , that I can recall, where I was the First Responder:
1980's: Farmer flipped over tractor. Unconscious. Assessed/monitored until EMS arrived. Came out okay.
1990's: 3 wheeler crashed into concrete pavilion. Unconscious. Assessed/monitored until EMS arrived. Air lifted to St. Louis due to head injury. Came out okay.
Two young women rear ended bus. One screaming/one unconscious. Assessed/monitored/reassured until EMS arrived.
Lady passed out on sidewalk. Assessed/monitored/reassured until EMS arrived, summoned by Police on bicycles.
Sewed up a deep laceration on my hand. Came out okay.
2000's: A guy with CP fell off his tricycle on the KATY trail. Patched him up with first aid kit I keep in my bicycle bag.
A guy T-boned while making a left hand turn on a green light. CPR with Police. Didn't make it.
BCgradnurse, would you be willing to contribute to my article? I would love to include this story. Send me an email at [email protected] if you are interested.
WinterLilac
168 Posts
She was struck down, it was her doom
Annie are you okay? So Annie, Are you okay? Are you okay Annie?
Youve been hit by
Youve been hit by
A smooth criminal...
sorry, it's past my bedtime and now I have Michael Jackson in my head