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.
The event that has stuck in my head and which is still sometimes talked about by my children is this:
12 years ago, I took both my kids who were young to the local swimming pond in a park. It was just before season start in May with no lifeguards on duty and generally speaking empty. The pond is part of a recreational area with a lot of greens, a play ground, a boat dock for small rentable boats and a stage for small concerts. The pond has a sand beach area, which was very popular with my children as they liked to play in the sand. It was not bathing season yet and so my kids were wearing shorts and T-shirts and I was wearing jeans and shirt. My children were playing in the sand with their stuff and I was watching them. There was nobody else at the beach and only 2 adults with some kids on the playground. It was not such a nice day and in the middle of the week early afternoon.
Suddenly I heard some coughing and for some seconds my brain tried to figure out the coughing as the beach had been empty and my kids and myself were not the ones making the noise. I turned my head slightly towards the cough direction and saw a child in the water about to drown. The child was in the water next to the boat dock/deck and was desperately waving arms with the head submerging.
I told my kids to sit down on the blanket and not to move and ran into the water. The child was where I could not stand anymore but close to the dock. Her arms were not long enough to reach the dock and to hold on. I am a good swimmer but not necessarily a lifeguard. I could not locate any equipment to rescue her with and seconds counted so I swam towards her and once close I grabbed the deck and with the other arm reached out for the child. I got one of her arms and pulled her towards me. She was able to hold her head over water like that and I slowly moved us back out of the water towards the beach.
She was not coughing anymore but visibly shaken up. I asked her for her name and age, she was 5 years old. I had her sit down on the blanket, and my children took a towel and placed it around her. I looked around and could not see any adult. Luckily she seemed to be fine and I was about to make my way up to the emergency phone (I had no cell phone back then) right behind the beach, when her grandfather showed up. Turned out that she and her brother had gone to the playground with grandpa and she somehow managed walk away from the playground. While he was looking for her on the other side of the playground, she had actually gone to the boating deck and fell off it into the water. Since she was unable to swim she almost drowned, it was a close call.
At that point I realized that I was sort of cold as I had jumped in with jeans and shirt on.
I drove home with my children and took a hot shower.
Water is dangerous for kids. I taught both my kids to swim very early. My son was 6, my daughter was 5 when she learned how to swim. Funny enough, both kids are lifeguards!
Before I was a nurse, but was an emt, I was shopping at our local mall with my toddler daughter. As we were coming up the escalator, a little girl ahead of us was at the top and about to step off and her untied shoelace got pulled into the track and pulled her foot in. She spun around so she was now facing us and her foot was top side to escalator. As we got to her I practically tossed my daughter over this girl and hit the emergency stop button. Her screaming brought people out of the stores up there. Someone called 911 as I supported her leg so she couldn't twist around and hurt herself more. A sweet clerk from Sears stayed with my daughter a few feet from the escalator.
I remember that even when the fire dept came, there was no parent. Her mom had let her go off and ride the escalator for fun while she shopped 😟
Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..
I was returning home from church one day when I encountered a pileup on a major four-lane highway. I stopped and began assessing for injuries. I found a man who had fractured his ankle first, so I assisted a Physician in setting his ankle. Then I continued on up the mountain, checking others for injuries.
Another time I witnessed an accident and went to the hospital with the patient after treating her.
In fact, this has occurred numerous times where I stopped to help others. I did this because I knew if I needed help, I would appreciate someone helping me.
When I first graduated from LVN school my husband and I were at the ophthalmologist getting our yearly eye exam when a two year old little boy started choking on a piece of candy and my husband yells "she's a nurse"! It seemed like things were moving in slow motion but I immediately did the heimlich maneuver on him and out popped the candy. Talk about saving the day and the ink wasn't even dry on my license.
I just want to shoot the people that volunteer me as a nurse. Maybe I don't want to nurse right now, or I think the person is bonkers, or I don't have any useful suggestions. I can volunteer myself, so shut up!
I came upon an accident once, before EHS showed up. Five young men in a convertible had crossed the median, and landed turned back too on the opposite highway. Only one was left in the car, semiconscious, but breathing. One with an obvious head injury on the road with blood from the mouth. A bystander had helpfully turned him on his side (good bye Cspine). One thrown about three car lengths conscious, alert, with a jaw injury. One sitting up arguing with a bystander that he was OK, obvious scrapes and bruises, probably a head injury, and the last, I don't remember. I identified myself, and walked through quickly. I don't want to be involved with the guy that was moved, the bystander is doing as well as I can with the arguing dude, The man lying on the road is breathing, good color, he needs to stay where he is until EHS comes, and several people are on the phone. I convinced the thrown guy to lie down and held cspine on him. Some guy in an army uniform said he's taken a first aid course a few years ago, so people are listening to him. I asked a woman to go down the line of cars and ask for any blankets or sweaters that could be loaned, and NO ONE was willing to provide any.
I felt like my IQ had dropped 20 points. If I'm not in my controlled ER world, I am not a smart efficient nurse. I'm sure I made mistakes, and EHS provider would have stayed with the sickest person. I didn't want to touch the sickest person, and didn't feel like I had much to offer them.
briannaflavin
5 Posts
Hi Davey Do, I'd love to share one of these stories in my article. Send me an email at [email protected] if you are willing to contribute.
-Brianna