I just curious to see if anyone has the same problem we do.
You get called in for a "true emegency" and get pulled over for speeding.
This happened to me awhile ago. Got called in for a leaking Triple A, got pulled over, explained situation and received the ticket anyway (jerk). :angryfire
I wanted to ask him "what if it was your family member"? Had to take time off to go to court. My surgeon and my employer gave me letters explaining why it's important in those situations for us to get to the hospital ASAP.
Long and short, it was dismissed.
I went to the police dept. afterwards and spoke with the captain and asked what we could do differently. He told me there was nothing we can do.
Police get lights and sirens, volunteer fire get lights. Why can't surgical personel get something put in place to signify they are on the way to an emergency?
The only time I speed is for Life and Death emergencies.
Specializes in ER/SICU/Med-Surg/Ortho/Trauma/Flight.
My ambulance got pulled over once that I was riding as a Critical care transpo. nurse, It was me and a medic in the back and a medic driving, well we were transporting a guy that was on the heart transplant list, we were transporting him from a small rural facility about 30 miles away from our facility well the guy started having an MI-hr dropped, bp dropped and the driver decided to blow a light 3 blocks from our hospital- well let me tell you the St.Louis Metro police dont like this and wham, now this cop was okay wasnt that bad he actually gave us an escort and he didnt give us a ticket but a warning, but Im sure the family was frightened because they were driving right behind and suddenly wham our lights and sirens come on and speed up leaving them in the dust Im sure they were freaking!!!!
Specializes in MICU, ER, SICU, Home Health, Corrections.
You missed my point. I know we are not "above the law" and after 16 years of doing this I have developed a watch ahead and around attitude when driving in for an emergency. The speed limit was 55, I was doing 62. The reason I said "jerk" is because that is how this officer is viewed by his fellow officers that I know.(live in a small town where everyone knows everyone)
Our OB-GYN's do the hand off the license and have the police follow. I'm always weary of the conditions of the road and others. Esp. at "bar time".
My point was, do any others have something in place to help them get to the hospital in a critical sitiuation?
I thought maybe a sticker in our back window or by the plates to signify an emergency response.
Wow... you note that you are not above the law in one sentence then ask for an "I'm above the law" sticker... ??
I'm sorry, but as an RN and former paramedic, I feel compelled to toss out some simple facts, barring military and police:
1. Emergency vehicles are NOT allowed to drive over the speed limit unless they are following specific guidelines, and their minor speed allowance above the posting is indeed limited.
2. Emergency vehicles are NOT allowed to drive through stops or red lights without first coming to a FULL and COMPLETE stop and only then can they proceed with caution.
3. Emergency vehicles are to drive DEFENSIVE, not aggressive. Lights and siren are simply a REQUEST for right of way.
4. As already stated, flying low only saves a few minutes and has the potential to offer a lifetime of regret. I'd have you ask a few medics I used to know, but... they're dead.
[oh, and as of last year, you can add a SURGEON to the dead list also. He was scud-running to the facility waving his 'scope at the cops, and found an oily spot. Oops. Greasy spot. And FYI, he was clocked at 54mph.]
5. A hospital employee has no need to be speeding to work for any reason. No one is gonna start till the last guy gets there anyway! And if you don't make it, I bet they'll start without you.
And finally, to totally upset every RN on the planet.....
6.) In my opinion, very FEW conditions inside a hospital qualify as an emergency, including a code/full arrest. You have on hand crash carts, nurses, physicians, PA-C's, ANP's, CRNA's, Pharm D's, all supplies, wall O2, wall suction, nice lights, a bed, a team, and pretty much anything you need at your fingertips, or just down the hall. What the heck is the emergency?? Just do your job, just follow the protocols.
On the flip,
Try having that arrest in a cornfield, waiting for EMS, then getting to the hospital. Now that would be an emergency. A medic carries a jump kit and tries to beat the Golden Hour or Golden 30 minutes and get to critical care assistance ASAP. Emergency.
In the hospital you might spend 5 minutes in a disorganized frenzy with folks that don't deal well. Not an emergency... Timer clocks beat in all aspects... fantastic numbers for the survivalist trackers... and so on. Lots of help... too much help usually. Care could not be provided any faster.
So no... you don't need to speed. Moving with prudence maybe, but no need to speed.
If the AAA is gonna blow at 0312hrs, it blows whether you're scrubbing or driving.
Stickers and plates to signify an emergency response? Translates to a license to speed anytime/anywhere. Not responsible or practical. Still not seeing the need for an RN to speed for any reason, especially when going to work with a given response time.
Your next comment says you got jacked by a "jerk" that your cop buddies don't like either. Translates to being buddies with the cops should net you 'above the law' status if it weren't for that one "jerk" not "understanding like the rest do." Our local Volunteer Firefighters have that same problem.
You sound like a young guy that might do well in EMS. Maybe you should give that a try in your off time and it will give you a better understanding of when you need to hurry, and feed your need for speed in a better suited arena. Nothing like being in a hurry to get your lines in, monitor on and ACLS algorithm started no matter how fast/slow your driver goes, because you're all alone with limited equipment/supplies, 20 minutes out, maybe a couple vollie firefighters to help, and that is a definite emergency.
I'm not ragging on ya bro, just hoping to help. If your goal really is the patient and you absolutely, positively have to be there post-haste, then stay on site for the night. Safer, and beats any drive time you could possibly achieve, thus... mission more than accomplished.
Plus you get the added bonus of never killing yourself or any unrestrained babies in other vehicles, totally by accident, of course.
i drive....a lot......sometimes 60 miles one way.....the local limited access highway....speed limit is 65......IF you want to do that, get in the slow lane.....i have been passed by staties when i was doing 72-74 and they have other civillians on their tail......most cops wont stop you for going a few miles over, i believe this is the OPs point....on the other hand, do the math.....you will gain a minute or two no more.....good luck and stay safe
There are a couple of things that make you different than the police or EMS. One is that they are trained in evasive and high speed driving techniques. The other is that there vehicles are designed for high speed driving.
My response to you if you asked "what if it was your family member?" would be "what if it was my son or daughter that you ran over while speeding?". Its your job to get there within the prescribed time for call in. It is not your job to speed and put more lives in danger.
I agree with this.
Also, how useful would it be, if you do not arrive at all, when you crash your car due to speeding?
I think I can sense your fustration and anger over the situation, but I'm not totally convinced the hospital side of it is the problem.
Like you, I'm from a small town where "everyone knows everyone else", or is related to them!
But from the others here, I don't think they miss the point at all. If anyone is missing it, I hate to say it, but maybe you are.
I had a very good friend of mine, co-worker, mentor almost killed enroute to the hospital for emergency surgery one night.
He was a scrub tech (now retired, that lucky dog), was going thru an intersection at 2 am, green light, and was T-Boned. Knocked him clear into the back seat, that was in the days when seat belts were more suggested than mandated.
My point is, speeding seems to be a natural instinct, but look what it gets you.
You get there 2, 3 minutes sooner??? In my 25 plus years of OR experience, if that pts' life depends on that 120 seconds, he's in bigger trouble than you can take care of.
How about this, talk with your co-workers, they are in the same situation you are, living in the same community. Do they see it the same as you?? How about your superiors? Are they on board with you, or the rest of these posters?
Maybe some discussion should be aimed at the Emergency Dept. If they called you earlier, maybe a little heads up, "you might want to start this way" type thing, speeding wouldn't become such an issue.
How many expectant fathers speed on the way to the hospital when wifey is in labor? Most, I'd guess. I know my husband did, and he probably thought it was great to finally have a "valid reason" to speed.
Well, a few years ago, a story was in our paper about a couple on their way to deliver their baby and were pulled over for speeding. They were let go w/o ticket by the officer, but minutes later the driver ran a red light, resulting in an accident that did not have a good outcome for the expectant mother (thankfully the baby was okay). I'm sure that widowed father will regret his carelessness for the rest of his life.
I have to agree with the logic in a previous post that speeding really doesn't save enough time to be worth the risk of tickets or accidents. I will say, however, that I have not (yet) been in the position of hurrying in to the hospital help save a life, and cannot imagine the pressure you all must feel. It is not my place to pass judgement on someone in whose shoes I have not stood.
.thumb.jpg.b463aed074f027ca1cfaa810f7f60f61.jpg){kind=small}
rgroyer1RNBSN, BSN, RN
395 Posts
My ambulance got pulled over once that I was riding as a Critical care transpo. nurse, It was me and a medic in the back and a medic driving, well we were transporting a guy that was on the heart transplant list, we were transporting him from a small rural facility about 30 miles away from our facility well the guy started having an MI-hr dropped, bp dropped and the driver decided to blow a light 3 blocks from our hospital- well let me tell you the St.Louis Metro police dont like this and wham, now this cop was okay wasnt that bad he actually gave us an escort and he didnt give us a ticket but a warning, but Im sure the family was frightened because they were driving right behind and suddenly wham our lights and sirens come on and speed up leaving them in the dust Im sure they were freaking!!!!