what to know @ scene of accident

rn/writer, RN · Aug 14, 2007

Great to have your input, Fran. I'll bet you were a real spitfire back in the day. Sorry about your wheelchair. Did they fix it?

How many years were you involved in EMS? I was in for 17. Some things you never forget.

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Aug 14, 2007

i witnessed one of those full size suburban-type suv's going at least 50 mph hit an older little honda square on the driver's door. the crash occurred directly in front of the laundry where i was; one of our icu nurses was next door at an insurance agent. a paramedic who worked in our er was at the squad building across from the laundry.
i ran out and was the first to get to her. the drivers' side was completely smashed in, and i reached in the passenger side, laid my hand on her chest and felt her heart flutter its last beat. the icu nurse came running up and we pulled her out and began cpr while the paramedic attempted to intubate her. with the first compression, blood poured from her nose, mouth and ears. she had 2 nurses and a paramedic working on her, and there was no chance. we knew it, but continued to work on her until the ambulance arrived to take her away. we all were pretty shook up; i had to call in for the first four hours of my shift that night.
god bless emt's and other emergency responders. no way in hell could i ever do their job.

wtg emanuel. we were taught in our emt classes that you are not only treating the victim, but you are also treating the loved ones as well; especially when sids occurs, because the parents do blame themselves or one another, thinking there must have been something else i could have done.

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Aug 14, 2007

just remember though, that not everyone who arrests does so because of the trauma associated. they could be diabetic, or they could have had some other underlying medical issue that warrants attention. for all we know - this could have been the cause of the accident and not neccesarily the result of it.
we need to be careful when assessing patients at the scene to see if we can determine moi (mechanism of injury).
if it truly is a traumatic arrest there's little to be done...but all that codes is not trauma...
just a thought....
vamedic4;)

very true. in fact, many people who went into diabetic shock were treated as though they were drunk instead. we definitely have to know our ps and qs where ems is concerned.

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Aug 14, 2007

The most impt thing we were always taught is do NOT get tunnel vision. Stick to the basic Airway,Breathing, bleeding, Circulation method and you can't go wrong. We who are more knowledgeable can easily get it. That's when the cutting the seatbelt, therefore compromising the victim, the inserting the IV, etc. all of this is a part of tunnel vision, and can very easily be started before making sure the scene is safe, doing the ABCs. Nuff said.

FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I · Aug 14, 2007

Great to have your input, Fran. I'll bet you were a real spitfire back in the day. Sorry about your wheelchair. Did they fix it?
How many years were you involved in EMS? I was in for 17. Some things you never forget.

I loved my EMS work. It was all volunteer, and I did it for 18 years.

Yes, my wheelchair was repaired, and the EMS service did pay for it.

Ya know, if you love what you do, you will always remember most of it. I have done that which I loved, and feel richly blessed for doing so. Coincidently, after I became disabled, which was shortly after I got my nursing license, I knew I wouldn't be able to do nursing anymore, so I wrote a book. The book was my autobiography.

Do you see the similarities?

MMARN, BSN, RN · Aug 14, 2007

Thanks for posting this question! I have wondered the same thing forever. :)

csadam · Aug 20, 2007

It only happened yesterday afternoon, and thankfully no one was seriously hurt...

I came off the night shift in the morning, went home, slept a couple hours, had lunch and headed for the nearest Target :)

Bad idea, it was just jammed full of people in the beautiful Northern California sunny Sunday afternoon. Anyhow, on my way home I was stopped at a red light, when I saw this crash on the other side of the median. I think one of them must have ran a red light, but since I only moved here a few months ago, I couldn't figure out yet how all the traffic signals work...

So, this one guy coming north hit another going west I believe.

After the crash they both got out of the car. I was already on my way, instructed the younger one was bleeding from various wounds on his head to sit down, opened the back seat to his car, got my towel out of my trunk held it to his head and tried to calm him in general. Told the other guy to sit down as well, because he was walking around. Asked both of them if they had anybody else in the car with them trapped, they said no, thankfully.

Tried to call 911 to begin with, but I was so tired and nervous that I couldn't hit the right keys on my phone pad.

Asked the other bystanders if they have called 911, and they said yes. Police and were on the scene within 3 minutes. I couldn't believe how fast they were. They moved my car out of the way told me to stay with the bleeding guy. He was keep on asking me, am I going to be OK, Miss? I tried to keep him as calm as possible, told him that he was bleeding, but I tried to keep the bleeding down to a minimum with my towel. When the EMTs finally arrived a little bit later I gave them way.

I asked the police if they needed me for anything, they asked if I have seen what happened, I said no, I only saw the "bang", so they let me go home.

I was pretty shaken up afterwards, but now it is all settling in.

They called me from work around ten to see if I wanted to come in for the night shift, and I said no, I felt like I already had my fun for the way. By the way this all happened a few miles from my work, I pretty sure the victims ended up in our ER.:uhoh21:

beth66335, BSN, RN · Aug 20, 2007

It only happened yesterday afternoon, and thankfully no one was seriously hurt...
I came off the night shift in the morning, went home, slept a couple hours, had lunch and headed for the nearest Target :)
Bad idea, it was just jammed full of people in the beautiful Northern California sunny Sunday afternoon. Anyhow, on my way home I was stopped at a red light, when I saw this crash on the other side of the median. I think one of them must have ran a red light, but since I only moved here a few months ago, I couldn't figure out yet how all the traffic signals work...
So, this one guy coming north hit another going west I believe.
After the crash they both got out of the car. I was already on my way, instructed the younger one was bleeding from various wounds on his head to sit down, opened the back seat to his car, got my towel out of my trunk held it to his head and tried to calm him in general. Told the other guy to sit down as well, because he was walking around. Asked both of them if they had anybody else in the car with them trapped, they said no, thankfully.
Tried to call 911 to begin with, but I was so tired and nervous that I couldn't hit the right keys on my phone pad.
Asked the other bystanders if they have called 911, and they said yes. Police and were on the scene within 3 minutes. I couldn't believe how fast they were. They moved my car out of the way told me to stay with the bleeding guy. He was keep on asking me, am I going to be OK, Miss? I tried to keep him as calm as possible, told him that he was bleeding, but I tried to keep the bleeding down to a minimum with my towel. When the EMTs finally arrived a little bit later I gave them way.
I asked the police if they needed me for anything, they asked if I have seen what happened, I said no, I only saw the "bang", so they let me go home.
I was pretty shaken up afterwards, but now it is all settling in.
They called me from work around ten to see if I wanted to come in for the night shift, and I said no, I felt like I already had my fun for the way. By the way this all happened a few miles from my work, I pretty sure the victims ended up in our ER.:uhoh21:

Good job! Don't you just love the adrenaline shakes afterwards!? :lol2:

Happens to me every time I work a Code Blue!

beth66335, BSN, RN · Aug 20, 2007

Fran, I love your Avatar!

csadam · Aug 20, 2007

Good job! Don't you just love the adrenaline shakes afterwards!? Happens to me every time I work a Code Blue!

Thanks, yeah, I do love the adrenalin rush, too.

I felt pretty good about myself, being able to help out a bit, you know...

I totally understood the difference between the way all the other lay people reacted and myself at that point.

We, nurses are just used to react well in an emergency situation.

We keep our heads cold, that is at least until all the scare is over...

Peace,

Csilla

Amethyst Veralyn · Sep 21, 2007

I graduate in May but I feel like I don't know very much, especially about emergency care. If there was a car accident or other trauma before me I don't know what I could do. Stop bleeding, CPR, comfort. That's all I have to offer at this point. Anyone have ideas on what I could search on my own to be prepared if such a situation arises? I really want to be able to help if a situation warrants and I just don't feel educated enough yet.

One summer I took a beginning paramedical class

where you're taught by advanced paramedics.

It lasted for three months and I was never the same

after I took it. This was how I learned to

intervene im emergencies.