Medical Emergencies in Public

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Just curious how other nurses deal with medical emergencies in public when they’re not on-the-clock. For instance if you come across a stranger who has fainted, had a seizure, broken a bone, etc. Do you rush to the scene and help, or call for help? Do you utilize your nursing skills? I’m also curious about car accidents. Do you stop? I’ve luckily never seen one, and have only been in minor accidents myself.

I was on an airplane recently where the flight attendants asked if there were any doctors or nurses on board to aid to a passenger. Luckily a few people including a few doctors were able to help out.

I’m a newer nurse and don’t have any sort of emergency experience. Emergency or critical care is not my strong suit; in fact, it makes me highly anxious. I’ve never experienced any kind of emergencies in public, and am not sure I would know how to handle it. This got me thinking and was wondering what other nurses do when they encounter these situations? Are we legally obligated to let people know that we’re nurses and help out?

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

I've experienced several MVAs, a couple of cardiac arrests, and other more minor things through the years.

I have declared that I am a nurse, and in a couple of situations, PD stepped back and assisted. In every situation that I've encountered, professional first responders have been great!

My take: Intervene, monitor, and maintain until EMS arrives.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

On my way to my nursing pinning ceremony, I was on the subway to work. A cute little girl started choking on her apple. Myself and another woman fumbled and did the best we could, and the bite popped out quickly.

I've been to at least 2 music concerts (standing room) where people have fallen/fainted near me. Mostly just keep them down for at least a minute or two before standing (else, as one guy did, he dropped again).

If I saw a car accident (and I had time), I'd stop. If it looked bad, I'd possibly stop regardless of time. But, I'm not EMS. So, there's limits to what I'd try to do.

In general, I feel like a "helpful" type person, so if I see something, I'd probably try to help. But, if someone with actual skillz came along, I back away or assist as needed.

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Specializes in ED.

No, no, and.....oh.....NO.

First off, you're a new grad. Enough said there. Not trying to be offensive, but you need to understand that having "RN" after your name doesn't confer immunity to prosecution if you make a mistake---Good Sam laws are not all powerful. You also don't have any more medical experience than a lay bystander has---in reality.

Second. When you get into this job for awhile--you will understand what I'm saying here---people are not as kind and considerate and thankful as you may think.

Third. If you see an MVA--it's on the road. There are so many reasons here that I can state to NOT stop, it's mind boggling.

1. traffic. Do you know how many EMTs and FD get killed every year doing their job with all the right equipment? DO NOT STOP FOR MVAs.

2. EMS and FD are already on their way unless you witnessed the accident seconds prior. They have the equipment, expertise and resources needed to do that job. Let them.

3. Unless you're one of those freaks who carries a "jump bag" in their trunk waiting for that moment of glory that catapults you into saintlike status for saving the baby in the minivan upside-down in a canal---LEAVE IT ALONE, you do not have the training or the equipment to help. You will most likely make the situation worse---see GETTING HIT BY ANOTHER CAR or unknowingly causing death because of something you practiced in nursing school once.

This is coming from ex Prehospital and ED trauma nurse. The chances that you can intervene successfully in an accident on the road are slim to negative 1 million.

Intervening in two cases I can see would be something I would do---and that is witnessed cardiac arrest or stroke (by me. not by anyone else) or bright red blood spurting from someone's body (witnessed by me. not told to me by someone running breathless looking for help). I would do compressions, not rescue breathing. I would call 911 and stay with a stroke victim. I would NOT coach a bystander. I would hold pressure on an arterial bleed.

Nothing else.

Falling off of ladders--tripping on curbs--getting burned at a bbq--especially MVCs---you are not trained nor are you equipped to intervene in any meaningful way.

Call 911. It's 4 minutes for you to stand and wait or just drive by and call. Getting involved is not a smart thing to do. Just because those of you who have done it and escaped legal entanglements or the death/permanent injury of a person--doesn't mean that next time it won't happen.

I've been threatened as a nurse on duty in the ER by a patient's family for breaking her ribs during compressions. PEOPLE ARE CRAZY.

Even doing effective compressions on a witnessed cardiac arrest would make me pause---you do know that you can (if you're doing them right) break the patient's ribs and then possibly puncture their lung, cardiac lining, diaphragm and other internal organs while you're playing super hero?

MVCs are the biggest no-no in my book. I loathed when passersby or drivers would get involved in an accident scene. FFS. Scene safety is the first thing we all learn as prehospital---and here's Dudley DoRight wading right in there with no thoughts for the safety of himself, the victims, or bystanders.

No. Just no.

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

I think the answer depends on many factors. How experienced are you, what is the situation (MVA, plane etc), what is your current status (have you been drinking, are you tired), others around etc.

I have been on a plane where I did step in and help but also been traveling when I have told my husband that if anyone asks I am not going to step up because I am way to tired and would not trust my judgement (that may have changed depending on the situation but I wanted to make that decision at that time if it happened).

I have also seen emergency situations that I "assessed" from afar and it looked like there were others already intervening appropriately so just kept going. I also have an experience when I was sitting in a hotel room and heard that awful sound of cars crunching right below me in the street. I made my way down stairs and found a male driver standing up with others already around him and a female sitting on the curb. She seemed fine as I "assessed" but said she hit her head pretty hard. Somebody already called the EMT and she was stating she wasn't going to the hospital, I told her she should go if she hit her head, she continued to decline so I told her I was an RN and I think she should go, she told me she was an RN too, I chuckled and told her than she knows she should go, she chuckled back and said yeah she knows, didn't want to (of course) but would go. I just sat with her until EMS arrived.

So yeah, it just depends...but as DaveyDo stated just "Intervene, monitor, and maintain until EMS arrives".

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It depends on several factors including what the occurrence is, if anyone else is already assisting the person, if the injured/ill person is a child (more likely to help, unfair as that may seem), and if I have my children with me. There's no way I'd pull over for an MVA with kids in my backseat, and, barring a CPR or precipitous labor situation, no way I'd intervene with my littles in tow. Their safety is my #1 priority, and I couldn't watch them effectively if I was in nurse mode surrounded by strangers. If I was by myself, I'd be more prone to help. I made the mistake of volunteering on an international flight once, and the whole thing made me uncomfortable.

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Specializes in Community health.

I was on a plane when they called for “any medical professional.” I am a brand new nurse, and I don’t even work in acute care, but I was ready to offer! Fortunately for the sick passenger, several other health professionals hopped up before I went over and introduced myself. But I figure, if I really had been the only medical person on board, I could at least do some basic triage. I don’t have much to offer but I do have more training than the waitress or accountant sitting next to me.

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Specializes in Community health.

In response to your last question: No, you are not legally obligated to identify yourself as a nurse and intervene. As many people have said, there are many reasons NOT to intervene (not least because “I didn’t feel I could be helpful because this was outside my area of expertise” and “I was likely to make the situation worse, not better”). There’s no circumstance under which you could get in legal trouble in the US for keeping your mouth shut and staying out of it, as a nurse.

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18 hours ago, TitaniumPlates said:

No, no, and.....oh.....NO.

First off, you're a new grad. Enough said there. Not trying to be offensive, but you need to understand that having "RN" after your name doesn't confer immunity to prosecution if you make a mistake---Good Sam laws are not all powerful. You also don't have any more medical experience than a lay bystander has---in reality.

Second. When you get into this job for awhile--you will understand what I'm saying here---people are not as kind and considerate and thankful as you may think.

Third. If you see an MVA--it's on the road. There are so many reasons here that I can state to NOT stop, it's mind boggling.

1. traffic. Do you know how many EMTs and FD get killed every year doing their job with all the right equipment? DO NOT STOP FOR MVAs.

2. EMS and FD are already on their way unless you witnessed the accident seconds prior. They have the equipment, expertise and resources needed to do that job. Let them.

3. Unless you're one of those freaks who carries a "jump bag" in their trunk waiting for that moment of glory that catapults you into saintlike status for saving the baby in the minivan upside-down in a canal---LEAVE IT ALONE, you do not have the training or the equipment to help. You will most likely make the situation worse---see GETTING HIT BY ANOTHER CAR or unknowingly causing death because of something you practiced in nursing school once.

This is coming from ex Prehospital and ED trauma nurse. The chances that you can intervene successfully in an accident on the road are slim to negative 1 million.

Intervening in two cases I can see would be something I would do---and that is witnessed cardiac arrest or stroke (by me. not by anyone else) or bright red blood spurting from someone's body (witnessed by me. not told to me by someone running breathless looking for help). I would do compressions, not rescue breathing. I would call 911 and stay with a stroke victim. I would NOT coach a bystander. I would hold pressure on an arterial bleed.

Nothing else.

Falling off of ladders--tripping on curbs--getting burned at a bbq--especially MVCs---you are not trained nor are you equipped to intervene in any meaningful way.

Call 911. It's 4 minutes for you to stand and wait or just drive by and call. Getting involved is not a smart thing to do. Just because those of you who have done it and escaped legal entanglements or the death/permanent injury of a person--doesn't mean that next time it won't happen.

I've been threatened as a nurse on duty in the ER by a patient's family for breaking her ribs during compressions. PEOPLE ARE CRAZY.

Even doing effective compressions on a witnessed cardiac arrest would make me pause---you do know that you can (if you're doing them right) break the patient's ribs and then possibly puncture their lung, cardiac lining, diaphragm and other internal organs while you're playing super hero?

MVCs are the biggest no-no in my book. I loathed when passersby or drivers would get involved in an accident scene. FFS. Scene safety is the first thing we all learn as prehospital---and here's Dudley DoRight wading right in there with no thoughts for the safety of himself, the victims, or bystanders.

No. Just no.

OMG....did you ever nail it.

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Depends..... I've assisted at injuries at horse shows, family events and the jobsite. But I have also passed three MVAs because it wasn't safe to stop (pulling horse trailer on busy interstate, too many others also pulling over right away, obvious death- that one was gruesome...)

One thing I have instructed my parents, siblings and friends.... Do not under *any* circumstances, *ever* holler "Wait, let me get my mom/daughter/niece/aunt/friend; she's a NURSE!!!!!" I'll make that decision to identify as one myself...

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Specializes in Medsurg.

Girl please I would gladly drive pass a accident. I would scream outside while driving that I would call the ambulance.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
On 8/17/2019 at 9:02 AM, Ponymom2 said:

One thing I have instructed my parents, siblings and friends.... Do not under *any* circumstances, *ever* holler "Wait, let me get my mom/daughter/niece/aunt/friend; she's a NURSE!!!!!" I'll make that decision to identify as one myself...

LOL I was a a restaurant with my husband and family I have not seen in years. Husband was a little tipsy. A little old lady took a fall when she missed her chair and landed on her buttocks. Plenty of help came to her aid so I decided to stay out of it when said tipsy husband stood up and called out - "We have a medical professional here!"

Hppy

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