My Room Mate tried to commit suicide tonight.

[Idaho Murse]

What should I have done, or could have done, before the EMTs were here?

Room mate took a full 500tab bottle of Ibuprofen. Cops were here, them banging on the door is what woke me up. It took the EMTs about 20min to get here. In the mean time I let the cops know I was a student nurse if there was anything I could do. He asked me if I could get my room mates BP, I got my cuff and steth, then another cop stopped me from getting his BP I honestly don't know why.

My room mate was AAOx3. So what could I have done, or should have done to help my room mate?

[lsyorke, RN]

I respectfully disagree. It's the reason I do not help at accident sites. The minute you identify yourself as a nurse or other medical professional you put yourself at risk of being sued should something happen to the accident victim. I will call 911 but thats it. There was a very long thread regarding this same issue. There was recently a story in the news, a friend sued her friend after a car accident. Apparently the friend felt she was helping her friend by pulling her from the vehicle but it apparently resulted in her friend having more injuries. It happens.

Taking a blood pressure and dragging an accident victim from a car are two different worlds.

[RN1982]

What would have been the point in taking the BP? The person was alert and orient x 3. Obviously, they had a BP.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I respectfully disagree. It's the reason I do not help at accident sites. The minute you identify yourself as a nurse or other medical professional you put yourself at risk of being sued should something happen to the accident victim. I will call 911 but thats it. There was a very long thread regarding this same issue. There was recently a story in the news, a friend sued her friend after a car accident. Apparently the friend felt she was helping her friend by pulling her from the vehicle but it apparently resulted in her friend having more injuries. It happens.

I have a friend who feels the same way...she is an RN and she told me that she would not respond to an accident. She stated that even in hospitals, personnel need to obtain assistance immediately (Rapid Response, Full Code) and she vehemently feels that being outside, becoming entangled in something that once you begin, you cannot stop until help arrives allows one to become vulnerable to sue-happy people. I am not sure of how I would feel in such a position, but I can say that when I am doing health fairs for the public at parks, churches, etc...I am very uncomfortable and hypervigilent, mainly because I know if something happens, when push comes to shove, they will leave it to me alone.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

There's no way to know what was going on in the cops' minds. First one says take the BP, the other says no? Pick a team guys. They may have been concerned about what they would if the pressure was high or low, they may not have known how to interpret BP numbers, they may not have wanted the roommate to get any more attention than he already had- who knows?

Worry about what you need to do to continue with your studies. DO NOT become this guy's at home therapist. It will suck you dry when you need time and energy for your own work. It sounds cold, but I would spend less time with him to avoid that drama. Be polite and pleasant, but not confiding. He may appreciate the distance and respect or he may get cranky and say you don't care. Just say "I'm glad you're feeling better." I've broken it down very simplistically. You must maintain your emotional boundaries. There will be lots of other patients and friends that you don't live with that you can go an extra mile for. DON'T do it for someone you live with, unless you are related. Give him space to find other supports.

[Idaho Murse]

We are both guys living in an apt. I hope this does not sound heartless but I dont feel guilty that he decided this was the way he wanted to go, what I meant in my OP was what could I have done to help him out before the EMTs got there. I did not think about being sued to be honest, it was the furthest thing from my mind.

I suppose I will have to start thinking about helping people or not. How much BS is it in our culture where you have to think about if you can/want/or need to help someone, but chose not to help because you might get sued down the line. I still feel that lawyers and insurance companies are the root of all evil!

But I would like to thank everyone who posted all opinions are welcomed.

[RN1982]

He must have some things going on in his life that he felt he couldn't handle anymore so suicide was his way out. How is your roommate doing if you don't mind me asking?

[Idaho Murse]

I havent heard to be honest I was at clinicals for the last 6 hours. My instructor asked me why I didnt call in. I told them I didnt feel like staying at home would do anything beneficial.

Before he was taken out with the EMTs he kept telling them he only took 7 Ibuprofens. He kept telling his friend via texts that he couldnt see his x with his friend and was gonna end it. So I am not sure if he was saying this to get a reaction-well he did get one-or what his deal was. If I had to guess based on what I saw here, I would say he is perfectly fine.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

7 ibuprofen...he's just getting therapeutic now. Some Pepto Bismol in the bathroom would be a gentlemanly gesture, though.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

On the BP issue.......the first thing I thought was, OP may be a nursing student and offering help, but in this case was not there in a professional capacity, so has no role to do the "professional tasks." What would knowing that person's BP have done? EMT's were on their way.

To the OP......prior to his actual attempt, there really isn't much you CAN do, sadly. Your roommate has to want to seek out help, the only way to FORCE help (meaning involuntary commitment) is when they become a threat to themselves or others. It sounds like he didn't, until the night in question.

Suicide IS a selfish act, but until you've been suicidal, please don't judge the person that attempts it. You just can't think far enough ahead to know you're hurting anyone else (likely, you're thinking you're doing everyone a favor, and you really DO believe that). You reach a point that whatever pain you feel becomes unbearable, and you act on that impulse, it's an unbelievably strong one. Some people may do things that won't actually kill them in a way to garner attention, others may have been successful had they not had remorse for doing it immediately afterwards and then decide to seek help ("OMG, what have I just done?"). They may take a bunch of pills, but rather than fall asleep immediately, they can feel those changes start to happen (slowed heart rate, hallucinations, whatever) and realize they've made the gravest mistake possible.

I hope your roommate can get the psychological help that he needs, now.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Suicide IS a selfish act, but until you've been suicidal, please don't judge the person that attempts it.

I disagree- it's a desperate act, and agree that judging someone who is clearly at the end of their rope is unfair. I'd also add that calling it selfish is just a coping mechanism for those that survive.

We all die, but picking your own time and place is selfish? Please. In most other issues in life we're counselled to do what will make the situation better. A depressed person feels that removing themselves will make things better- but their logic is wrong- they are mentally ill. Looking at it from their point of view it might actually a sacrifice to help the survivors- we don't know.

Of course the halfway suicides, for the 6th time this year, because they had a fight with their friend...I can't defend that. But serious attempts...calling them selfish is just a copout.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

Baby Lady, I agree with you. A student nurse is held accountable to the level of her training at the time. Obviously if you felt qualified to take a blood pressure, being that it is non-invasive, you could have been sued had you not!

Quick thinking on your part to offer, proud you had your stethoscope and cuff readily available. Says a lot about you that your first instinct was to jump in an help. Sorry that your roommate was so distraught. Is he also a student nurse?

Exactly my point!!!!!!

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

I respectfully disagree. It's the reason I do not help at accident sites. The minute you identify yourself as a nurse or other medical professional you put yourself at risk of being sued should something happen to the accident victim. I will call 911 but thats it. There was a very long thread regarding this same issue. There was recently a story in the news, a friend sued her friend after a car accident. Apparently the friend felt she was helping her friend by pulling her from the vehicle but it apparently resulted in her friend having more injuries. It happens.

But that situation is different.

The "nurse" friend did not have training as a nurse to remove someone from a crashed vehicle out in the field.

Thus, she was performing a task for which she had no training...that is out of her scope of practice as a nurse unless she was also a paramedic or had other special training.

It even pushes the liability further if the friend was not in a life-threatening situation...being in pain, no matter how excruciating, doesn't mean you are going to die before EMS gets there.

That is why she got sued.