Should I have helped?

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

So I'm walking around the area today to run a few errands, headphones on and bopping along, when I see this woman near the crosswalk (but not in the middle of the street) who must have fallen a few minutes before I passed. There were 2 men who helped her stand, and from a distance I could see she was alert, not bleeding, not in any respiratory and general distress, just maybe a little shook up from her fall. I did not go over to offer any more assistance as the 2 men there were staying by her side. I continued on my way and when I passed by again after one stop on my errands I noticed the woman was still there, with the 2 men who helped her and now a police officer by her side (seemed like he was taking down a report of what happened). Again, I did not stop as it seemed like there was not much I could do to assist. On my last trip passed her (it was a block away from my street) I noticed that an ambulance was there and the paramedics were helping her onto a stretcher. Was I wrong to not stop the first or second time to see if she needed any more assistance? As I mentioned, the 2 men that helped her up stayed by her side and she was not alone at any point after what I'm assuming was a fall. I have stopped before to help someone but I can't possibly stop every single time. Thanks for any feedback!!

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Specializes in Med Office, Home Health, School Nurse.

If she already had help, as she obviously did, I probably would not have stopped either. Maybe they had called the ambulance just as a precaution. Perhaps a car almost hit her or something? Not sure why the police would be getting a report other than something like that, or an assault.

I wouldn't beat yourself up about not stopping. It's not like she was laying on the side of the road alone and you walked right by.

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Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

You are feeling bad about not having stopped because you saw her there 3 times! They helped her stand, so she was apparently not badly injured. For some reason, someone called an ambulance.

She was being helped, as you could plainly see. Don't beat yourself up about this - she was not alone. And there will be plenty of times that you will offer aid.

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Specializes in LTC.

No reason to stop when 2 people got there before you. There was nothing you would have been able to do, really, but stand around and wait. She's fine. Nothing to feel guilty about.

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I would have stopped the first time just to check in and make sure she was okay. People without medical backgrounds tend to always want to help fallen people stand up - it is a way to help. However if there are head injuries or neck or back injuries then standing up really isn't ideal. So seeing two people there wouldn't keep me from stopping.

So I'd probably check in and just ask what happened and if she was okay, I'd ask if she had hit her head or if her back or neck hurt. If her answers indicated she was was just shaken up or bumped then I would go on my merry way. If her answers or a quick gance at her indicated she may be more seriously injured then I'd probably identify as a nurse and stay with her until emergency services arrived.

If I came on the scene during your second (police there) or third (ambulance there) scenario, I wouldn't stop.

Chances are she was fine and in this case your stopping would have made no difference so no need to feel bad.

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double post

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

i wouldn't have stopped as long as she had help there. i'm an icu nurse -- i wouldn't know what to do without my lines and monitors!

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

People were helping her and called an ambulance... It's all good, let the guilt go. Too many people helping stresses people out.

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Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

Don't "should" yourself. If you want to contemplate different action in a future situation, that's ok, albeit, I really don't see why.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

I wouldn't read too much into the ambulance. Once the police show up calling an ambulance is almost automatic.

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Really? I'm surprised by how many of you feel you can do nothing to help. I'm not talking complicated medical procedures but I can always provide basic first aid. There is no way of knowing that the people with her are helping - maybe they have no idea of what to do and are just kind people. I've stopped many times and found that is the case.

In this situation alone...

I could make sure an ambulance was called

If she said she had hit her head, I could explain why it is important her to stay and get checked even if she says she feels fine.

If she hurt her neck or back or is complaining they are hurting I could get her to lie down and to stay still

If she starts decompensating I can keep an eye on ABC's

If I stop and find that an ambulance has already been called, or that one of the people with her is trained in first aid, or there is little risk of injury, then I can just walk away and it took all of what - a minute of my time?

Again, in this scenario, seeing as you walked past again and saw police / ambulance again, there is nothing to to feel guilty about. I'm just surprised how many say they wouldn't stop if they see someone hurt and how they'd have no idea what to do to help / give first aid to someone who might be hurt.

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