What would you do??

[IngyRN]

We had a long and interesting discussion at work amongst the nurses. What is your input??

Would you stop and administer CPR to someone found unresponsive, in the middle of the road, with no mask or protective gear?

If yes, do you take the pt out of the car, place him on the ground and perform CPR. What if you cant take him out of the car, because he's too heavy, stuck, etc.

In the meantime, do you just wait for EMS or is there any other intervention you can initiate while waiting.

What if you don't have a cell-phone or any other way of contacting EMS. Do you leave the scene to get help (this is assuming you cannot initiate CPR).

Finally, "self preservation" vs good samaritan. Would you risk "self preservation" (?contracting some illness via saliva or bloody mucus membranes w/no protective barrer) to save someone else??

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I'd stop and do CPR as best I could and try to flag down the next driver to call 911. With or without a barrier- just beg someone to provide some rinse and spit water when I was done.

I've stopped and helped without gloves, but not had to do CPR. Stupidest thing I saw was a woman running around from person to person asking for gloves before she would touch someone. If we had 'em, wouldn't we be wearing them? Either jump in and help, or shut up and stop buzzing around like a mosquito!

[Cattitude]

I think the best point made by this thread is that as nurses we all should have a pocket mask available in our vehicles at all times. I used to carry one and misplaced awhile back, but now that I have read this thread I will be placing one in all my vehicles. They are cheap, easily accessible, and could save some childs mother or father someday. I know if i was in the situation were i was the victim I hope and pray maybe a first responder driving down the road had the forethought of having a pocket mask. Thank you for the thread.

I work in home health and have a pocket mask in my home care bag anyway. It's always in my trunk. I'd stop and do CPR. I think I'd do it even without the mask. I couldn't look at someone and do nothing.

[RN1989]

If you were present and the person needed assistance and you did nothing, you could be held liable. It is a crime to not render aid. People have totten in trouble because they did not render aid and they weren't even qualified healthcare workers. If someone knew that you were a nurse and did not offer assist, the person/family could hold you responsible for a poor outcome.

So, do you risk becoming exposed to something (regardless of how remote the possibility might be) or do you pretend you aren't a nurse and walk on by and have consequences later?

And of course the one thing I really love now is that when someone is in trouble we are suppose to ask permission to touch them first (think choking) so we don't get sued for battery. When I first started taking CPR clases there was none of this "Ask the pt if they want help and if it is a minor child, get permission from the parent first." And now we are supposed to ask permission to save someone so that they can't sue us later.

It seems that the questions the O.P. has posed to the forum just once again shows how ridiculous our society has gotten so that we have to think about type of questions in the first place. Man, sometimes the good ole days were a lot easier.

[flightnurse2b, LPN]

i would start CPR and just lift the chin to keep the airway open without giving breaths if i didnt have a face sheild with me. but i carry one in my glove box, middle console and my keychain....and always have my medic bag with me.....im guilty of stopping at car accidents and stabilizing peoples necks until EMS gets there and even once at a restaurant a cook got a nice gash in his arm and i bandaged him up.... i guess i dont have it in me not to help lol

[Scrubby]

RN1989-Well in the good ole days (when exactly were the good ole days anyway? lol) maybe there wasn't such a huge problem with HIV, HEPC etc and ppl weren't concerned about contracting a blood borne virus. Or maybe ppl were just ignorant about it. Anyway.....

How is not giving mouth to mouth pretending not to be a nurse? As ppl have said on this topic already you can just give the compressions and improvise with a plastic bag. I certainly wouldn't walk away but i would not give mouth to mouth without proper equipment. Just like i wouldn't scrub for a case if there were no gloves or eye protection available.

Maybe i sound selfish to some but i would prefer to risk the consequences of legal action than put myself at risk of a disease.

[GilaRRT]

First, we need to appreciate the situation for what it is. If the guy is in arrest due to trauma, he has almost no chance of surviving regardless of what you do. I think compressions without mouth to mouth would be a good approach without proper equipment. As far as getting in trouble for not helping, thiese laws are state specific.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

I would render aid. The chances of contracting a deadly disease from doing CPR are pretty slim, and I'd rather be able to look at myself in the mirror and know that I did everything I could to help.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Our ACLS instructor told us that an ordinary citizen may do chest compressions without breath, but that as professionals, we must do the breaths with the compressions.

I have a mask. I probably need another one.

Someone mentioned plastic bags to form into masks. I sure would like to know how that works. Details, please?

Found like that, the patient probably will not survive, but I'd never be able to live with myself if I didn't do something.

[Mulan]

For those people talking lawsuit for not doing anything, not in my state.

If one has no duty to a person, they do not have to render assistance or do CPR.

[SaderNurse05, BSN, RN]

Doesn't the new ACLS have something about chest compressions being more important than the breathing?