When you arrive on an accident scene

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Any EMS people here? If there is an MVA and an ER nurse is driving by do you prefer we stop and offer help, or just let you do your thing? I would generally go by.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

The only time I've ever stopped at an accident when I was NOT part of the responding EMS crew was when I came upon an accident before EMS had arrived. I saw someone drag a dazed driver out of her car (arrghh), so I stopped and held her c-spine and spoke with the patient until EMS arrived, turned over c-spine, gave them a quick rundown of her LOC and history, and left. I'll stop if someone looks to be in dire straits, but I don't carry equipment in my POV. I was an EMT-B at the time, still in medic school, not yet an RN.

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Specializes in Trauma/ED.

Last time I stopped was a motorcycle crash in Malibu where I was the first on scene. The only thing I did was maintain spinal precautions and wait for EMS. Then when the surfer dude EMT's showed up with their rolled up sleaves and bleach blonde hair I tried to give them a little report of what happened and they totally snubbed me and they let him stand up right away! Whatever Baywatch dudes...have a nice day :-)

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Specializes in Emergency.

When I happen upon a situation in which EMS is already involved, I tend to just point and laugh at the pt. Of course, that's probably because I live in the south and in EVERY situation that this has happened, it's because someone has over indulged ETOH, and heck I've been drinking too......and it's soooo fun getting to be on the other side! (we tend to drink a lot down here)

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

Well a wonderful day shift supervisor pulled over at the scene of my daughters accident and was responsible for demanding she be life flighted to a trauma center instead of brought to my hospital and stabalized.

I credit her actions with saving my daughter who had a GCS of 4 at the scene.... to home in a month making a slow but sure recovery. Our neruo services are..... well anyway...

So sometimes an experienced nurse can make a huge difference... just my:twocents:

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Specializes in CAPA RN, ED RN.

I have been at wrecks, seen codes in public, seen skiing accidents, etc. before EMS was there. It is sure different than having all your equipment and resources at your fingertips.

I don't stop if EMS is at the scene. They have all the equipment, communications and protocols running anyway. I know almost all the paramedics and chaired the EMS board in our county for a number of years. Our EMS providers here do a great job. They almost always have all the backup they will ever need.

I stop when no one is there yet. I feel like someone who has a calm head can help with the basics and direct people as needed. If a simple skill like being aware of a possible C spine injury, opening an airway, doing CPR or putting pressure in the right bleeding place will make a big difference in someone's life I am happy to offer it. One family member that I had kept out of the way of traffic and had offered reassurance to readily recognized me a year or two later at a garage sale! She was not part of the accident but had come quickly when she heard her husband was in a wreck. She wasn't watching the cars coming at her and I just helped her out of harm's way.

One of our trauma docs heard a motorcyclist crash in front of his house. He just gently opened the cyclist's airway until EMS arrived. He said that after a few minutes the cyclist was able to maintain his own airway. I think the doc was able to make a big difference for that kid.

I'm always happy when EMS shows up. This is their chosen place of expertise and they carry all that equipment and medication too. :)

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

I agree with another poster..I was in EMS for 7 years, and have seen many incidents where well intended nurses did more than harm that good in attempting to help in pre-hospital settings. I don't say this to offend..as I'm sure it's visa versa, I am now an RN and in NS I was quite shocked at the lack of overlap of education between EMS and Nursing. The two disciplines have different approaches and frameworks.

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I'm an EMT and carry a jump bag I liberated from an old employer. Actually it was going away gift from my service director but it is more fun saying i took it. I only stop of EMS isn't on scene yet. If they are there they have better resources, standing orders that allow them to do more and can coordinate to get assistance as needed. I would just be in the way. Really I think the best thing you can do of not trained in scenes is to calm everyone down and maintain c-spine if the MOI warrants it.

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Specializes in ED staff.

I don't even stop anymore. No one listens to what I say.

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Only Tom Cruise and the Scientologists can help someone at an accident scene

/sarc.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
Only Tom Cruise and the Scientologists can help someone at an accident scene

/sarc.

Thats depressing...

I'm gonna go take a prozac...

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Oh, you bad, suppressive person. Lulz.

I did have a question: If you are the only one at the scene of an accident, how do you protect someone's C-spine? There's no collar or backboard at your disposal, so what do you do?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
I did have a question: If you are the only one at the scene of an accident, how do you protect someone's C-spine? There's no collar or backboard at your disposal, so what do you do?

You hold c-spine until someone arrives with a collar and backboard, or until someone else takes over c-spine stabilization.

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