Would You Stop to Provide Medical Care?

[us2uk4u]

Driving home last night, after working three straight shifts in the ER, I saw a two-car accident. I noticed that the police and fire department had arrived but no paramedics. I was very tempted to just stay out of it to be honest. But I pulled over anyways and asked if they needed medical assistance. No one was seriously hurt, thankfully. And five minutes after I pulled over the paramedics arrived.

This morning at our monthly RN brunch party, however, I was very surprised to hear more than half of my nurse friends say they would have just kept on driving, especially after a long and exhausting day.

Would you stop?

[TeeKay12]

I just had a similar issue. I was driving south-bound on a busy highway with my family in the car. We saw a very recent accident (no PD, EMT, or FD on scene yet) in the north-bound lanes. A motorcycle in multiple pieces and on fire, an SUV with a huge dent in the back, and a motorcyclist on the ground. There were other cars stopped on the north side, some people putting out the fires, some on their mobiles. I thought about stopping, but decided to continue on, as I felt my pulling over on the left side of the interstate, jumping the dividing wall, and assisting in the north-bound lanes would put my family and possibly me in danger.

When we got home, I was rather upset I had decided not to help and called a friend who is a state trooper. He advised me I had done the correct thing. I would have just added to the problem, not really assisted. He was also able to tell me the motorcyclist, a 17 yr. old who had been 'hot dogging it' had died instantly. No other injuries - therefore, my help was truly not needed.

Given similar circumstances, I'd do the same thing. My mother is also a nurse, has been for over 50 years, and she says they were always encouraged to continue on. The Good Samaritan law applies to untrained peoples. WE are not untrained. The Good Samaritan Law does not apply to nurses usually. Give someone CPR, break a rib, and they can and do sue you.

[TransportJockey, EMT-P]

I'm a medic, and I still don't stop at wrecks. I don't carry gear with me, C-spine restriction is pointless, and it's not my districts. My aid kit consists of a cell phone

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I am one that does not stop either.....if no PD I will make the 911 call, however.

Wasn't there a 'rule' from nursing school that we "had" to stop and help?

No, no rule that requires a nurse to stop. Quite the opposite in fact. If your state covers any professional liability under a good Samaritan law then I would stop if nobody else was on scene yet. If the police are already there I would just keep going. Without a good Samaritan law in place, I would stop and call 911 if nobody else had, but I sure wouldn't touch any victims. I would hate to risk a lawsuit if the victim or family decided my intervening caused more harm, and that has unfortunately happened to medical personnel that aren't trained in the field.

[Beverage]

I assisted by coaching CPR to bystanders at the scene of a motorcycle accident that happened in front of us on freeway until fire department and chp arrived. I carry gloves and disposable masks in both our vehicles.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

I will stop if there is no one else on the scene. I recently saw a horrible accident of a ped vs car on my way TO work. Watched it with my own eyes. The poster who posted that most nurses don't have that kind of training is ABSOLUTELY right. I got to the scene and was like... well, what now? I'm a pediatric nurse, my oldest patients are 18 - I had no idea what to do with this 400 pound drunk dude lying in front of me on the pavement. I did only the basics.... made sure 911 was called by the gawkers, and then assessed this guy that was lying on the ground. Basically I just stabilized his C-Spine and made sure nothing was bleeding out that I could see and waited for the paramedics. Kept him still. Attempted to talk to him and keep him calm but see the above where he was blitzed out of his mind.

As soon as the paramedics arrived, I gave "report" on what happened and what I did, and then stayed to talk to the cops, and then managed to still make it to work on time.

I will say that while I made it to the scene *first* - three other medical professionals sprinted out of their cars, including a physician (he was a dermatologist, but you know... LOL) and a nurse practitioner. So we all just kind of sat around and waited. :)

[KathyDay]

I'm 65 years old and I have stopped at many MVAs in my lifetime. I always stop, even if police are there. If firemen and or EMS are there, I drive past. Sometimes Police are not trained as EMTs. but most carry kits for emergencies. One time, an officer just handed over his emergency kit to me and another nurse and we did the rest until EMS arrived. We were in the middle of the desert in Nevada! We controlled bleeding and stabilized necks of the two victims..driver and passenger, until EMT arrived. I always stop...always. I also always help people in other public places who have fallen, or otherwise hurt themselves. Twice I have assisted people who are having a seizure...on was a known epileptic, but the other was not. I have also helped people on airplanes. I can perform the basics..airway, control bleeding, neck stabilization..and yes I do carry a CPR mask which I have never had to use. I should also carry gloves. A woman collapsed in front of me at the State capitol once, and fell face first onto cement. There was a lot of blood from her nose, and I got it on unprotected hands. Still, I would not have walked past this woman and her friend. She regained consciousness while I was there and when the EMTs arrived, I reported my observations and stepped back. Other nurses have basically told me I am stupid to stop. Then why do I feel so fullfilled when I have helped out another human being in jeopardy. And my hope is that if I was injured or collapsed that an experienced nurse would help me if there was no EMS around. I do my best to protect myself from dangerous blood exposure, but occasionally, I can't do that. I will never drive or walk by an injured person in need, and I don't anything in return, and I do not worry about liability. I worry about the outcome of the injured or sick victims. I'd bet that most nurses who do stop feel the same way. My one frustration with being a Good Samaritan/ nurse is that I never know afterward how the victim/patient made out at the Hospital. And once a man who had fallen on rocks and had an obvious displaced forearm fracture refused my offer to help??

[Bellabijou1]

In Texas, as nurses, we are obligated stop and render aide. But of course, their are numerous considerations before you stop and render aid. First, is aide already being administered? If you stop, you could very well be interfering rather than helping. If there is no one else (professional help!) then, of course, you should then consider: can I safely STOP without placing myself or others in danger?? One time I was on a major highway where the speed limit was 75 mph. I zoomed past the accident before I saw it. For me to suddenly screech to a halt a mile down the road would have been dangerous to me and my passengers. I could not turn around because it was a major divided highway with a lot of traffic. The best I could do was to call 911 and give directions.

Before you stop and render aide you have to make sure that you are not placing others in danger by doing so. If all is safe, I feel it is a moral obligation, as a nurse and as a human being, to pull over and render aide.

[Richcoast]

Mostly no but then there was the time my husband and I were headed to a fairly dressy dinner; heels and slacks, and we came upon a bad motorcycle wreck where the driver was pitched down a ravine... We stopped. I think the Basics had just arrived and, forgive me, but they needed my guidance as an ER Nurse: No one (but me) initiating c-spine precautions or any kind of neuro checks, attempting to roll him ONTO his clearly compound fractured arm because it was on the low side of gravity in order to get him on the reeve sleeve, basic ABC's etc, etc... Once he was out of the ravine and into the ambulance with the medics where we awaited air-evac, I was able to comfortably step aside. Those there running the scene seemed appreciative of my being there. I think as nurses we know when stopping is not an option.

[EwaAnn]

Not if police & Fire on hand. Most nurses are not trained in EMS or as medics. Many do not know cspine stabilization especially if working in a non-acute area. If you worked a triple shift it may have been more prudent to NOT stop especially when tired. Many police and fire are trained as first responders and can handle initial triage & treatment as well as scene stabilization.

If I witness an accident I will call 911, ensure scene safety and no critical injuries. Plus offer my witness statement to the investigating/responding officer. But I was an EMT for over a decade.

Plus most nurses do not carry triage or field first aid kits. Many don't carry gloves or a cpr mask either so a nurse isn't anyone helpful than a typical bystander in that case.

That is so true- nurses do not have the equipment needed to respond to an accident but at least call 911 and stay with the victim and reassure them. I was up in my room when I heard a crash. I was living near an intersection where the accident happened. I immediately called 911 and told them what happened. I ran out to the intersection to check out the victim(s) and reassured them that help was on the way. But I did not touch them. Just waited for help to arrive.

[EwaAnn]

If the police and fire department are there, no need for me to get involved.

If I come on an accident fresh, I will call 911 at the very least.

If it safe for me to assist, I will do so but will be very conservative in what I might do. CPR yes, basic stabilization but not much more.

I tend not to identify myself as a nurse in public situations.

Same here. I have had five instances where I have assisted but couldn't do too much. For each situation 911 was called. I just stayed with the victim til help arrived. One of the vics was my dad. Of course with him I went to the hospital. He had a heart attack. Had to have a stent put in and survived.

Another was a employee at a facility where i worked. She too had a heart attack, sent her out. She has two stents put in and survived. Here though I at least took her vitals and put her on oxygen til the ambulance arrived.

[EwaAnn]

I am alittle leary about stopping for two reasons though: a) legalities and b) my own safety especially at night..

[EwaAnn]

Being in our profession, many nurses are inclined to stop. However, many are employed in clinical settings. Clinical medicine is far different than street medicine. Barring any critical injuries, there is not much a clinical nurse can do other than help to stabilize the scene and direct traffic. Having been an EMT, I have stopped in the past, but just until EMS arrives. Because of the variances in Good Samaritan laws from state to state, any medical professional would be wise to consider their choice carefully. For those who do stop, it is often best not to identify themselves as medical professionals... and to know the Good Samaritan law for the state where they live and/or work.

Good point!! I never knew they varied.