Nurses: The Masters of Disasters

By Jordie Papa

Image courtesy wikimedia

Nurses are a lot like firefighters.  When most people flee the scene of a disaster, they rush in.  For centuries, nurses have been known to get involved during time of war, as well as after every major calamity to hit the planet.  When earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes strike, they are there.  When tsunamis hit Indonesia and Japan they are there.  When firestorms ravaged California, they were there. Because they were there, the loss of life was much less than it would have been otherwise.    Today I am going to take the time to tell you what nurses have to deal with to help all of us deal with disaster.

      1.      When we need care, they are there. – In 2017 & 2018 there were more than 200 declared federal disasters in the US alone.  They included everything from hurricanes that tore through Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico, to mass 340 shootings, including the highly publicized one that killed 58 in in Las Vegas.  In many mass casualty disasters, nurses heeded the call for assistance before volunteering to help, even if it meant traveling cross country at their own expense.

      2.      They’re required to respond. – Many states in the US require healthcare professionals to respond when disasters occur.  To fail to do so is to risk being fined or even jailed.  The American Nursing Association recognized that “disasters can test the capacity of licensed practitioners to offer what would be deemed appropriate care in ‘normal’ circumstances.”  They also called for “local, state and federal authorities to help protect RNs from legal and ethical quandaries associated with disaster assistance.”    

     

Image courtesy Picryl

3.      Don’t bite the hand that heals you. – It isn’t unheard of for a nurse who renders aid at the scene of an accident to wind up being sued by the survivors or their family.  While many states have Good Samaritan Laws on the books designed to protect those who render aid in time of crisis, the law is far from bulletproof.  In this litigious country, people can and do sue at the drop of a hat.  In the past, plaintiffs who were saved through the efforts of nurses who happened upon the scene of a shooting or an accident were taken to court when the victim died at the scene, was paralyzed or later succumbed to their injuries.  Other nurses were sued for malpractice when they stopped treatment only to later be accused of leaving the scene before the patient was stabilized.

      4.      He said, she said – Another appalling fact is that nurses can also be sued should they render a medical opinion by a former patient who asks them for advice.  This means if you find yourself in a store or a parking lot and a meet an off-duty nurse you know to ask them a medically-related question, don’t be insulted if they tell you to talk to your physician.  That’s because they can be held liable for any medical information they provide you with the exception of how to dress a wound.

      5.      The talk around the water cooler – It’s because of these issues that nurses spend more time than you might think discussing the ins and outs of rendering aid.       An article from rncentral.com sums it up like this: 

      As a traveling nurse, I drove thousands of miles across the U.S. All those miles, all those hours in cars and I have never witnessed an auto accident without rescue personnel already on the scene. Lucky I guess, but I have wondered many times, what would I do, if I did? I like to think I would stop and try to help. As a nurse I am certified in CPR, I have been trained in basic life support and I have a good dose of common sense. I could be a Good Samaritan as defined by law. 
      
      But, whenever this topic comes up in conversation there is a lot of fear and misinformation. And sadly, many people, in health care and not, say don't stop. I've heard I could lose my nursing license; I could be sued or even charged with a crime just for trying to do the right thing.

      The article goes onto point out that from a nursing perspective, the law is a minefield since the laws differ from state to state.  It also states that the decision to render aid is more of an ethical dilemma than a legal one.  It also stipulates that Good Samaritan laws are designed to protect nurses from malpractice claims unless gross negligence can be proven.  That being said, once a licensed healthcare provider assists a victim, the victim or their family can claim gross negligence and sue the practitioner for any perceived negligence.  This puts the healthcare provider in the crosshairs of a lawsuit that they will be forced to fight in court, even if they are blameless.  Since most nurses don’t carry malpractice insurance, they are forced to bear the brunt of their defense as well as any damages that are awarded by a jury. 

Image courtesy wikipedia

      6.      The letter of the law – Most nurses are under the assumption that the healthcare facility for which they work covers them in case of medical malpractice. The sad fact is that this coverage is tailored specifically to cover damages that occur on the property during the course of seeing patients.  It is not an umbrella policy designed to protect nurses against off-site malpractice claims.  These policies have strict limitations as to what, where and when coverage for medical malpractice takes place.  What many nurses are unaware (until they get sued) is that there are low-cost Nursing malpractice policies that are designed to protect them when their employer’s policy doesn’t.  For as little as $100/year a nurse can acquire a policy that offers $1,000,000 in coverage, along with covering some or all of their court costs should they be sued.

      Public trust vs public crisis – Sad to say, but until the public raises a ruckus with congress to widen the scope of Good Samaritan laws on a national level, we all run the risk of healthcare providers hesitating to do their part when the need arises. Nurses and other licensed healthcare givers should be encouraged to come to the aid of those in need without having to worry about having their livelihoods destroyed.  If they don’t feel safe to offer aid during time of crises, then these masters of disasters could soon be a thing of the past.

Jordie Papa is owner of Uniform Destination with four locations in North Florida offers scrubs and medical accessories, including stethoscopes.