Treating a rapist.

[andyrad]

I've been posed with a question I don't have the answer to as I have no formal experience working with an emergency service.

If your patient happens to be a rapist of someone, anyone, I know your duty is to be unbiased and treat everyone equally, but seriously. How do you do that when you're overcome with emotion and just want to hurt this scum-lord? What do you do in this situation? Someone said "Oh I'd just pour alcohol in his wound or something to make it sting". Obviously, that's wrong but what DO you do?

 

[JPINFV]

Treat him like any other patient. If you (generic you) set out to hurt a patient, regardless of his or her crimes or alleged crimes, then you are a lower piece of scum than your patient.

 

[Medic9]

You can't think about the crime, just the patient. You treat them to the best of your ability, get them to a higher level of care and blot out the memory.

 

[traumateam1]

I've been posed with a question I don't have the answer to as I have no formal experience working with an emergency service.

If your patient happens to be a rapist of someone, anyone, I know your duty is to be unbiased and treat everyone equally, but seriously. How do you do that when you're overcome with emotion and just want to hurt this scum-lord? What do you do in this situation? Someone said "Oh I'd just pour alcohol in his wound or something to make it sting". Obviously, that's wrong but what DO you do?

I guess this is just like the drunk guy vs. family vehicle MVC. Do you leave the drunk guy and attend to him last? Or do you give him the same care and compassion that you are giving the family?

I personally would treat the rapist the same way I'd treat an elderly lady, with the same care and compassion. I try not to let my emotions get in the way of my job. If this guy is in trouble and he needs me to do my job, than I'm not gonna sit there and say "well you know, he did rape a poor woman.. I'm not gonna help him, call another unit for this scum bag", I am going to try and put my feelings and emotions aside and help him. However, if I can't, if my feelings are so strongly against this guy, and I would be doing more harm than good, than I'd switch roles and let my partner attend, or call another unit for him.

It's really hard to say over an internet forum. There are no emotions right now, it's just a "what would you do..." thing. I don't actually know how I'd handle this type of call, but I do hope that I would be able to put my feelings/emotions aside and do the job that I am being paid to do - help those in need.

With all that being said.. I cannot see why I wouldn't treat him the same way I'd treat any other patient.

 

[VentMedic]

If your patient happens to be a rapist of someone, anyone, I know your duty is to be unbiased and treat everyone equally, but seriously. How do you do that when you're overcome with emotion and just want to hurt this scum-lord? What do you do in this situation? Someone said "Oh I'd just pour alcohol in his wound or something to make it sting". Obviously, that's wrong but what DO you do?

You do not become the scum-lord they are and this applies to all. It doesn't matter who you are treating, if you lose your composure, they have the upper hand and thus, may have acheived the reactions this person is looking for...that you are no better than him/her.

However,remember the "innocent until proven guilty" phrase.

quote by traumateam1

I guess this is just like the drunk guy vs. family vehicle MVC. Do you leave the drunk guy and attend to him last? Or do you give him the same care and compassion that you are giving the family?

We had lengthy discussions a few months ago about the EMT who was just convicted for manslaughter of 2 people while driving under the influence. Several took her side so not everything is as clear cut as some would think.

That being said, work a city hospital that not only gets the freshly arrested but also has a whole wing dedicated to convicted felons or others from the various jails.

Also, think about our healthcare system where the average Joe Public may not have the proper insurance to get a heart transplant but an inmate serving life for murder does.

Through all of this, remember you are the professional.

 

[traumateam1]

You do not become the scum-lord they are and this applies to all. It doesn't matter who you are treating, if you lose your composure, they have the upper hand and thus, may have acheived the reactions this person is looking for...that you are no better than him/her.

However,remember the "innocent until proven guilty" phrase.

quote by traumateam1

We had lengthy discussions a few months ago about the EMT who was just convicted for manslaughter of 2 people while driving under the influence. Several took her side so not everything is as clear cut as some would think.

That being said, work a city hospital that not only gets the freshly arrested but also has a whole wing dedicated to convicted felons or others from the various jails.

Also, think about our healthcare system where the average Joe Public may not have the proper insurance to get a heart transplant but an inmate serving life for murder does.

Through all of this, remember you are the professional.

Vent, please don't get me wrong. I would not ignore the drunk or give the family a higher priority than the drunk person. It was just a question.


We actually had that as a scenario, it was kinda shocking to see how many people wanted to leave the drunk person and tent to the kid who had been ejected from the mini van and the family.

 

[Sasha]

I treat him or her like any other mentally ill patient.

 

[BossyCow]

We ran multiple calls on some significant end of life issues on a convicted sex offender/child molester. He was a known predator and on the sex offender registry. He had a very violent history.

There were some responders who had a more difficult time of it than others. There were some who would not respond to calls to his address. But, a pt is a pt is a pt. Knowing too much about them is sometimes a challenge, but hey.. how many patients do you think you see that have this kind of history that you just don't know about?

I witnessed this horrible human being, die a slow miserable, painful death from bowel cancer, alone, with no one but paid strangers to care for him at the end. Sort of makes you believe that what goes around comes around.

 

[VentMedic]

I wasn't making a direct reference to you Sasha.

Every thread we have had on drinking and driving as an EMT(P) on this forum has gotten locked due to the differing opinions. We've even had threads on how to run IVs fluids in yourself to get ready for work quicker so you won't appear drunk and hung over. Many of us have probably looked the other way when it comes to substance abuse or a co-worker abusing their spouse.
There have been too many in this profession that have been accused and convicted of the same crimes, many of which were committed on patients, for us to get too judgmental.

I think the Washington DC EMT started a cascade of events when it was assumed someone was drunk.

However, patient care is patient care.

 

[Sasha]

I wasn't making a direct reference to you Sasha.

Every thread we have had on drinking and driving as an EMT(P) on this forum has gotten locked due to the differing opinions. We've even had threads on how to run IVs fluids in yourself to get ready for work quicker so you won't appear drunk and hung over. Many of us have probably looked the other way when it comes to substance abuse or a co-worker abusing their spouse.
There have been too many in this profession that have been accused and convicted of the same crimes, many of which were committed on patients, for us to get too judgmental.

I think the Washington DC EMT started a cascade of events when it was assumed someone was drunk.

However, patient care is patient care.

Where did I say you were making a direct reference?

 

[Code 3]

Where did I say you were making a direct reference?

You didn't, she meant to say traumateam1.

 

[Onceamedic]

I treated a guy whose face had been on the front page of the paper for molesting children. (He went into delirium tremors in jail and had to be cared for. ) Having been molested as a child, I know the pain, grief and agony these a$$holes cause for their defenseless victims, not to mention years of expensive therapy, drugs etc. When I treated this patient, I was very professional. I was polite and got the job done. I even inserted a foley and made very sure that the job got done efficiently and with minimum discomfort for the patient. (it was in an ED). What the patient didn't get was one of the things I am very proud to offer the vast majority of my patients - an extension of my heart. I make an effort to go the extra mile - to go beyond what is expected and offer understanding, or humor, or a prayer - whatever it is that they can benefit from. Bottom line - did the molester get my very best? Yes - the very best that I was able to offer to him. Was it as good as other patients get? - probably not. I can live with that.

 

[fma08]

I've been posed with a question I don't have the answer to as I have no formal experience working with an emergency service.

If your patient happens to be a rapist of someone, anyone, I know your duty is to be unbiased and treat everyone equally, but seriously. How do you do that when you're overcome with emotion and just want to hurt this scum-lord? What do you do in this situation? Someone said "Oh I'd just pour alcohol in his wound or something to make it sting". Obviously, that's wrong but what DO you do?

Treat him/her like any other patient first, then yourself with a double whiskey on the rocks after the shift

 

[MedicPrincess]

We have a Federal Prison in our county. This houses people who have committed some of the worst crimes you can imagine, and some you never want to imagine. And we run calls out of it.

They are a patient. They have a medical problem, address that problem.

The hardest ones for me (as well as plenty of others) are the child abusers. My now 10 year old son was physically abused, 1 time, by my then fiance, 7 years ago. Today, when I pick up someone who has injured a child for an instant I still see my son laying there on the couch when I got home and the pathetic suicide attempt by my Ex when he realized what was about to come his way. But in the end, I still have this patient in front of me.

Treat the patients current problem(s). Take them to the hospital.

 

[mycrofft]

I work with nothing but criminals.

I do not find out what their charges are because then I can never be accused of altering their care due to my knowledge of their charges.

Not my job to treat them differently, I don't pour my heart into their cases but into getting the best care out to all of them given our setting and despite their screwed up efforts to thwart us. ANd despite their con games threats etc, I leave at 3, they stay, I win, so no arguement needed.

You have to shut off the emotions same as you do with an ugly, stinky or obnoxious call.

 

[ttoude]

Professionalism

 

[Jon]

Professionalism

Wow. 1-word post, over 10-letter minimum... and it is probably the best answer.

You will need to set aside your personal opinions to deal with some patients, if you want to make a career of EMS. You may need to yell, scream, or go to the range and shoot targets to calm down after a call like this - but you've got to manage the call until it is over.

 

[ttoude]

One universal thread in life as well as all religions is "What goes around comes around". Resisting the urge to exact judgment when its not our place to do so can feel like carrying a ton of bricks.

I routinely came into contact with child sex offenders at a previous job. What kept me in line is that faith that the what he/she gave out is what she/he will get back.

Then I go out and burn up some tires at the race track then I feel better.

 

[eric2068]

Treating a rapist

Regardless of your own personal opinions, that person is still a human being. When I was going through EMT class, and Medic calss, we were taught to be objective, never subjective. We have a women's prison in our response area, and to be perfectly honest, 99% of the time, I get less problems with them, than I do with the general public, and some of these ladies are in for murder. So, be objective, be kind, but if you can't do that for whatever reason, be professional. Never let them know how you feel.

 

[mycrofft]

Everyone remember

Today's inmate is tomorrow's citizen. Actually, still a citizen while locked up, but will later be back on the street. Todays'inmate gets out, sore at "The System". Inmate also has friends, relatives, and kids who are going to be against the correctional situation because it's no fun and everyone in jail is innocent. This makes for an ever expanding base of people baying for LE, correctional and any authority figure's throat. (Add on their ignorant sympathizers from the general public).

Last: What would you do if it was your kid who was convicted of statutory rape or hitting a nun and some blind kids in a crosswalk? What kind of care would you want for him or her? Or yourself?