Ethics Thread

[ffemt8978]

This is a spilt of the Ethics thread in the Suggestions forum...

 

[doc5242]

Just rember....there is a fine line in what is ethically right.. and what is legally wrong.. each state will vary, in my state you can only function as a Paramedic while you are legally employed as a paramedic and on duty. if you roll up on an accident off duty, and need to treat people you need to call medical command and get authoraztion to do so.

 

[gradygirl]

Have you talked to your supervisors about this? You should ask them what is expected of you in this situation.

Also, look at it from the responder point of view. If you were the responding to the scene and you know "Jane" called it in and is there with the patient. When you arrive, what would you expect "Jane" to tell you about the situation?

Well, I did talk to my "supervisor" (we don't really have them) and he said that, basically, our policy is that if you haven't been dispatched or aren't on call, you more or less don't touch the patient, especially not in the name of TCERT.

The biggest issue about this patient was how little information we actually had. My friend came and got me after the pt's friends didn't know what to do with the girl. Apparently she had been out with an unknown group of people at an unknown bar and drank an unkown type and quantity of liquor. All that was known was this group of people dropped her off at her dorm and called her boyfriend to tell him that she was his responsibility now. (How nice.) That's all I was able to give the medic when he arrived. However, since he's a good friend and he knew we were offline, he gave me friendly flack about it, but wasn't at all surprised when I told him I hadn't done anything.