Opinions on Duty to Act

[seanm028]

After reading the article (and the 5 accompanying pages of discussion) about the Boston EMT who stopped to save the woman who had been shot, I'm thinking of using duty to act (not only legally but also morally/ethically) as the topic for my next English paper.

We are doing a research paper about an issue that is "complex and has many sides that must be considered before drawing an opinion or conclusion." (this is ENG 101 by the way). I'm not supposed to take sides or have bias, but simply present the different viewpoints.

I would appreciate any input, but what I really need are links to news articles, journal publications, and other professional sources.

Thanks!

 

[Amack]

After reading the article (and the 5 accompanying pages of discussion) about the Boston EMT who stopped to save the woman who had been shot, I'm thinking of using duty to act (not only legally but also morally/ethically) as the topic for my next English paper.

We are doing a research paper about an issue that is "complex and has many sides that must be considered before drawing an opinion or conclusion." (this is ENG 101 by the way). I'm not supposed to take sides or have bias, but simply present the different viewpoints.

I would appreciate any input, but what I really need are links to news articles, journal publications, and other professional sources.

Thanks!

In any given circumstance where a pre-hospital care provider finds him or herself in moral predicament (I stress moral/ethical over "legal" as in most municipalities off duty personnel are "legally" not required to render aid/care to such a given circumstance) an implied ethical/moral duty to act dilemma quickly presents itself. It's incredibly difficult to suppress intentions to assist somebody in dire need of medical assistance, especially as a provider equipped with the knowledge and training to save lives. The only real remaining conflict that presents itself is of moral/ethical nature.

Most times, its generally better to stop than to not to, and at the very least dial 911 (to requisition personnel "on-duty" who have an explicit "duty to act")

 

[firecoins]

First and foremost is the rescuer's safety. No one is obligated to give their life to save someone else's and possibly put 2 people's lives in danger.

If the scene is safe and the rescuer wants to help, the issue of identification comes into question. As a trained professional people, you open yourself up to legal ramifications should things head south. I have entered scenes off duty and simply not identified myself to the victim or responding units especially cops unless asked to do so.

 

[seanm028]

Final Paper Done

I wanted to thank you for your input and let you know that I've completed my papers. Part of the assignment involved creating a public argument, and I felt that this would be the best place to post an argument relating to EMTs.


Many of you have expressed strong opinions as to the proper action to take when and if you ever come across someone who needs your help when you are off duty. More specifically, this relates to situations where direct contact is needed, i.e. MMR or just CPR in general. I've been doing some research lately and thought you might be interested in what I have to say.

Probably the most compelling evidence I was able to find was a set of statistics from a 1998 article in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The article stated that, out of 5537 dental professionals surveyed who had pareternal or salivary contact with an HIV-positive patient, only one later tested positive for HIV. Out of 192 family members who were exposed to household contact, again only one tested positive for HIV. Although only two healthcare professionals who had performed CPR were interviewed, neither tested positive for HIV. These statistics may certainly quell some fears about contracting diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis C from a patient.

However, I know that there are also several other deterrents. For example, take the many diseases and infections which are more contagious. HIV tends to automatically make many people nervous, and rightfully so. However, it is fairly hard to catch - what about TB, or Hep-B? Or even MRSA or VRE? These are why some of us really fear MMR. Additionally, many new studies are coming out which suggest the futility of performing MMR during CPR; instead, they say compressions are more important. Even the department which I work for, Phoenix Fire, is in the process of implementing a new 200-compressions-before-any-breaths procedure. This has some of us asking "Why risk our health and safety if it doesn't even do any good?"

After looking at all of this, I have come up with my own opinion. Decide for yourself what you would do in a situation where someone might need your help, and make that decision based off of your own research and your own opinions. I think there are many compelling reasons to help someone, and there are seemingly just as many reasons not to. The chances of contracting HIV, as shown, are extremely low. However, nobody wants to be that one person who makes up the statistic. Also, there are many other much more contagious infections. On the other hand, not every person has MRSA. Not helping could be the difference between this person living and dying. If your own mother was on the street in respiratory or cardiac arrest, would you want someone else to perform CPR? Or would you want them to stand by and wait for on-duty professionals to arrive?

Basically what I am trying to say is that this is a very complicated issue. Like I said, there are many different reasons to help someone and an equal number of reasons not to help them. If you feel like assisting someone in need, then go ahead. You may save their life, and your peers should respect your decision. All that matters is that you understand the consequences and make an informed choice. Likewise, if you think you would rather not make contact, then you should not be chastised for it. Your peers should also respect your choice, and understand the reasons why you did it. Our community should not pass any judgement on anyone who makes a rational, informed choice.



Thanks for hearing me out,
Sean