So I was put in a difficult position today...

[Treefingers]

Yeah, of course it would have been a good idea to help. But don't beat yourself up about it. Freezing up like that and not helping isn't an uncommon reaction. Just learn from it is all.

 

[Rock 'n' Soul]

I understand being afraid... just maybe if that ever happens again look back on that experience and try to help the person out.

http://www.jour.sc.edu/opps/studyabroad/blogabroad/23.html

This might be a bit dramatic, but it's real. A girl at my school was in a more severe situation. I've always thought a bit differently after reading this entry.

 

[Daimes2000]

Wow, is the legal situation really that fucked up in the UK that even someone with further knowledge gets to hesitate helping? I'm lucky to not have been in a situation like this before (that is, outside of civil service, which i passed on an ambulance - but that's a whole different situation), but i know that here in Germany you are committed by law to help best as your skills allow. Unless you do something utterly wrong you cannot be blamed if something goes wrong, but you can be prosecuted for not helping!
I just wish for you to forget about any guilty feelings; be confident in your abilities and take heart if you can help somebody.

 

[CloggedDonkey]

Did you do anything wrong? Hell no. you did far more than anything I would have done by just looking back. If you had helped, you could have gotten in trouble with the law, which, by the way, is completely retarded. don't look back and say "I could have done more" think "At least I looked to see if she was okay."

 

[Florion]

I wouldn't blame you for not helping - it's not your responsibility more than anyone else's - but if something like that should happen in the future, know that you are gifted with the training to go beyond only the things you have to do.

 

[Hamster at Dawn]

To be honest, I probably wouldn't help her for the same reasons but I'd wish I had if only so that I could shout "Out the way everybody, I know how to handle this!"
And regarding the thread title, that's what she said.

 

[Sparrow]

Someone split coke on my in a cinema once. I was pissed.

[small]Yeah, sorry. I got nothing.[/small]

 

[firedfns13]

You should have helped her, but you would have been sued(as people are assholes these days) because if I recall, you need permission first to perform first aid, right?

Depends, is there a cop around? Does he know that shes in distress? If so, its implied consent.

I'm a lifeguard, we need to know this because you need a parents consent/implied consent (they get arrested if they refuse to consent to us) to work on a child.

 

[whiskey rock n' roller]

From what you describe it sounds like the girl may have had epilepsy, a girl in my class had a really bad case of it and had a seizure in class one day, I noticed before the teacher did and went completely blankI had no idea to react, about five seconds later the teacher realised and the place became an ER.

As for your situation I say forget about it, it'd be nice to live in a world were your rewarded for your good deeds but that really isnt the case. Besides if it was Epilepsy, going to see Paranormal activity wouldn't do much good.

 

[Marik2]

You should have helped her, but you would have been sued(as people are assholes these days) because if I recall, you need permission first to perform first aid, right?

What kind of bullshit is that? If I collapsed I would want First Aid immediately. Besides how can you ask permission from a person who collapsed?

 

[lodo_bear]

I can't say what I would have done, since I don't know how much of a coward I am. I will say this: that desire you had to help is a good desire. Next time the opportunity comes, act on that impulse. The more you do so, the less your fears will control you, and the richer your life will be.

Did you quote that from a disney movie or something?

OUCH. You wound me, sir. I can't blame Disney, I came up with it...and I mean every cliche-riddled, saccharine-coated word of it.

 

[OmegaXIII]

Well, it's always the right thing to help someone in trouble, but considering the possible risks, it's understandable to not help.

Still, help when you can. It improves your karma points so you can get the super mutant with the Gatling laser to join your side.

I enjoyed that reference a lot

 

[Carlston]

Strange thing happened to me tonight when i went to see Paranormal Activity at the cinema (quick side note: do this yourself! Great movie) as i was walking to the snackstand a random girl right next to me as i passed collapsed. I thought she'd just tripped or something so initially walked on but then i quickly realised that something more insidious had happened. Her friends screamed and started panicking, putting her in the recovery position. The staff came over eventually and an ambulance was called, it didn't appear that anyone there had any emergency medicine training. Here's the issue - i do, because i'm a med student, i have to have that training to be able to work in the hospital.

Over the next half an hour or so i found myself thinking, " 'SSSABCDE' dammit i could have done the collapse protocol there and helped the girl out" but i didn't because a plethora of fear of failure, insurance issues and general unwelcomeness overcame me. It really began to bug me when the paramedics arrived and put here in a wheelchair - stilled really zonked out. From what i could tell nothing really bad came of it.

Slightly difficult question for most (not being familiar with being a medical student i assume) but in my position what would you have done? I felt a bit guilty afterwards but i dunno, would it have been a good idea to help?

Hey walk away. And if she died, she couldn't sue you.
Sorry I'm the guy with basic medical emergency training and I stop and help out as much as I can. What you do, is help them, make sure they don't die and soon as the EMS shows...you leave. Leave no name and no number just go.

But if I could have helped someone, and they died because the people around her couldn't help? Then you can happily know her death wasn't your fault because of being afraid of her taking you to court....which read into that, yeah people sue but they never take a dime from the rescuers unless they seriously mess up.

The question is, how will you sleep at night.

 

[open trap]

I would have helped her, and if she was good looking and said "is there any thing i can do to repay you?" i would have replyed "well........."

 

[Hazzard65]

You're a human being and you were overcome with the situation you were presented with. You weren't in a hospital wearing a doctor's coat.

The fact that you feel guilt should imbue you with a certain modicum of self satisfaction. At least out of this you have been presented with your conscience. Congratulations, you are not only human, but a human with a soul.

I know people would have laughed.