Left Behind Gurney

avdrummerboy

avdrummerboy

Forum Lieutenant
Messages
156
Reaction score
20
Points
18
Anyone ever leave the gurney behind at the ED/ wherever? Had my run in with that sinking feeling when you look in the back and notice that something quite important is missing!
 
No. I never left my gurney behind. And how did you manage to do that, I'm wondering? Here, patient is on the gurney until they get transferred to hospital bed. Whoever was teching the call stays behind in the room to give report and get the PCR signed while the other gets the gurney backs in service (wipes it down, new sheets, etc.).
 
That's why I drive with the gurney unlocked when there's no patient. The sound of it bouncing off the bulkhead every time I brake is very comforting.

That was about the worst thing I've had happen with a gurney, my partner loaded the gurney but left it off the lockbar so he had more leg room on the bench while relaxing in the ER bay. He jumped out the side and forgot to lock it down. It's a horrible noise...
 
DieselBolus said:
That's why I drive with the gurney unlocked when there's no patient. The sound of it bouncing off the bulkhead every time I brake is very comforting.
Click to expand...

...Because sarcasm is hard on the internet and I'm exceedingly tired, are you being serious?
 
If I ever saw a crew leave a gurney and we were slow, I would probably hide it somewhere.

So if you left the gurney, does that mean you left the monitor too? :P
 
avdrummerboy said:
Anyone ever leave the gurney behind at the ED/ wherever? Had my run in with that sinking feeling when you look in the back and notice that something quite important is missing!
Click to expand...
Yeah, had this happen once. Many years ago. After transferring the patient to the ER bed we placed the gurney against the wall in the hallway. My partner and I went in opposite directions to do important stuff I'm sure. I came back to find gurney/partner gone and walked out to the rig where I found him ready to drive away. Sure enough we got a non emergency tranfer from a nearby SNF back to the same ER. I'll let you imagine our conversation at the back of the ambulance when we opened those doors. Anyway that patient got a ride on the collapsible stretcher strapped to the bench seat untill we got back to the ER. Curses on whomever it was that day that moved our gurney "around the corner" so it wouldn't be in the way.
 
When I was in field training at my current agency, my preceptors told tale of one time a crew responded to an emergency call out of station...with the gurney still in station. They way they told it, a newbie had pulled the gurney out to practice with it (we use the Ferno Flex Cots, pretty much every other company uses the Strykers) then apparently walked away for one reason or another, and when the call came, in their excitment, the newbie ran straight to the rig to respond.

No idea if it's true or not though. But I can see that happening a lot more easily then leaving the gurney at the hospital.
 
DieselBolus said:
Absolutely.
Click to expand...
That's extremely dangerous and you should stop that practice. If you continue you should be terminated. How about a simple mirrors check to see if its there?
 
I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.
 
I put a little bell on the head of my gurney so when the truck moves, I can tell its there by the jingle.
 
We've had some crews do it. It doesn't go over very well with dispatch or the supervisors
 
I did witness a guy leave his partner behind before. He didn't realize it until they got a call, emergency of course.
 
I've left small stuff like head blocks and even the reeves before but never the gurney. As said, just check before you head back to quarters, it only takes a couple of seconds!
 
Worst I've done is left the monitor. Realized it when we were restocking the truck after the run.

Oops. :oops:
 
This happened to us once. The rig was at the county maintenance shop having service done. The crew prior to us took all the equipment out of it. The maintenance guy brought it back and parked it.

Shift change occurred and no one told our crew what happened. So as we went to check in the trucks we get paged for a code.

Go figure get to the scene open the doors no cot, monitor, drugs, or jump bag.

Called for another bus and did a lot of CPR with a pocket mask and an Iv.

Not one of our finest moments
 
Never left the cot. Got back to base one day after a bariatric run and pulled the cot as was standard practice since we only had one. My regular cot was missing so the ambulance was left in the bay at the end of the shift with no cot but with the back doors open.

Apparently after I left one of our dispatchers then called in a TA while driving home and an overzealous crew ran out to go jump it before the city arrived. Guess what ambulance they took...

On my first shift at a new place the house bag got left on scene after we left with an unstable SVT patient. While trying to see if anyone was home I set off the burglar alarm...
 
Is it really that difficult your the gurney in the truck that y'all need little tricks to remind you it's there?

We do it the same way MonkeyArrow does. We get pulled constantly so it's the first thing everyone does before doing anything else.
 
Handsome Robb said:
Is it really that difficult your the gurney in the truck that y'all need little tricks to remind you it's there?

We do it the same way MonkeyArrow does. We get pulled constantly so it's the first thing everyone does before doing anything else.
Click to expand...
Handsome Robb said:
Is it really that difficult your the gurney in the truck that y'all need little tricks to remind you it's there?

We do it the same way MonkeyArrow does. We get pulled constantly so it's the first thing everyone does before doing anything else.
Click to expand...

Come on, bells bring cheer, especially around Christmas time...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top