The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says Nurses should ensure their own safety first when helping in a terrorist incident.
The guidance, published on the RCN website, explains that when you find yourself involved in an unexpected incident or emergency – your safety should always put your safety first.
As a nurse or midwife, your first instinct is often to go and help others in need but your own safety is just as important.
The statement goes on to explain that there is no expectation that a nurse or midwife will put their own safety at risk to help others and that when delivering any type of care and it is important that you only act within the limits of your knowledge and competence.
What about my duty of care? The NMC Code makes it clear that nurses and midwives must take account of their own safety, the safety of others and the availability of other options for providing care (this may include paramedics, ambulance crews or military personal on the scene of an incident or emergency).
This guidance comes only days after it was announced that a nurse was killed in the most recent London attack while trying to help others.