This is a question of situational ethics.
Say that a physician or EMT walks into a public restroom because he or she really HAS GOT TO GO.
Right.
Now.
(Number one or number two? That’s your call. It doesn’t really matter, as long as it is completely urgent, reaching the breaking point, as it were.)
Upon entering this public restroom, the life-saving-ready person sees another person (of the same sex, let’s not complicate this) passing out on the floor. Instantly, this person’s medically-tuned spidey senses start tingling. He or she can see that the person on the floor is not breathing. The victim needs immediate life-saving intervention or s/he will die. It is an emergency.
But, it was an emergency of a different sort that caused the doctor, nurse, EMT, whatever to walk into the bathroom in the first place. So, what’s the next move?
Should you save the life and pee your pants or relieve yourself first so that you can be 100% focused on reviving this person. Then the victim will be able to get up again and wash his or her hands.
I turn to you, reader. You read my little posts all the time, but most of you never utter a peep in comments. Get over yourselves, click on that comment link and tell me what the right thing to do is. A life is (theoretically) at stake here.
[Note: although I know people in medicine, this is a completely fictional situation, one inspired by..., well, you don't want to know that. But don't project my wife into this. She has nothing to do with this story, except to be disgusted with me when she reads it.]
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Disgusted? No, honey, I’m glad to see I’m not the only one in the family who posts about bodily functions.
I say, help the person on the floor. There’s nothing like being in a life-saving situation to make one forget one has to go.
Pastor Brian,
I will leave a comment, only because I love reading your blog and your wife’s. It is a way for me to get to know the two of you better. There, really isn’t enough time at church for this.
To answer your question? Giggle, I don’t know if you mean for this to be funny or not? I am giggling a bit. I think, I would have to try to save this person first. I don’t think I could just leave them laying on the floor, while I relieve myself.
Brian,
I guess I would have to go with the save the life bit. Although, I am not sure I want to get into specifics on how to control the initial emergency!
Allen
I’ll take a stab at it. I’m pretty sure your adrenalin would take over and you would forget about the other emergency.
I can’ help but notice that there are no comments here yet….. I do have a partial answer though. I found out tonight that I am not capable of dealing with a child’s bloody nose at two in the morning without stopping to ‘use the facilities’ first. Of course, since the birth of said child, I can NOT get up in the night for anything without having to go…. That said, the brain is just not capable of functioning clearly with that impairment. (I’m probably going to be sorry in the morning that I posted this.)
I love hypotheticals. I always try to go outside the box a little. I know very little about daily life for EMTs, but I’m assuming there’s a partner and he’s got a radio. So just call the partner and tell him/her you’ll be a minute (or ten, depending on what random number you’re dealing with.
On another note, this sounds like a good opening for an episode of House.
Adrenaline. It is the answer! Seeing the person passed out on the floor would kick the spidey senses into full power, adrenaline would rush, you would forget about the urgent need, and you would help the person on the floor. Then, after it was over, you would remember you had to go. And, then you would go. With great relief!