Thank you for your response. You and your friend keep acting like the "hospital policy" is some random bureaucratic obstacle that has no rational function. This is not a policy about tongue depressors storage, but instead describes the very limited circumstances in which you might permit an unconscious patient to be touched by a third party. The policy delineates the hospital's and the physician's legal and ethical duties to the patient. So rather than say "hospital policy says you can't do that" you should say "what you are trying to do is illegal, and amounts to criminal assault and a civil rights violation, so I cannot allow it, sorry please leave." This is what
@sb247 was saying. Physicians should not disregard their legal and ethical obligations for personal convenience, much less for an unjustified fear that a cop will assassinate you in the middle of the ER. When has that ever happened? Never.
I still find your attitude to be one of fear and cowardice, only now you are mixing in some laziness (in your hypothetical, you're tired). Listen. Real ethical dilemmas tend not to exist in a total risk-free environment. If they did, the answers would be obvious. Consider these questions.
"With zero personal risk or inconvenience, would you protect your patient's rights?"
Well obviously you would. Every time, and so would the rest of the world.
"With slight personal risk, and some inconvenience, would you protect your patient's rights?"
Now here you are saying, No I would not, I would avoid any personal risk and surrender the patient to certain harm in order to extricate myself from the situation.
"You are tired and exasperated. Your ethical obligations in this situation are more lax. True or false?"
Care to take a guess?
Professionals must have the courage of their convictions, or at least follow the law. Instead you propose that doctors should cower and acquiesce in the face of tyranny and bullying. If everyone had your attitude, there would have been no civil rights movement, no American revolution, and I could go on and on. Might does not make right. Quite honestly, I would be disappointed in myself if I couldn't talk that guy down. He's a bully with a gun, and you're a smart ER doctor. Make an effort. Don't run and hide in the potty.
PS can you imagine the love and loyalty you would inspire on the part of your ER staff if you stepped in and took the arrest to protect your staff? Hero for life. Conversely, if you go hide in the potty while they haul off your nurse, you would be hated and mocked for life, and deservedly so.