What is the Good Samaritan law in Wisconsin?
Full Question:
My cousin is a qualified doctor; so from her I have learnt how to give first aid in case there’s an emergency. Now the other day I gave first aid to a guy who was playing football with me. What I’m scared about it is, this guy hates me and might take a revenge saying that I treated hum without having any qualification of a doctor? Please advice
04/04/2017 |
Category: Helping People » Good Samarit... |
State: Wisconsin |
#35113
Answer:
Here is the law:
Wis. Stat. § 448.03:
License or certificate required to practice; use of titles; civil immunity; practice of Christian Science.
(1) License required to practice.
(a) No person may practice medicine and surgery, or attempt to do so or make a representation as authorized to do so, without a license to practice medicine and surgery granted by the board.
(b) No person may practice as a physician assistant unless he or she is licensed by the board as a physician assistant.
(c) No person may practice perfusion, attempt to do so, or make a representation as authorized to do so, without a license to practice perfusion granted by the board.
(d) No person may practice as an anesthesiologist assistant unless he or she is licensed by the board as an anesthesiologist assistant.
(1m) Certificate required to practice.
No person may practice respiratory care, or attempt to do so or make a representation as authorized to do so, without a certificate as a respiratory care practitioner granted by the board.
(2) Exceptions.
Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed either to prohibit, or to require, a license or certificate under this subchapter for any of the following:
(a) Any person lawfully practicing within the scope of a license, permit, registration, certificate or certification granted to practice midwifery under subch. XIII of ch. 440, to practice professional or practical nursing or nurse-midwifery under ch. 441, to practice chiropractic under ch. 446, to practice dentistry or dental hygiene under ch. 447, to practice optometry under ch. 449, to practice acupuncture under ch. 451 or under any other statutory provision, or as otherwise provided by statute.
(b) The performance of official duties by a physician or perfusionist of any of the armed services or federal health services of the United States.
(c) The activities of a medical student, respiratory care student, perfusion student, anesthesiologist assistant student, or physician assistant student required for such student's education and training, or the activities of a medical school graduate required for training as required in s. 448.05 (2).
(d) Actual consultation or demonstration by licensed physicians or perfusionists or certified respiratory care practitioners of other states or countries with licensed physicians or perfusionists or certified respiratory care practitioners of this state.
(e) Any person other than a physician assistant or an anesthesiologist assistant who is providing patient services as directed, supervised and inspected by a physician who has the power to direct, decide and oversee the implementation of the patient services rendered.
(g) Ritual circumcision by a rabbi.
(h) The gratuitous domestic administration of family remedies.
(i) Any person furnishing medical assistance or first aid at the scene of an emergency.
(j) Any person assisting a respiratory care practitioner in practice under the direct, immediate, on-premises supervision of the respiratory care practitioner.
(k) Any persons, other than physician assistants, anesthesiologist assistants, or perfusionists, who assist physicians.
(L) A person performing autotransfusion or blood conservation techniques under the direction and supervision of a licensed physician.
(m) A person practicing perfusion for not more than 30 days in a year, if the person is certified or eligible to be certified as a clinical perfusionist by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion.
(n) A person employed as a perfusionist by a federal agency, as defined in s. 59.57 (2) (c) 1., if the person provides perfusion services solely under the direction or control of the federal agency by which he or she is employed.
(p) The provision of services by a health care provider under s. 257.03.
(q) The administration of an epinephrine auto-injector in accordance with s. 118.2925 or 255.07.
(3) Use of titles.
(a) Except as provided in s. 257.03, no person may use or assume the title "doctor of medicine" or append to the person's name the letters "M.D." unless one of the following applies:
1. The person possesses the degree of doctor of medicine.
2. The person is licensed as a physician under this subchapter because the person satisfied the degree requirement of s. 448.05 (2) by possessing a medical degree that was conferred by a medical school recognized and listed as such by the World Health Organization of the United Nations.
(b) Except as provided in s. 257.03, no person not possessing the degree of doctor of osteopathy may use or assume the title "doctor of osteopathy" or append to the person's name the letters "D.O.".
(e) Except as provided in s. 257.03, no person may designate himself or herself as a "physician assistant" or use or assume the title "physician assistant" or append to the person's name the words or letters "physician assistant" or "P.A." or any other titles, letters or designation which represents or may tend to represent the person as a physician assistant unless he or she is licensed as a physician assistant by the board.
(f) A person who is not licensed to practice perfusion by the board may not designate himself or herself as a perfusionist, use or assume the title "licensed perfusionist" or the abbreviation "L.P.," or use any other title, letters, or designation that represents or may tend to represent the person as a perfusionist. This paragraph does not apply to any of the following:
1. Any person employed as a perfusionist by a federal agency, as defined in s. 59.57 (2) (c) 1., if the person provides perfusion services solely under the direction or control of the federal agency by which he or she is employed.
2. Any person pursuing a supervised course of study leading to a degree or certificate in perfusion under an accredited or approved educational program, if the person is designated by a title that clearly indicates his or her status as a student or trainee.
3. Any person practicing perfusion under a temporary license issued under s. 448.04 (1) (e), if the person is designated by a title that clearly indicates that he or she is practicing under a temporary license.
(g) No person may designate himself or herself as an "anesthesiologist assistant" or use or assume the title "anesthesiologist assistant" or append to the person's name the words or letters "anesthesiologist assistant" or "A.A." or any other titles, letters, or designation that represents or may tend to represent the person as an anesthesiologist assistant unless he or she is licensed as an anesthesiologist assistant by the board. An anesthesiologist assistant shall be clearly identified as an anesthesiologist assistant.
(5) Civil liability; certain medical procedures and reports.
(a) No person licensed or certified under this subchapter shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from such person's refusal to perform sterilization procedures or to remove or aid in the removal of a human embryo or fetus from a person if such refusal is based on religious or moral precepts.
(b) No physician or physician assistant shall be liable for any civil damages for either of the following:
1. Reporting in good faith to the department of transportation under s. 146.82 (3) a patient's name and other information relevant to a physical or mental condition of the patient which in the physician's or physician assistant's judgment impairs the patient's ability to exercise reasonable and ordinary control over a motor vehicle.
2. In good faith, not reporting to the department of transportation under s. 146.82 (3) a patient's name and other information relevant to a physical or mental condition of the patient which in the physician's or physician assistant's judgment does not impair the patient's ability to exercise reasonable and ordinary control over a motor vehicle.
(c) A physician who in good faith provides the board with information concerning an allegation that another physician has engaged in unprofessional conduct or acted negligently in treating a patient is immune from liability for any damage that results from any act or omission in providing the information and may not be disciplined by the board for providing the information. In any administrative or court proceeding, the good faith of a physician who provides such information shall be presumed.
(6) Practice of Christian Science.
No law of this state regulating the practice of medicine and surgery may be construed to interfere with the practice of Christian Science. A person who elects Christian Science treatment in lieu of medical or surgical treatment for the cure of disease may not be compelled to submit to medical or surgical treatment.
(7) Supervision of anesthesiologist assistants.
An anesthesiologist may not supervise more than the number of anesthesiologist assistants permitted by reimbursement standards for Part A or Part B of the federal Medicare program under Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act, 42 USC 1395 to 1395hhh.
Wis. Stat. § 895.48 :
Civil liability exemption; emergency medical care.
(1) Except as provided in sub. (1g), any person who renders emergency care at the scene of any emergency or accident in good faith shall be immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions in rendering such emergency care.
(1g) The immunity described in sub. (1) and s. 450.11 (1i) (c) 3. does not extend when employees trained in health care or health care professionals render emergency care for compensation and within the scope of their usual and customary employment or practice at a hospital or other institution equipped with hospital facilities, at the scene of any emergency or accident, enroute to a hospital or other institution equipped with hospital facilities, or at a physician's office.
(1m) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), any physician, physician assistant, podiatrist, or athletic trainer licensed under ch. 448, chiropractor licensed under ch. 446, dentist licensed under ch. 447, emergency medical technician licensed under s. 256.15, first responder certified under s. 256.15 (8), registered nurse licensed under ch. 441, or a massage therapist or bodywork therapist licensed under ch. 460 who renders voluntary health care to a participant in an athletic event or contest sponsored by a nonprofit corporation, as defined in s. 66.0129 (6) (b), a private school, as defined in s. 115.001 (3r), a tribal school, as defined in s. 115.001 (15m), a public agency, as defined in s. 46.856 (1) (b), or a school, as defined in s. 609.655 (1) (c), is immune from civil liability for his or her acts or omissions in rendering that care if all of the following conditions exist:
1. The health care is rendered at the site of the event or contest, during transportation to a health care facility from the event or contest, or in a locker room or similar facility immediately before, during or immediately after the event or contest.
2. The physician, podiatrist, athletic trainer, chiropractor, dentist, emergency medical technician, first responder, physician assistant, registered nurse, massage therapist or bodywork therapist does not receive compensation for the health care, other than reimbursement for expenses.
(b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to health care services provided by a volunteer health care provider under s. 146.89.
(4) (ag) In this subsection:
1. "Cardiac arrest" means the sudden cessation of cardiac function and the disappearance of arterial blood pressure that connote ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia.
2. "Pulseless ventricular tachycardia" means a disturbance in the normal rhythm of the heart that is characterized by rapid electrical activity of the heart with no cardiac output.
(am) Any of the following, other than an emergency medical technician or a first responder -- defibrillation, is immune from civil liability for the acts or omissions of a person in rendering in good faith emergency care by use of an automated external defibrillator to an individual who appears to be in cardiac arrest:
1. The person who renders the care.
2. The owner of the automated external defibrillator.
3. The person who provides the automated external defibrillator for use, if the person ensures that the automated external defibrillator is maintained and tested in accordance with any operational guidelines of the manufacturer.
4. Any person who provides training in the use of an automated external defibrillator to the person who renders care.
(b) The immunity specified in par. (am) does not extend to any of the following:
1. A person whose act or omission resulting from the use or the provision for use of the automated external defibrillator constitutes gross negligence.
2. A health care professional who renders emergency care for compensation and within the scope of his or her usual and customary employment or practice at a hospital or other institution equipped with hospital facilities, at the scene of an emergency or accident, enroute to a hospital or other institution equipped with hospital facilities or at a physician's office.