#66 - Paramedics getting offended, first code as a medical student, making a human connection and measuring success in EMS

Practical EMS

The team mentality at all levels in the ED is key to a harmonious, efficient and effective environment

In EMS, this can be difficult on a given scene when you may not know the other responders all that well and it can be easy to get offended when no offense was meant

Developing a thick skin is important in emergency medicine. You can’t allow negative emotions of others to affect you all day long.

Patients can be really mean. This is just a fact that can be expected so you can make a plan to deal with it.

One of the cool things about being an emergency medicine provider is that we are the provider that the patient has access to any time of day or night. We are not a expert in any one specialty and that is okay.

Sarah talks about a rough shift in the fast-track part of the ED

Andrew talks about the first code he ran as a medical student and the impact it had on him

It is an honor to be there at a patients last moments and to help their families through it.

It is very easy to forget the human side of emergency medicine. Ask yourself how you would act if it was your family, you were taking care of.

Slow down. Focus on making a connection.

I naturally fall out of making that human connection, so I have to be intentional about connection it or I won’t happen.

Paramedics and EMT’s have a tendency to measure success and contentment by the acuity of the calls they run. I would venture to say we need a better metric: human connection. If you can connect with your patients, this will prevent burnout in your own life and improve your patient care as well.

Strategies for avoiding burnout: music on shift, nebulizing coffee to neutralize bad smells and planning trips

Crazy stickers for comedic relief

We talk about the inaccuracy of pain scales and alternate pain scales

Schasny talks about a patient with an ingrown toenail that got up and left after hearing multiple traumas and code blues announced overhead.

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Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn’t represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.