Practical EMS
My mission is to use the stories we all have in emergency medicine to encourage and uplift you where you are. EMT, Paramedic, nurse, PA, NP or physician. Emergency medicine is a very difficult specialty with unique challenges, and it calls us all to be better than the average person in order to stay healthy for our patients, our families and own mental wellness. I want to connect with EMS crews, fire crews, ER RN's, ER techs and new ER advanced practice providers to better understand their current struggles. I also want to bridge the gap between prehospital medicine and the emergency department and to encourage those seeking to become an advanced practice provider. Disclaimer: All Practical EMS content is opinion only. It is unaffiliated with any company or organization and does not represent any company or organization that Aaron currently works for or has worked for in the past. No content should be taken as medical advice.
Practical EMS
105 | Sick vs not sick | Should we trust our gestalt | Bias affecting care | Advice for the newbie RN, EMT, paramedic, PA | Running 3 gunshot wounds in one night
We need to remember that paramedic and EMT’s are solely focused on emergency medicine vs RN’s or even PA’s who are trained in general medicine then learn how to do EM later on
Learning sick vs not sick is a skill that develops with time, it’s not always easy
Gestalt can be an important factor in your assessment but don’t trust it all the time, it can lead you astray
A negative work-up does not always mean there isn’t something dangerous going on
Recognizing your biases will help protect you from making a mistake or overlooking something
Advice for the newbies:
Have humility when you are new, be willing to be taught
Never stop learning
Be proud when you do perform well
Don’t trust your gestalt when you are new. Take every patient seriously
Keep a journal
Be honest, do what you document and document what you do, admit your mistakes quickly
Taking ownership over mistakes helps you learn and gives you more respect than passing the buck
The call you are going to is the call you are supposed to go to. That is where you are meant to go. No patient is a waste of time. That patient deserves your undivided attention
Too many people hear the other exciting calls dropping nearby and they become distracted from what they are currently doing
People are put in your path for a reason
Alex talks about a night he ran 3 GSW’s and had to use good coping skills to recover
Sometimes the lower acuity patients can rejuvenate you
Running only high acuity will burn you out too, take some joy in the less stressful calls
Appreciate the highs and lows
Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, Paramedics
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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.