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
116 | Unique roles in the ER | EKG tech and scribe | How to avoid burnout
We talk about stat vs routine EKG orders as well as metrics that they are always working to hit on time
When EKG’s are not done on time the source of the problem needs to be found, sometimes it is the providers’ fault for not realizing the EKG order had not been placed
We talk about how we should communicate between provider and EKG tech and how much info we like to get as providers
I talk about how providers need to become good at task switching frequently and this includes signing EKG’s
We talk about the responsibility of the PA or NP to sign EKG’s (calling STEMI’s or deciding not a STEMI) and how this responsibility is currently in the hands of the physicians only
Sean talks about how important EKG’s can still fall through the cracks at times and people will still point the blame all the way back to the EKG tech
It’s important to make sure you do your job well and then realize some things are out of your hands
Cheyenne talks about an experience she had with an end-of-life patient she cared for
Even being just peripherally involved in a patient’s care can really affect you emotionally
Avoiding burnout:
Cheyenne likes to go to the gym or hang out at home with her dogs
Sean talks about how he avoids burnout doing a job that can sometimes be repetitive
Sean also talks about the importance of calmness in front of patients, even when an EKG might be alarming
Don’t sweat the small things, especially in the ED, everyone is under a lot of stress, and you can’t allow a small comment from a stressed-out coworker to get under your skin and make you spiral
Sean talks about some methods to reassure patients despite not being able to diagnose their EKG
We talk about the importance of stress management in the ED so that you can think clearly about the next patient
It is not your emergency, we must be the calm in the storm
Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, Paramedics
Most efficient online EKG course here: Practical EKG Interpretation - Practical EMS earn 4 CME and learn the fundamentals through advanced EKG interpretation in under 4 hours.
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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.