When did it become “cool” to complain?  When did it become an accomplishment in one’s day to do less work? We were having a discussion on Twitter a few weeks ago about complaining, and a perceived negativity that was starting to bleed its way from some folks onto the Interweb, and it needs to end. Do we all have bad days?  Absolutely.  Are there times where I want nothing to do with EMS?  Without a doubt.  Ultimately though, being involved in EMS is a chance for me to do what I love, and I love what I do. Since I was promoted almost 6 years ago, my time on the actual ambulance has been greatly reduced.  In the past, I’ve gone months at a time where I wouldn’t set foot on a truck, unless I was intercepting a crew, but I’ve moved past that and I’m getting more time on the streets where I get to “play” Paramedic.  When that happens though, I’m happy to be there and I don’t feel like I had a good day at work if I’m not sitting next to someone that wants to be there as much as I do, and I don’t end up with a lot of runs under my belt for the shift. That desire has nothing to do with being a “company man” or my position in leadership that I hold; it’s out of a love for EMS.  I go out there and do the best that I can for each and every patient that I encounter.  It’s done selflessly, and without regard for how hard I work.  To be quite honest, if I come home and I had a particularly slow shift, I don’t feel like I was productive, and I don’t feel like I did enough.  I crave that feeling when you walk back into the office and drop a stack of completed paperwork on the desk.  I like having to completely restock and rebuild an ambulance at the end of the day because we needed everything in it. In our services we all have those people who strive to do the absolute minimum, and their behavior can be contagious.  Instead of...

Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that this was not a good winter in New England.  I’ve lived up here for almost fifteen years, and I have never seen this much snow in my life.  I’ve written about how I prepare for work, and some of the unique challenges that we deal with here in New England including factors we must take into when treating a patient in the dead of winter.  Today though, I want to talk about something else: random acts of kindness by strangers. 1.  The Free Coffee — I can’t start my day without a coffee in my hand.  I’ve got my routine down: shower, get dressed, make sure my bag is packed and head out the door.  It doesn’t matter if I’m working a day shift or a night shift, things always seem to roll the same way. Once I’m out the door, my stop before work is at the convenience store that is right on my way to work.  I always grab my large Green Mountain Roasters coffee, and head to the counter to pay my $2.  I never expect anything free, but much to my surprise, somewhere in the middle of the dead of winter, something changed.  “You’re all set, man.  Coffee’s free for you.”  I have rarely paid for a coffee there since, and always “toast” them and throw the person behind the counter a “thank you” as I head out the door. 2.  “Hey man, he’s a Paramedic.” –  I had to work on the night of what was probably the worst storm that we saw all winter.  My house is on a back street that is off of a back street in the city, so it usually takes a good sixteen hours before I see a plow.  This day, was no exception.  I thought about calling into work and getting picked up, but instead decided to brave the ride in my Jetta.  Oops. I made it to the end of my block, and turned onto the street that leads out to the main drag, only to find two cars down at the end stuck.  Knowing that I’d never get by, I decided to...

Recently, I have been on a huge Field Training Officer kick.  I want the right people training new EMTs and new paramedics.  You know the kind of people I’m talking about: strong role models who can not only provide great patient care but also have the bed side manner to set the example for new EMTs and paramedics, giving them someone positive to compare their actions and the actions of their coworkers against. We need to keep in mind though that whether we are an FTO or not, it is our responsibility to make sure our new Providers are headed down the right path.  We should feel obligated as a community to make sure that every patient receives the best possible care, regardless of whether or not we are personally on the call. It starts with the hiring process.  You need to get the right people in the door, and we all need to remember that its easier to teach someone to backboard a patient properly than it is to show someone how to have the right attitude for this job.  Keep that in mind when dealing with a new EMT.  They might not be as fast as you like, or as clinically rounded as they could be, but ask yourself one important question: “Do they have the right attitude?” Next, a complete orientation process is necessary.  That should go beyond just reviewing the policy and procedure manual.  This is a chance to teach these new impressionable minds the things that they didn’t get to learn in EMT class.  They need to learn how to cope with this job, and have the tools not only to practice as an EMT, but to exist in this world. Life lessons?  In Orientation?  Absolutely.  Take a look back at what Skip Kirkwood said when we sat down with him at EMS Expo.  EMTs need to learn financial responsibility.  They need to learn how to manage their money and be smart, and they need to be taught it early so that when they get that significant (in most cases) pay raise when they get that rocker on their shoulder, they are prepared for it. They need to learn...

In a previous post, we discussed some of the qualities I felt that everyone should know they should have that you don’t get taught in EMT or paramedic school.  For today’s post, I decided to elaborate a bit on one of those traits: The Salesperson. Sometimes, you just need to look at a patient that you know needs to go and say, “What can I do to put you in this ambulance today?”  There are lots of tactics that everyone has and uses, and I felt that I would take you through my thought process when dealing with that resistant patient that I know needs to be at the hospital. “Do it for yourself” — Explain to the patient that there is nothing more important than their health.  Why don’t they want to go to the hospital?  What are their concerns?  Do they not want to wait?  Do they think it’s a waste of time?  Are they just plain scared?  Do what you can to help them get past those fears.  Reassure them that if they are worried about their own health that getting evaluated is the best thing.  I’ve even gone as far as to challenge patients to prove me wrong, and show me that there is nothing wrong with them. “Do it for your family” — I’ve asked patients, “What would you wife think about this?”  or “How do you think your family would feel if something was to happen to you?”  Don’t be afraid to get their family involved as well.  Let that scared son or daughter talk to their parent and try to get them to go to the hospital. Reach out for a higher power — Sometimes law enforcement or a primary care doctor will have an easier time speeding along the process.  I had a patient one time that was incredibly resistant and reluctant to go with us.  While he was alert, he would have brief periods of unresponsiveness.  After debating with him for about a half hour, and having the patient become incredibly agitated with us, we decided to get PD there.  Their presence made the difference and helped changed this guy’s mind. Also, I’ve reached out...

Have you ever wondered if what you are saying is being heard?  Have you ever thought “I’m just one person, who is going to notice what I have to say?  Who is going to notice what I’ve done?” Late last month, I received an Email from someone in a Government Office that has taken an interest in EMS, and where we are headed.  He was contacting me because he wanted to buy thirty EMS 2.0 Pins for the people in his office, and stated to me that “EMS 2.0 represents an opportunity to bring EMS into the 21st Century.”  Just when I didn’t think the conversation could get any better, he added that “we need to position EMS so that folks fully appreciate the contribution and vital role we serve in the daily delivery of health care services.” It just goes to the show that it’s the little things like a pin, or an idea that can help take a huge step towards fixing things.  It all starts with just one person, one thought, one concept.  When I came up with the design for the EMS 2.0 pin based on the ideas that I had read that Chris Kaiser and Justin Schorr shared with us all, I didn’t know if it would actually go anywhere.  Now a year later, I’ve sold almost 350 of them.  I’ve seen patches, tattoo ideas, and even a photo from the Philippians with that half-red, half-blue star of life. While there is so much more to EMS 2.0 than just the Pin, I’m proud to say that my design could be part of the idea.  Reading the excerpts from that email I shared with you above made it all worth it, all of the hand shaking, all the sharing of ideas, all the writing, and all the hard work.  Word has made it to the top, and there’s no telling where we can go from...