EMS Office Hours

This week I have posted another after hours recording I did with Josh. This is a short one and was done during EMS Week. We talk about EMS advocacy and change. What do you think is he best way to advocate for EMS? Join Jim on FaceBook We will be back next week with the live show.

What do you think are some of the bigger challenges facing new paramedics? Do teaching organizations provide proper mentoring, job placement, networking opportunities and field level preparation? Take some time this week and join us for this discussion. Come share what it was like when you passed your paramedic class. What have you seen new providers struggling with?

This week both Josh and I had some pressing engagements so we couldn't do a live show. So, I went and pulled some audio from recordings we did at some of the "after hours" of the live episodes. Take a listen to these never before heard recordings on topics like EMT's that steal, pronouncing patients DOA when they are not, ICS, MCI drills and EMS mentoring.  

When thinking about rural EMS systems compared to an urban setting. Does the rural setting have certain advantages? What about disadvantages? Issues like available resources, transport times, volunteers, skills frequency and others can play a role in overall patient care. So what are your thoughts? Do these two systems differ? Are they similar enough not to matter in the long run? Join us for this episode and give your experiences in the chat room or call in toll free.

I was recently asked a question about my take on interfacility transport EMS as opposed to 911 EMS. I thought it would be a good idea to highlight this topic this week along with another longtime question - Ambulance vs. Fly Car response. Join us for this episode and be sure to post your comments below.

This week we talk about recent EMS topics in the news, forum threads and anything else on our minds. Come bring your favorite EMS topic, a recent story you found interesting or just listen in to this months rapid fire show. These are always pretty fun to listen to, so join us live or in the chat room.

When do you deviate from your EMS protocols? When is it right  to do so? Many systems leave it vague on how to handle this aspect of EMS and most training and education doesn't cover why, when or where we should be considering it. Words like "may, consider, withhold" make it very hit or miss. Add to that the various interpretations by state, regional or even in house QA/QI and you can have providers treating patients in the interest of self preservation and not the best interest of the patient. Join us for this episode as we try to keep the discussion on this passionate and opinionated topic on track.

If you've ever applied or know someone who has for a law enforcement or fire fighter position. You may have noticed that before you are hired for these jobs, you have to pass various evaluations. Everything from psychological to fitness and competency exams. While EMS may not have the same type of job skills that police or fire do, it certainly is a demanding job with all it's own variables. Including being in the public trust. Yet there is often very little in the way of pre-employment screening, physical or competency exams given to EMS providers before employment. It seems as long as there is a "pulse" that person can get hired and have access to all the equipment, vehicles and patients their heart desires. Join us for this Office Hours and listen to our take on why this is. Call in or chat with your opinion as well.

You may have heard of the EMS Pit Crew. The popular model is when this is utilized during cardiac arrest calls and each EMS crew member has assigned role. Can this improve outcomes, avoid scene confusion and be the future of cardiac arrest and even patient management in EMS? Or should we be putting up that yelow flag and take a closer look at this model? Join us for this special Wednesday episode with guests Tim Noonan and Bob Sullivan to discuss both points of view. Post your comments or questions below.  

Ahh yes, the drive to be an EMT. The car wrecks, shootings, heart attacks and cardiac arrests. But once you have that nice EMT card you quickly realize that most of what you are doing are geriatric patients. All with a wide variation of illnesses, history and medication lists long enough to fill way more than that little space on your chart allows. So I ask you, did you expect that part of EMS? Have you embraced it yet? If not you should. It's not going to change and it's certainly not going to get any better. Be sure to jump in on this episode and share your thoughts on this topic.

Great things are happening in EMS. New drugs, expanded protocols, high tech equipment. At the same time we deal with drug shortages, out dated and un proven standards of care and almost self sabotage of ourselves in the media, constantly putting up with the lowest common denominator in our ranks. We need to find our focus. Sure work on the new stuff but maybe concentrate on the older issues too that are holding us back as a profession and as providers, lending for less than optimal patient care.  I hope you will join us for this episode and give hope for the future on how you and your agency are focusing on more steps forward and less steps back.

Too often we get patients who don't need an ambulance never mind the care we can give. Call it job security, just part of the job, whatever.  But does responding and transporting these "patients" just give them the green light to keep calling 911 for a high priced taxi ride?  People talk. When we start IV's, give oxygen, do EKG's on patients who clearly don't need it and we are doing it to CYA with our QA/QI or hospital staff. It just sends a message to these people that "hey, last time I called 911 I got all this treatment and was whisked right into the ED".  Shouldn't we be treating each patient as needed? What do you think? We want your opinion on this. Come join this episode and share your frequent flyer story.

EMS Week started today and goes until May 26th, 2012. This years theme is "More Than A Job, A Calling".  I think for many of us this is true and for many others it was true at one time but has evolved into just that "a job". Join us with your story on why you became an EMT or paramedic, how things have changed for you and what your agency is doing for EMS Week 2012.

When your patient asks if he is having a heart attack, do you tell him, no matter how bad the 12 lead looks? Have you ever avoided these quesions, told white lies or just plain lied in what you thought was the best interest to the patient? Join us this week and give your opinion and thoughts on this topic. When does a patients stress level or anticipated reacition influence what or how you tell them?

The pediatric patient. We've all heard the little quips before. They're not little adults, they crash fast, don't lie to them. Honestly, I lie to them all the time. It's the parents I tell the truth to. But still, dealing with pediatrics is more than just calming the crying infant or knowing that "Hey, this isn't a little adult". Age groups, diseases, injury types, parents, bystanders and even other providers all play a role in the call and the outcome. Take some time for this live episode and come give your pediatric call tips, tell us a story and listen to Jim and Josh as they talk about these call types.