I came across a wreck on the way home from medic school today. I pulled over and checked everyone out. No major injuries, just a mother and grandmother worried about the safety of their newborn. They were understandably nervous, but thank God that they actually had the little guy properly restrained. The grandmother was thanking me and gave me a hug before I had her sit down and keep still. Once local EMS arrived, I helped secure everyone and load ‘em onto the rig.
When I got home I started thinking, I always hear people talk about looking for the “big one.” That one crazy wreck or event when all hell breaks loose. I admit I have been guilty of hoping to see some bad stuff at times, but I realized today that I was even more happy just to be a guy there for what amounted to emotional support and reassurance. I know that time will do its best to strip this empathy from me as I have seen it do to others, and I hope it is not naïve to think I can avoid it.
Too often we see medics and EMTs render physical aide but withhold emotional support. I find that weird because a majority of calls are not major, and emotional support is probably the only thing the patient really needs. People are not used to being in/seeing the things we see, so it is understandably jarring to be involved in a wreck or have chest pain, etc. We know that it is minor, and far too often we do a poor job at relaying that information.
I know that there are many EMTs and medics that are supportive in a human way, but I also see those on the edge of burnout that are just plain mean. I guess what I am trying to say is that I hope I never become one.
P.S. My arms look like I have been shooting drugs for the last week from IV practice. My veins are seriously praying that my classmates and I get proficient enough to stop practicing on one another. =)
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3 years ago
10 comments:
Ah, I remember IV training well. Plenty of nights with sore arms and hands. It seemed like we would never get it right. All it takes is lots of practice, though. Lots of painful, painful practice.
It is one thing when you stop by a MVC at your own leisure and offer aid to respectful and appreciative patients because you feel like it. It is quite another thing to be running back to back bullshit calls for rude abusers of the system because dispatch said so. The latter tends to burn folks out, which isn't so good for the compassion machine.
anonymous-
I agree on the bs calls, but did not feel like addressing that problem in this entry. After a while, I am sure the line between the two becomes blurred.
MM-- Just found your blog and I love it. I just went through this journey not long ago. I will say this though--once you've gotten farther into school you may find yourself much less interested in trauamas and arrests and that BS. A good (live) cardiac, a tough medical--those calls challenge us. Trauma runs are the same every time. Sure, it's a different car, with a different patient, somehow trapped in a different mannor--but it will take the same amount of time for fire to sardine the car and the same amount of time for you to do your job.
If things get bad, you might crap youself, but when things go bad(really bad) in trauma calls all you can give them is diesel fuel and try to pump them up with fluids.
Get a medical where you don't know whats going on and when it finally clicks it is amazing.
I ramble though--and besides, most of my patients are drunk, high, or a combo of the above.
Good Luck! Don't worry, you'll walk out of medic class having forgotten half of what you learned--only 1/4 of what you needed to know though!!!! I'm in knowledge "recovery" mode!
Ew, yeah, IV's. I had frozen peas wrapped around my arms for days. I even took a picture to document the damage:
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6534/17253812ru8.jpg
Good luck!
Hey, you've been nominated!
http://xsupermonkey.blogspot.com/2008/11/bookwormin-it.html
A medic student myself, I enjoy your blog! I'd have done the same! I once ran across 8 lanes of freeway traffic to get to a rollover I witnessed.
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