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
She sat up, yelling “What happened!”
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Jumping back into Principles in Emergency Medicine
Nate- People lie. Despite the fact that we are not judging them, and just need to know accurate details to provide the best possible care.
Casey- Expect the unexpected.
EMS is long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.
Adam- the job is always out to get you. We see the 1%, it is a self-selected population. So, if you are going to consider a rare or uncommon diagnosis, you are more likely to find it in these patients.
He found a passive pulmonary embolism in a patient with very mild and vague symptoms.
Casey- Arrogance can really cloud your judgment. You must be more confident in what you don’t know than what you do know.
Nate- pay attention to those subtle details like bradycardia. It could indicate a bigger problem than initially thought.
Watch your ego because it may cause you to focus too much on a differential and ignore details to the contrary.
Casey tells a story about a woman who was assumed to be drunk but just had a low blood sugar.
Adam- Know the difference between confident and cocky.
Kiley- A confident provider with a clear plan is very helpful to nursing staff because they can convey this to the patient, and everyone is on the same page.
I always plan on a negative work up because a positive work up will dictate the plan.
Sarah- Don’t stop learning. Look things up. Learn every day.
ZDoggMD talks about burnout being moral injury. Link here:
(30) It's Not Burnout, It's Moral Injury | Dr. Zubin Damania on Physician "Burnout" - YouTube
I agree with certain aspects of what he is discussing but I also believe there will always be aspects of our job we cannot control so we must remain focused on the things we do have control over. Ourselves. Our patient care. How we show up.
Adam- The emergency department is unique in medicine because we don’t have a lot of oversight and rules from the insurance companies. We can order the tests and take care of the patients regardless of their race, gender, insurance coverage. We are the safety net of society.
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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. This is not medical advice. If you have personal health concerns, please seek professional care.
Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, Paramedics
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