What would you & handle this situation ?

[emt_hound]

Man...this is really a subjective question...

His breath doesn't smell but his sweat does? He's tired...but alert and oriented w/ no obvious physical deficit? Hmmm.

I dunno. If I was concerned his condition would effect patient care, I'd have to do something. If I wasn't, I wouldn't.

[Guest]

I would hope that they would have enough respect for there job as well as there coworkers.. No one should be put in that spot.. I would be very disappointed if one of my co-workers did that to me. You still have a duty to act no matter who it is. We have other lives in our hands, and that you do not play with. There is a time to drink and before a shift in my opinion is not the time.

[Alcomedicism]

Why send the DRIVING back home if they showed up intoxicated at the station, and yet you wont allow him to DRIVE the ambulance???

What if you did send him back home, but he ended up killing a child on his way home??

If someone like that came in intoxicated, I would not under any circumstances allow them to drive anywhere. I would not allow them to clock in and make them sleep it off at the station. Believe me making him stay there w/o pay, and not allowing him on the ambulance (no 3rd rides either) will drive it home that you are serious about drinking and driving.

Ive made my own mistakes, but no one should have to pay for them.

-Alco

[Margaret]

I have had this happen to me once before , I was with a fill in cause my partner banged out . He comes in talking about what a Great night he had but he was so tired and didn't feel like doing anything today , but if we went and got some coffee he would be OK. Well , I am the type of person that if i cant trust you with my life I cant ride with you even if it is only for one shift. I guess my point is you never know what types of jobs you going to get on any given tour so hell don't even go out with that person just tell him to go home or you will have to take it to a higher level . If you happen to be the supervisor and this is not a regular thing tell him to go home and come back for the next tour .

[Guest]

Listen this is not about how many times a person does this or not do this. It is about being responsible for your actions. Knowing that you have to work a 24 maybe a 48 hour shift, and someones life is in your hands have enough respect for their life, your partners life and your own life.

I drink on occasion to relax, but when I have to work the next day, I find other means to relax other than drinking!

[MedicShannon]

I was put into this position, not so long ago. I was working with a new supervisor one night shift, we have SSM type postings. Basically throughout the night we did nothing but pick up paperwork, deal with trucks holding the wall and any type of call offs and such.

Well, come morning time the morning supervisor came in with the biggest bottle of water I have ever seen. She says to me that she is on her second one. I am the type of person that reads lips alot due to working in noisy arenas in the past, so I tend to still watch peoples mouths. When she talked part of her mouth was like she had a stroke and she lisped when she talked. This was not normal. When I got closer to her I smelled fruity type scent on her breath.

It was no secret that she was going through personal problems and had been drinking a lot.

I told the on duty supervisor that if he didn't say something to her I would, and I wouldn't be nice about it. I left and on my way home I got a phone call that she went home (driven by someone else) and never came in that way again.

Apparently it wasn't the first time for her, but everyone knowing my history with and my stance on drinking and driving knew that me talking to her was not a good idea. Yeah it would have been ugly.

[supasta.]

This is something of a dilemma.

I mean, you want to be a good co-worker, or friend if that's the case, but this is just not good, and it is not in the best of the patients.

Think of it this way - would you want a half-asleep, kind-of intoxicated EMT/Medic responding to you or a friend or family member? Didn't think so.

Depending on your relationship with this guy, I would take him aside, and give him the opportunity to take the day off on his own accord. I think that you as a provider have an obligation to make sure that this guy doesn't work in that condition, regardless.

Also, keep in mind that this is one of those things that if a supervisor above you, and/or him finds out that you knew and didn't say anything, it may come back and bite you in the rear.

[Bart]

At risk of putting the cat among the pigeons, I'd probably send him home with the message that I was disappointed that he didn't take the job serious enough to better manage his "Partying spirit". However, is he more of a liability than a Nurse or Intern who has been on duty for over 24 hours straight?

[Guest]

it also depends on who it is. there are ppl at work that dont drink so if they came in after a night of drinkin, somethin else would have to be goin on, whereas the ppl i party with on weekends, id prolly just say ok bud, slap em on the shoulder and wish em a slow day.

WOW!

[MedicShannon]

it also depends on who it is. there are ppl at work that dont drink so if they came in after a night of drinkin, somethin else would have to be goin on, whereas the ppl i party with on weekends, id prolly just say ok bud, slap em on the shoulder and wish em a slow day.

I hope I never have a need for an ambulance if I ever make it to Ft Worth in my lifetime.