So is this stupid or what???

[firedoc5]

I got to wondering, did the guy taking the pictures try to intervene when he saw something not right? Or did he just let the dummy keep doing what he was/ or wasn't doing?

[Just Plain Ruff]

I suspect that the real reason he was fired was that the patient was Ultrahot and she was in some state of undress.

[Asysin2leads]

IF this what was really going on, and it wasn't a case of tweaking reality to suit our needs after the fact, then I'd say this person had good intentions, but went about it the wrong way.

Unfortunately, its is an on going problem in EMS when directors and administrators turn a deaf ear to the concerns of their employees, particularly when it comes to a person with poor job skills. So long as the calls are getting done, they'll turn a deaf ear, no matter how unfair it is to the person who has to pull the slack.

[Just Plain Ruff]

IF this what was really going on, and it wasn't a case of tweaking reality to suit our needs after the fact, then I'd say this person had good intentions, but went about it the wrong way.

Unfortunately, its is an on going problem in EMS when directors and administrators turn a deaf ear to the concerns of their employees, particularly when it comes to a person with poor job skills. So long as the calls are getting done, they'll turn a deaf ear, no matter how unfair it is to the person who has to pull the slack.

Asys, I agree, I've worked with partners who were horrible providers but instead of doing what should be done the management put them on the transfer truck or the resource vehicle to go get the backboards and equipment that was left at the various hospitals. As long as they fulfilled a job no-one wanted to do they were not properly re-trained.

I think that if the worst case scenario which would be the guy had great intentions, to expose a bad emt's care but he went about it all wrong. Best case scenario he did it to expose a bad provider.

I bet the guy had good intentions but the result of good intentions is usually a bad outcome.

I would have hoped that this person had tried to go the other routes in his quest to expose to management that the emt in question was a poor emt. If those didn't work then I guess you have to resort to the not so above board ways of getting things done.

I still think the service really didn't have much choice especially if he took the pictures without the patient nor his partner having any idea they were being taken.

Cell phone pictures have a tendency to get sent to anyone and even with the best of intentions of this emt trying to do the right thing, management can't really take him at his word that he did not send them on.

Plus if the patient was in an sense undressed or unresponsive this makes for great youtube video or picture sharing. You send it to someone 1000 miles away and the possibility of that person getting the picture knowing that patient is nearly non-existent. Now that person sends it off to 10 of his friends and you get my thought process.

What would have been a better idea for this guy is to take pictures with a polaroid that the department provides for accident scenes and ambulance involved accidents. That would have been the right way to go about it. Not sure what story he would use to tell his partner but he could have thought of something.

I feel for the guy but a bad decision has consequences, he thought he was doing the right thing and it bit him in the rear. That's sometimes what happens. Hopefully the department did something to the bad emt in terms of retraining or remediation.

But my guess is that they might not have done anything.

[AnthonyM83]

Isn't QI one of the exceptions to privacy rules?

[Christopher.Collins]

Isn't QI one of the exceptions to privacy rules?

Not sure if its an exception... but QI/QA would have to know about this (in the first place) and it would have to be approved by them or whomever in management is in charge of photography or privacy control.

[Richard B the EMT]

"Scott" sees his partner doing incorrect patient care, and, instead of trying to correct the error, takes photographs with a cell phone camera of the error(s). Is that what is supposed to be what happened?

If that is the case, "Scott" is committing malpractice by NOT taking immediate corrective action to help the patient under the duo's care.

At minimum, both should be retrained, both the EMT making the errors, and "Scott" for the HIPAA violation with the camera. Worst case scenario is BOTH get fired.

I went through the string perhaps too quickly, did the erroneous EMT have any consequences of the actions "Scott" photographed?

[vetlemakt]

I don't know how this works over at yours, but here in Norway, we ask the patient first before taking pictures, and if so, only done with educational purpose. Taking pictures, of anyone, in any setting, is legal as long as you're on public ground. But uniformed, with a job to do? You'd need a reason for spending time taking photos. Making a case against a coworker isn't good enough a reason.

[Don1977]

Terri- The guy in back has done worse, I can explain that some otehr time, and to my knowledge this has never happened before. Scott is an EMT as well and he is prety shaky with his skills.

scratrat and Ruff- I agree......he wasnt a friend of mine, Ruff I think he is an idiot!

I cannot answer any more questions, because I do not know, I dont think anything happened to the other guy.

I know both EMT's are not that bright, the one in the back, has had an mva that he nearly killed the patient because of incmpetence, PM me for details if you want...

Thanks for your comments all!

[FormerEMSLT297]

snapping photos of patients is a VERY BAD idea. refuse to work with the guy, go to management, pics are a no no