Sorry Can't Help, I'm on Break - EMT Admits Incompetence

[Lone Star]

While working in Detroit, I was on a 24 hour shift. This was the last shift that it was a 24 hour station, due to problems staffing this 'remote station'. We pulled 38 calls that tour. While most were interfacility transfers. Regardless of the nature of the call, that record stood through the company for many years.

I'm sure you can imagine how busy we were, and obviously we didn't get any time to stop and get a meal break.

In places like Detroit, it's not uncommon to request a meal break and get handed another call instead.

When we clocked in, we had calls waiting, and the last call actually put us in 'overtime', as we didn't get out on time. (The 'relieving crew' actually loved this, because it cut down on the number of calls that they had to take that shift!).

[nremtp]

Therein lies one of the differences between our EMS systems. Yours runs dangerously long shifts which endanger the lives and safety of the crews and patients (see various US case law regarding patient safety and long shifts) whereas ours protects the rights of the worker whilst limiting the duration of shifts and providing rest periods in order to improve patient safety.

0.5mg can look a heck of a lot like 5mg when you are tired and haven't slept for 24 hours!

We are entitled to a rest period and we require one in order to function safely and effectively. Doctors have realised this and now their working hours are strictly controlled due to some high profile patient deaths.

Are you really safe behind the wheel of an ambulance towards the end of a 24 hour shift? Are you really a safe clinician towards the end of a 24 hour shift? I find it shocking and disgraceful that this shift pattern even exists especially when you describe 38 shouts a shift with no down time.

One of the main causes of patient death is human error, now you sit there and tell me (despite medical and scientific evidence to the contrary) that you are a safe clinician after 24 hours without sleep or rest.

[HellsBells]

The couple of points here nremtp,

I agree that if you're on a meal break you should not be disturbed until it is over. If you are tucked away in the station eating, then dispatch should not be disturbing your unit, even if the call occurs right outside the hall. In fact there is an on going battle, regarding this issue between the union and management in the large urban service I work for now.

However, It is obvious that if you are out on the street and someone has injured themselves and asks for your help, then there is a duty to act. I understand that it is a busy day and you may be tired and not ate for awhile, but I think it very unlikely that postponing one break puts the patient at great risk, or runs the risk of an EMT's blood sugar getting dangerously low; as you argue. If you were at a Hospital cafeteria and someone started to choke, do you think a doctor would respond with: "no, sorry, can't help now, I'm on a break, I think you can find another doctor upstairs"?

[CBEMT]

Imagine working for 12 hours solid with no opportunity to rest or take a break, with no food, drink or being able to use the toilet.

Imagine? Most of us have done it. Hell, when I worked interfacility I'd grab lunch enroute to the facility, call onscene early, and eat enroute and in the parking lot if it came down to it.

You learn to adapt and overcome, just like you do in clinical practice. You bring lunch from home (I've even stored a cooler in the truck during the summer), and hit the bathroom after you've transferred care but before you've called back in service. Life sucks, get a helmet.

We in the UK take worker's rights very seriously

Yeah, so seriously that anybody who gets fired for any reason can drag the employer in front of an arbitration board and win 99 times out of 100. Must be great working (in any career field) with slags that can't be fired no matter what they do.

From what I have read, I really am not suprised that USA paramedics burn out so quickly!

.

From what I've read, it's amazing that European countries have any GNP.

[DwayneEMTP]

I started a thread on this a few years back I think when this article was new and a Brit replied with some intelligent comment and paper to back it up if I remember correctly...

S/he was frustrated at the bad press and hated the fact that people seemed to believe that they would "choose" to ignore such calls when in fact they were obligated to ignore such calls.

My point being, to our British friends, couldn't this medic have been sanctioned for taking this call during his meal break?

I find it interesting that many of the same posters here claim that they wouldn't perform a lifesaving intervention if there was a possibility that it would jam them up professionally, but that this medic should ignore his protocols because it's "lunch."

So is the general consensus that if it's lifesaving medicine, it's moral, ethical and logical to sit on your hands to protect your income, but if it's "just lunch" then you should be willing to endanger your professional status?

I don't get it....

Dwayne

[Richard B the EMT]

My apologies, everyone: I just realized I put the story of "21 Deli" into the string twice.

[theotherphil]

I started a thread on this a few years back I think when this article was new and a Brit replied with some intelligent comment and paper to back it up if I remember correctly...

S/he was frustrated at the bad press and hated the fact that people seemed to believe that they would "choose" to ignore such calls when in fact they were obligated to ignore such calls.

My point being, to our British friends, couldn't this medic have been sanctioned for taking this call during his meal break?

If the Paramedic was on an unpaid break (my service in the UK had unpaid breaks), then they were OUT OF SERVICE. To respond in these circumstances would effectively mean that they were off duty (by law) therefore, not insured.

[hertzvanrental]

My bad I wasn't aware that there is politics involved when it comes to meal breaks, especially when it comes to EMS.. Next time granny or little Tommy decides to code during my meal break...they will just have to wait. Im sure the patient and the family will understand....

What you need to understand is that over here we may be put on a break but wont know that "little Tommy" has coded because no one has told us. Because we are on a break our control don't phone us.

Where I work if we are on our break then there is usually another vehicle or response car on base covering us. If it isn't one of ours then it might be from another station.

If however I hear over the radio that "little Tommy" is choking then I'll drop everything and respond. I don't know many who wouldn't respond that a critical kid.

[aussiephil]

But I think also he is being a patsy so to speak for an entire ems systems incompetence.

This is based on the actions of 1 individual, who made a bad decision. Would it be safe to say the entire US system is a sham based on the actions of 1 individual?

The vast majority of UK Paramedics are highly trained professionals, as are their US compatriates, who do not & would not condone this action, to blanket lable

an entire ems systems incompetence

shows you have no real grasp on reality. Grow up. One persons incompetence, perceived or otherwise, is a poor way to make a judgment on an entire service.

[tniuqs]

This is based on the actions of 1 individual, who made a bad decision. Would it be safe to say the entire US system is a sham based on the actions of 1 individual?

The vast majority of UK Paramedics are highly trained professionals, as are their US compatriates, who do not & would not condone this action, to blanket lable shows you have no real grasp on reality. Grow up. One persons incompetence, perceived or otherwise, is a poor way to make a judgment on an entire service.

Phil have you ever thought of taking a "how to overcome your shy nature"

Ok I SO AGREE with you, one bad apple spoils the public perception.

cheers