HOSP-ITALITY ABUSE

[WolfmanHarris]

I've tried three times now to write a preface for this that summed up my thoughts on these patients without success. So I'll leave it at this. An instructor of mine gave me a piece of advice that has guided my philosophy and outlook on Paramedicine.

"It's not about saving lives; it's about impacting lives."

[Richard B the EMT]

Read the article in full. As noted, they know the key phrases to tell the call takers.

There is another side to the coin, which I know has been addressed in other similar strings in the past.

John Q Citizen sees a homeless person, and, unbidden, calls 9-1-1 for an unknown medical condition, resulting in a "person down in the streets" type call.

[VentMedic]

Read the article in full. As noted, they know the key phrases to tell the call takers.

There is another side to the coin, which I know has been addressed in other similar strings in the past.

John Q Citizen sees a homeless person, and, unbidden, calls 9-1-1 for an unknown medical condition, resulting in a "person down in the streets" type call.

So because a few people know how to play the game we stereotype everyone that resembles them. Have some in EMS become so jaded that they take one story and say, "yep that sums it all up and none of them deserve the benefit of the doubt?"

At least John Q Citizen still cares enough to make a call. He/she could easily look the other way. But then they may be under the impression that they are calling people who might care and not cop an attitude that it is just another mucked up homeless junkie wanting something. After all, for some in EMS it is not about what we can do for the patient.

Edited July 13, 2009 by VentMedic

[Richard B the EMT]

At least John Q Citizen still cares enough to make a call.

Perhaps I am cynical, but it breaks, on the anecdotal, to two camps, 1)those who feel that the intox on the street is in acute need of medical attention, and 2) "Get that...that THING off of my nice street in my nice community before someone else sees them!"

I have had both type persons who admitted to calling 9-1-1 convey these things to me.

[CBEMT]

Have some in EMS become so jaded that they take one story and say, "yep that sums it all up and none of them deserve the benefit of the doubt?"

No, I just think it's been a very long time since you pulled a shift in the street with the rest of us common folk.

After all, for some in EMS it is not about what we can do for the patient.

I do everything I can do for my patients. However, I still have enough of a grip on reality to know that for some, there's nothing I or anyone else can do. Sometimes that applies to dead people. Sometimes it applies to the living, if you can call it that.

[VentMedic]

No, I just think it's been a very long time since you pulled a shift in the street with the rest of us common folk.

I've pulled plenty of shifts on the street in the last 30 years.

It is actually a lot easier on the street when you can get by with the "I don't care attitude" or don't have to make eye contact by staying focused on you paperwork. You can also fudge on the numbers so you don't have to remove any other clothes or even touch the patient as you give them a taxi ride to the hospital. Who's going to notice or care? Just give them a ride to the ED and dump them with some half arsed assessment on a piece of paper. Seeing how some in EMS treat their patients is the unfortunate part about working in different EDs. It doesn't seem to matter where I travel in this country, the attitudes of some in EMS are pretty much the same. And it isn't always very professional. I get to see a lot more of that attitude now than I did even while working on ground EMS. Of course that was probably because I would not work with someone who treated patients as garbage instead of human beings.

When was the last time you actually had a conversation with your patients? How many patients do you take care of at one time? Ever work in a busy city ED with many patients from various backgrounds? Ever work at an inner city clinic where the clientèle is primarily homeless? Ever be part of a project to get a database for tracking some of your patients and getting their names to the proper agencies? Ever be part of a community project to do something for those less fortunate than you? How many codes on children have you worked because they couldn't their asthma or other chronic illness meds due to lack of clinics and programs? If you have, did that inspire you to get involved in at least learning what is available? Or do you still just don't care because "it is so different on the street"?

I gues this statement tells us that you have just given up. Well luckily there are those that do care and don't give up.

However, I still have enough of a grip on reality to know that for some, there's nothing I or anyone else can do.

What a sad, sad statement.

[Eydawn]

I think DocHarris nailed it on the head.

And I agree with Vent... and it gives me hope to see that she's not given up. I might still be young and hopeful, but to see a veteran who's also committed to providing the best that they can for the patient on ALL levels is very heartening. Makes me not regret turning in my nursing school application, and really makes me want to bite the bullet, get back on the horse, and head back out pre-hospital again.

Don't get me wrong! I have no problems with being realistic. Realistically, you're not going to help everyone. Realistically, you'll see the same frequent flier and maybe never have an impact. I completely appreciate where people are coming from with this.

But that doesn't mean you don't TRY. You never know when you'll be that random factor that makes the difference.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[CBEMT]

*yawn* Huh? Oh, yeah. That's it exactly Vent. You've got me pegged. Feel better?

You know NOTHING about me or what I do. Take your self-righteousness and shove it. Again.

[VentMedic]

*yawn* Huh? Oh, yeah. That's it exactly Vent. You've got me pegged. Feel better?

You know NOTHING about me or what I do. Take your self-righteousness and shove it. Again.

Your posts give us a good idea of about you and obviously I did strike a nerve. You will probably be burned out and no longer in EMS long before I give up on helping people. You don't make it to 30 years in health care without keeping your focus on why you went into this profession rather than accounting or computer programming.

[Happiness]

Read the Full article here

ILLNESS-FAKER BUMS TREAT ERS AS HOTELS - ON YOUR TAB

These bums are costing you a fortune.

Ricky Alardo, a homeless alcoholic nicknamed Ricky Ricardo, swigs cheap vodka by day at his favorite corner in Washington Heights, then calls an ambulance to chauffeur him to the hospital for a free meal and a warm place to sleep, courtesy of taxpayers who fund his Medicaid benefits.

This was the topic right. Just making sure So as I read the full artical and what I got out of it was Holy Crap the government paid 3.9 million for one guy, wonder what a shelter would cost and how many people that 3.9 million would actually take care of.