Canadian Paramedic abuse study

[Happiness]

Interesting

http://www.theprovince.com/news/thirds+paramedics+abused+study/5923898/story.html

[paramedicmike]

Interesting, yes. Surprising? Not at all.

[nypamedic43]

I was just going to post this lol. I was also trying to find the thread from a bit ago to add it too. Alas....Happi is to quick for me

[spenac]

Happiness why are you harassing Paramedics again?

[Happiness]

Happiness why are you harassing Paramedics again?

Its my only way to get that 15 mins of fame.............

[OntarioEMT]

It seems the report should be read with caution:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2011/12/30/wdr-essex-windsor-paramedics-abuse.html

[systemet]

It seems the report should be read with caution:

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...dics-abuse.html

I don't know. That reads like, "Random EMS manager downplays staff abuse problem". Sure, the patient's recent emotional stress or underlying pathology can explain and perhaps mitigate some of the verbal abuse. But whether a patient is violent because they're hypoglycemic, psychotic, or just not a very nice person is pretty much irrelevant if a paramedic or EMT gets assaulted.

[HellsBells]

Exactly, its just a matter of a manager responding to a scientific study with an opinion. Who care why stated abuse happens, it happens.

[BEorP]

I wonder how they defined "verbal abuse" because if it just being yelled or cursed at, I am surprised that only two thirds of paramedics reported this.

The bigger issue I think is whether this verbal "abuse" even matters. As the Windsor manager rightly points out, we deal with people who are in stressful situations or often have some underlying mental health or substance issues. Does anyone really get truly hurt by things patients say to them? I would certainly hope not.

I expect that I will ruffle some feathers with this comment, but I think that this verbal "abuse" should just be an accepted part of the job. If a patient isn't physically attacking me, I'm not really concerned. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

[Bernhard]

I expect that I will ruffle some feathers with this comment, but I think that this verbal "abuse" should just be an accepted part of the job. If a patient isn't physically attacking me, I'm not really concerned. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

ACK.

It's another thing when threatened verbally with violence ("I will find you..." and such), THAT I would file as abuse or something like that, if there is the slightest probability for it to be meant serious. Rarely happens, though.