What is your 'opening line'

[pwdrski]

Hi, my name is Harrie. What you got going on, followed with can I help you.

[DwayneEMTP]

I'm guilty of doing the pat line (though I usually say we haven't dropped anyone for at least an hour). In my experience, though, my patients seemed to appreciate the lighthearted humor. I try not to just regurge every conversation over and over again, I just like to try and give patients a sense of ease and comfort.

When I've been around people that use the 'dropped anyone' line it seems that the patient response is usually more an obligatory laugh, not true 'at ease' laughter.

Also, I just don't like the energy that comes from suggesting that dropping someone is a possibility, even in jest. Particularly if you dropping them hadn't occurred to them before that time. Riding on the cot is terrifying, at least to me when I've done it in training. I hate that I'm strapped to it an have no control over someone dropping me, or forgetting me, and would certainly have no faith in someone to care for me that didn't know that joking about that exact fear isn't the cure for it.

I think that many medics believe that humor is good but are actually hiding behind it as it allows them to avoid the effort of finding something nurturing and meaningful to say. They're motivation comes not from good emotional patient care but from laziness.

Every patient that you touch, every old woman, drug seeker, pretend suicide, drunk, can be improved with your words if your heart and medic spirit are engaged, I think that most often humor is a way to avoid making the effort to do so. Know what I mean?

Of course I'm not saying that humor is never appropriate, but only that is should be a small screwdriver in your heavy equipment toolbox, yet for most medics that I've seen that use it it's an impact wrench, used too often, inappropriately, and to serve the medic instead of the patient.

Not bagging on you Brother, just making the point in general terms using your posts as a catalyst...

Dwayne

[the_negro_puppy]

Hi I'm xxxxx and my partner is xxxxx what's happened today?

Sometimes I want to say Hi I'm xxxx and this is yyyy what is your emergency today?

[Richard B the EMT]

"Please state the nature of your medical emergency."

Planning on becoming the next Starfleet Holographic Medical Officer?

[Richard B the EMT]

"Hi, I'm Richard, this is my partner Phulbert. We're Emergency Medical Technicians. What's going on that you called 9-1-1?"

If I use the "we only drop patients on" gag, it's always the day of the week prior.

I've had problems, as stated, on "taking" vital signs, and prefer saying "I'd like to check out your vital signs", as I show them the BP cuff. Most, if not all, recognize it, even the "passengers" of the Golden Venture (see link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Venture I was one of the responders), who didn't speak English, just Fijian dialect Chinese.

[celticcare]

I have been one to come with a smile with my kit bag and just say "Hi I'm Scotty, what seems to be happening today?" or if it is a knock on the door situation, just knocking and saying "Hello Ambulance service here" if no answer calling again with the added "We got a call for someone from this address, is there anyone home?" this is done whilst one of us is looking around the house to see in through windows for someone on the floor.

I like humour but it is situational, I have used the drop pt routine but again it is situational and gauged on the level of fear or pain the patient is in. I grew up in a rural area and have used the words "feeling like shit basically?" on calls, but that was with people I knew, people near my age and the situation itself, every call is different, every Locale is different, I will not judge anyone on how they open up on a call on here as each on presents with its own set of characteristics, just like no judgement on mine.

When I am at work, I do say when I enter a patients bedspace "Hi I am Scotty, one of the Emergency nurses on duty today, whats brought you into see us today?" All of the nurses in my hospital wear the same uniform and so I say my role to differentiate me from one of the NP's or CNS's.

And in regards to "take your vitals" I don't often use the term vitals I say what I am looking at "I'm just going to check your blood pressure and heart rate, this is so I have a balance to follow against when I am doing them again later, do you know what your normal blood pressure is?"

Some patients who are English as second language and some of the elderly or those with dementia, get agitated to the words Take. Each situation is different and I am sure we are not all as fortunate as Craig to have situations where they dont get antsy over the phrase "take".

All in all, its all just bricks in the wall......... take each call as it comes .... Oh wait, I just took someones call from them

Scotty

[Arctickat]

I tend to introduce myself and my partner while shaking my patient's hand.

[Richard B the EMT]

Just thought of someting, which I do, sometimes. When I'm doing the initial knock at the door, or ringing the bell, sometimes I used to say "Fire Department", other times, "Ambulance Service", or simply "Ambulance." Most people don't respond to someone at the door saying "Emergency Medical Service". FYI, I was FDNY EMS.

With new partners, after the assignment, I'd advise them not to do any "drop the patient" gags again, as noted here, it can upset the patients, besides,I only drop patients on days ending in the letter "Y".

[Just Plain Ruff]

I heard the drop the patient line but it was augmented with "well we met our quota today so we don't have any more people to drop today" or something stupid like that.

Why not just introduce yourself and say what seems to be the problem? There is no one specific entry line that works for everyone and everypatient.

To expect a golden phrase that you can use every time is expecting too much.

Just don't walk into the house and utter "holy shit, what the hell happened to you" and then follow it up with "how the hell are we going to get your fat ass out of here?" This is liable to get you knocked in the head by a family member. I know this by experience watching a former burned out medic do exactly that. He got clocked by a family member and spent the rest of the day in the emergency dental clinic getting the two teeth the family member knocked out put back in.

[Arctickat]

Just don't walk into the house and utter "holy shit, what the hell happened to you" and then follow it up with "how the hell are we going to get your fat ass out of here?" This is liable to get you knocked in the head by a family member.

lol, I had a medic just like that working for me a few years back..he has ADHD so tended to speak before thinking quite often. Here are two memorable moments.

Mr. Medic is off duty when we get dispatched to the residence of a known end stage cancer patient. My partner and I assessed our client and prepared to transport him to the hospital for palliative care. As the weeping family watched on, my newly hired medic, still on probation, wearing civvies, bursts into the house as we're wheeling our client out of the bedroom and literally calls out across the room, "Did I miss all the fun?" My response to him was a look that would have left nothing but two smoking shoes if it could have and two words, "Go Home." I took the rest of the weekend to cool off and on Monday morning in the office he apologised for his lack of professionalism. He told me he was pretty pissed with me at first, but after he had some time to think it over he had realised what he had done.

Event number 2 was a call to a residence of a known ETOH abuser and belligerent drunk. As Mr. Medic walked through the kitchen he noticed something cooking on the stove. He looks over to the patient and asks, "What the hell is that? It looks like something my dog puked up this morning." Mr. Medic barely made it out of the house alive.