This just pisses me off.

[Arctickat]

What does that other ambulance service offer that yours can't? Out here the caller doesn't get the choice which service responds...our territory, our call.

[island emt]

Trevor: in a lot of places in the states there are 911 services provided by a sole provider while non emergent transfers are handled by multiple private services. A hospice pt transfer under most guidelines is not an emergent call. Our hospice programs prefers they not go to the emergency room unless their are issues outside the guidelines set up when the pt enters the program. Most care is provided by visiting nurses , care assistants, physical therapists and counselors at home.

[wrmedic82]

I think a lot of people have dissected this enough so I will be to the point. In EMS your going to be in a lot of "questionable" situations that the decision will be out of your hands, and it is going to tick you off. It is what it is. What I want you to take from this is you only have to account for you. Did you act ethically? legally? morally? Could you have done anything to change the outcome? You have to grow some thick skin and let things roll off your shoulders. Decisions of others (i.e. supervisors, managers, etc) that guide your direction are owned by them, not necessarily you, and they have to answer for good or bad decisions made. If you did what you felt was right, then there is no reason to get pissed. All you can do, is do what you know is right. Whats right for the patient regardless of healthcare status (i.e. hospice), Right for you as a provider, and right for the company you work for. Beyond that let it go.

I think I covered everything. If not Dwayne or Artickat will either add it for me, or scold the crap out of me. One of the two lol (just kidding)

Edited October 10, 2012 by wrmedic82

[paramedicmike]

To Paramedic Mike:

WHAT? No more 10 codes? You gotta be 10-13ing me? Are you 10-57’d up in the head? What 10-42 made that 10-28ing decision? That’s just 10-89ing wrong man. What’s the 10-77ing world come to?

10-9 10-1,

Mike-The Big 10-4

Translated:

What? No more 10 codes? You gotta be weathering me? Are you hit and run-ed up in the head? What ending tour of duty made that vehicle registration information decision? That's just bomb thread wrong man. What's the estimated time of arrival world coming to?

Repeat. Unable to copy.

I'm not sure if you were trying to be funny or not. But this is kinda' exactly the point of no more 10 codes.

[JackH2104]

interesting post, i'm a EMT in Philly with a transport company where probably 75% of our PT's are hospice and let me tell you when you have to deal with hospics nurses,facilities,social workers and family its an extremely stressful situation. There are so many people involved in it that things can get screwed up real easy. One being i come across full code hospice PT's all the time and that causes alot of confusionon who to call and also hospice PT's sometimes use the same ambulance service all the time, respite care, hospice at home who need to go into a facility for a test,injury etc. Alot of issue's do come up from the family because of different beliefs they have and may not be the PT's choice, i come across that ALOT. my best advise dont get wrapped up in it, you wont get anywhere and your only gonna beat yourself up over it and remember not all hospice are DNR so i think you the right decision was to continue in. i think i got your post right so hopefully this helps

[Emergency Laughter]

Translated:

What? No more 10 codes? You gotta be weathering me? Are you hit and run-ed up in the head? What ending tour of duty made that vehicle registration information decision? That's just bomb thread wrong man. What's the estimated time of arrival world coming to?

Repeat. Unable to copy.

I'm not sure if you were trying to be funny or not. But this is kinda' exactly the point of no more 10 codes.

Dear Paramedic Mike,

You're not sure if I was trying to be funny??? What, you think I actually looked up those numbers?

I thought my blatant mockery was evident. But, maybe not. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’ll have to kick my derision up a notch. I hesitate to ask, but, how did you translate the numbers that I made up? And just for the record, weather, hit n run, tour of duty and whatever else you put, was not the words I was thinking about when I made it all up.

There’s only four 10-codes worth using anyway- 10-7 on scene, 10-9 10-1 in service-returning to quarters and 10-4 OKEE DOKEE. Oh maybe one more, commonly expressed as "What's your 20?" which most often meant, "Where the f#** are you?"

OKEE DOKEE

[paramedicmike]

Dear Paramedic Mike,

You're not sure if I was trying to be funny???

Nope. I wasn't sure.

What, you think I actually looked up those numbers?

Well, the possibility did cross my mind. Another possibility that occurred to me was that you were simply remembering something from a former job.

I thought my blatant mockery was evident.

Think again.

I’ll have to kick my derision up a notch.

Kick carefully. Don't hurt yourself.

I hesitate to ask, but, how did you translate the numbers that I made up?

If you have to ask do you really want to know?

And just for the record, weather, hit n run, tour of duty and whatever else you put, was not the words I was thinking about when I made it all up.

There’s only four 10-codes worth using anyway- 10-7 on scene, 10-9 10-1 in service-returning to quarters and 10-4 OKEE DOKEE. Oh maybe one more, commonly expressed as "What's your 20?" which most often meant, "Where the f#** are you?"

No job at which I've ever worked has used those codes to mean what you mention them to mean.

[Bieber]

Alas, a lot of services in Kansas are still using 10 codes, although we're moving away from it.

To the OP, sorry to hear about that. Sounds like somebody was just wanting to flex their muscles and prove who the bigger and badder service was. Did your director ask dispatch the reason why dispatch was disregarding you guys? Or did he just assume dispatch had no clue what they were doing and shouldn't have done that? If the latter, that was a preventable error that could have avoided drama (assuming dispatch was able to explain the situation).

Additionally, it sounds like first responders were on scene. Since I'm assuming they were BLS, they could have given a quick triage and helped with determining what resources the patient needed.

[DwayneEMTP]

Dear Paramedic Mike,

You're not sure if I was trying to be funny??? What, you think I actually looked up those numbers? ...

LMMFAO....

Oh man, that cracked me up....

No worries. Sometimes Mike get's a little cranky, and maybe short on humor, but well worth the effort...

PMike, really? You thought that his post was serious? I think that you're working too hard Brother....

[RuralKSEMS]

What does that other ambulance service offer that yours can't? Out here the caller doesn't get the choice which service responds...our territory, our call.

Nothing. In fact, we've got medics and they don't. If I am correct, the only reason they were requested is because they are out of the town that the requested hospital is in. That's about all it amounts to.

Alas, a lot of services in Kansas are still using 10 codes, although we're moving away from it.

To the OP, sorry to hear about that. Sounds like somebody was just wanting to flex their muscles and prove who the bigger and badder service was. Did your director ask dispatch the reason why dispatch was disregarding you guys? Or did he just assume dispatch had no clue what they were doing and shouldn't have done that? If the latter, that was a preventable error that could have avoided drama (assuming dispatch was able to explain the situation).

Additionally, it sounds like first responders were on scene. Since I'm assuming they were BLS, they could have given a quick triage and helped with determining what resources the patient needed.

We were 10-22'd because the family requested the other service. Our director told us to continue because of what we believed the nature of the call to be. First responders were requested to leave the scene also. I had radioed to said first responders for pt info when I found this out.

And yes, my county still uses 10 codes.

I think a lot of people have dissected this enough so I will be to the point. In EMS your going to be in a lot of "questionable" situations that the decision will be out of your hands, and it is going to tick you off. It is what it is. What I want you to take from this is you only have to account for you. Did you act ethically? legally? morally? Could you have done anything to change the outcome? You have to grow some thick skin and let things roll off your shoulders. Decisions of others (i.e. supervisors, managers, etc) that guide your direction are owned by them, not necessarily you, and they have to answer for good or bad decisions made. If you did what you felt was right, then there is no reason to get pissed. All you can do, is do what you know is right. Whats right for the patient regardless of healthcare status (i.e. hospice), Right for you as a provider, and right for the company you work for. Beyond that let it go.

I think I covered everything. If not Dwayne or Artickat will either add it for me, or scold the crap out of me. One of the two lol (just kidding)

It's all good. I was more then comfortable continuing to scene despite what dispatch had said. I did NOT feel comfortable being cancelled when we were the closer unit. I didn't know if the family of said pt realized that they were delaying care at the time of dispatch. My thinking was that there was a pt that needed care and it was being delayed for some reason, unbeknownst to me.

Honestly, maybe "pissed" wasn't the right wording. Off job stress is wearing (having temporary custody of a three year old when my youngest is nearly nine does that too you!) Thick skin is mostly intact. Sometimes I have to just let it out because husband is not a fan of hearing me rant. Sometimes I can also be guilty of the oft begotten disease of foot-in-mouthitis. I don't offend easily for the most part os it's all good.