Compassion in EMS, curious about your thoughts...

[uglyEMT]

Dwayne excellent post man! I think its good to get that stuff out there. I think sometimes we all fall ill to the wanker bug not because we want to or desire to but because we forget that we treat human beings and not just a bunch of S&S. I read your post a couple of times to really make it sink in and to reflect on it. It made me think of a call I actually did a post on. I had that "moment of enlightenment" right in the back of the rig where I went from wacker to professional. http://www.emtcity.com/topic/19206-something-that-got-to-me/?hl=%2Banother+%2Bfeelings+%2Bpost

I figure the link would be better then a wall of text.

Wow rereading that post brought it all back up.

[Arctickat]

Mateo. You bring up an excellent post and like Dwayne said, we can sit here and type out how wonderfully compassionate we are for our clients, yet there is still an underlying resentment and frustration for those clients who you want to place a 14ga instead of a 22, or the drunk driver who just killed a soccer mom and SUV full of kids headed to a game. The difference, I think is our ability to restrain ourselves form choking the life out of some of those people we feel would make the world a better place by their absence. I admit that there may have been a time in my past too, where the restraint was a little tighter that it needed to be on the antagonistic patient, and like Dwayne mentioned...times when i just couldn't be near the patient for both our safety. I don't take well to a hysterical drunk punching my 4 month pregnant partner in the stomach....fortunately for me we were in the police barracks with 6 officers who saw him do it.....not so fortunate for him however.

What I'm etting at is just that we're all human, and we're all prone to frustration, the difference is that you're able to restrain it and not let it affect the next call. My goal, regardless of who the patient is and how he conducts himself in my care is to leave him in better condition than I found him. Simple as that. If a sternal rub was a little harder than intended..or intended to be a little harder than required makes a difference.

To your other point, yes, I think it is pathetic. If an outside and unaffiliated orgainasion were to say "Hey!! It's EMS week, thank a paramedic today" I'd be okay with that, but if the paramedic association or EMS company were to be doing the same thing...It just strikes me that they are feeling insecure and need some sort of acknowledgement to boost their ego and feel better about themselves. I don't care if someone doesn't thank me, however I do appreciate it when they do, and it is far more valuable to me when someone Thanks me for my services without them having to be asked.....it's kinda like the bellboy who stands there holding his hand out awaiting a tip for wheeling your bags up to your room. "Hey, I did this for you, it's time to Thank me now."

[HarryM]

I'd say that for most of us, we are compassionate and empathetic the vast majority of the time. I'll stick my hand up and say I'm not particularly compassionate or empathetic to those people who "attempt suicide" with a half-assed attempt and let someone know they are doing it. I feel for those who actually do want to die and are caught in the act. You can say I'm a wanker and give me all the mental health lessons in the world, but it doesn't change the way I feel about it. Does it mean I'm unprofessional and rude to those people? Not at all. I treat their physical injuries, ensure they are taken to hospital and ensure they are aware a psych consult is needed. On the other hand, I find that treating a criminal (drunk driver, murderer, rapist, paedophile -> all of which I have treated at one time or another) does not bother me, where I have witnessed other co-workers treat criminals very poorly.

Guess what I'm trying to say is that no one is going to be compassionate and empathetic 100% of the time. Everyone is different with what triggers those feelings in them and what doesn't. I think though that the moment people start acting unprofessionally and treat people with disrespect, then you need to wonder whether the job is still for you.

On another note. I guess it all depends on our own mood at the time. I can tell you that my patients receive more empathy and compassion at 1pm than at 4:30am.

[DwayneEMTP]

Man, what great posts...

Right you are Harry...

Kat, one thing that you said that resonated, or maybe I implied some of it, is that we're all going to get caught sometimes, but we need to do the best we can then, and after, not let it effect the next call....If we're going to be emotionally open providers then I just don't see any way that, every now and then, we're not going to step on our weenies...

I do believe the easiest thing is to say, "I'm here to diagnose and apply physical/chemical interventions. Then you'll never get angry, because you shouldn't really care enough to get riled in that situation....

I don't believe my way is easier, but I do believe that it helps "me" to do better medicine. I don't believe, if there was a new 'no compassion' law passed tomorrow, that I would know how to separate it out from my medicine....

Do I believe that others can do medicine just as good as mine or better without all of the warm and fuzzies? Man, I don't know. I only know my way and haven't worked with someone like that for comparison. I've worked with those that don't care, but they weren't making an effort to do their best medicine anyway, they were just douchebags...I'm not talking about them, but the people that can stay detached, treat patients, and go home, more or less like fixing a car...

Interesting points I think...see what you did Matty? Sheesh...

[BushyFromOz]

NP, the thing that bothered me all during EMS week was all the EMS organisations touting that people should "Thank a paramedic" for what they do. I think that's a load of crap. We do our jobs 51 other weeks of the year and don't go around asking for thanks. That's just pathetic. I consider it a week for medics to reflect on the service they provide and renew their commitment to their patients.

Yeah, theres a thank a Paramedic Day here, gives me the shits. The only people i want to thank me are the state government and its called a payrise above CPI

Nothing useful to add except when I'm asked what's the worst thing Ive ever seen i use a modified line from "bringing out the dead"

My reply is "baked beans on a pizza"

The fact i dodged the question usually diverts them.

Edited June 7, 2013 by BushyFromOz

[island emt]

My reply is "baked beans on a pizza"

That down right funny bushy.

I've used the reply "my sisters cooking?