spelling and grammar in EMS run reports

[cosgrojo]

Let's see if I can get this straight... I misinterpret you..... you misinterpret me..... and my hands go numb because my typing skills are below national standards.

Essentially, we are arguing the same points (if we throw out some of our own egotistical bluster). It seems impossible to accurately display the nuances of our arguments, so I think I will consider us at an impasse.

But your point about no-one in EMS not able to attain higher education... Up here, most EMT's are on volunteer (unpaid) EMS services, by making these educational changes, you essentially force them out of the field by making it economical suicide to pursue the field in any capacity. I don't know if they hand out free high-level education from where you're from, but they don't up here in cow-hampshire.

And Dust.... not all of my comments were directed towards you.. I'm a technological blunder, just beginning to sift through the complexities of how to navigate and use the various functions of this web-site. I haven't figured out how to do the quotation thing that all of you are so adept at, so I wasn't able to properly direct my comments. And no, I'm not concerned with saving the MD's, I'm just don't really care about their opinions about people I work with. Those without sin may cast the ..... oh you know the rest. Regardless, I enjoyed the intellectual sparring, even if it was mostly in our own heads.

[AZCEP]

Let's see if I can bring this back to the point. Cosgrojo, I used my child's autism to illustrate that it does not matter what they may or may not know, if they can't communicate their knowledge effectively. As a medical professional, we all need to spend more time learning how to perform this basic task. We don't communicate our desires well to a number of different authority figures. Without exception poor communication has led us to where we find ourselves, as a profession.

If you can't communicate with your patient, you will miss vital information. If you can't communicate with your medical control, you won't get the orders that you seek. If you are unable to communicate with the plaintiff's lawyer, chances are you will end up paying for the miscommunication. If EMS providers were better able to communicate with regulatory agencies, perhaps we wouldn't be in the mess that we are in.

Take it for what you will. I will stand by what I said in my first post.

If you can't communicate through written/spoken language effectively, there will be no one that will respect you as a professional.

[UMSTUDENT]

I can see points in both arguments. I definitely agree that they're plenty of people who have vested interest in keeping us stupid, fire departments especially. I've seen systems where college education is looked down upon by entire communities of EMS personnel. They fear it because it means change, and since change is the very thing we're seeking to accomplish, the solution may take decades. How do you get an entire state, a state where almost the entire EMS profession is found in fire departments, to change over to a system that promotes growth among only one facet of the department? The fire service has the IAFF and the nursing unions are just as big. I also believe that emergency physicians have a lot to loose too. Those are three powerful groups whom have members at every level of state and federal government. Fire brigades have been around since the 17th century in America. Fire halls were integral to town and city politics within the last hundred years in many communities (tell Ben Franklin thanks).

I see the points of both authors. I think there are enough people in EMS who would like change, but they suffer from a few problems:

1. They don't tackle the problem efficiently. There is only one lobby group that I know of in the United States. Advocates for EMS.

2. Those who do care are spread throughout the country in small patches. They come from different types of systems with different types of problems. There is no way for those people to get together and organize.

3. Many people in our profession don't want to change. They're in the profession because it required the least amount of education needed to make above minimum wages.

I don't think EMS will truly progress until we can market ourselves as something more. Something the above three organizations cannot do.

[cosgrojo]

Let's see if I can bring this back to the point. Cosgrojo, I used my child's autism to illustrate that it does not matter what they may or may not know, if they can't communicate their knowledge effectively. As a medical professional, we all need to spend more time learning how to perform this basic task. We don't communicate our desires well to a number of different authority figures. Without exception poor communication has led us to where we find ourselves, as a profession.

If you can't communicate with your patient, you will miss vital information. If you can't communicate with your medical control, you won't get the orders that you seek. If you are unable to communicate with the plaintiff's lawyer, chances are you will end up paying for the miscommunication. If EMS providers were better able to communicate with regulatory agencies, perhaps we wouldn't be in the mess that we are in.

Take it for what you will. I will stand by what I said in my first post.

If you can't communicate through written/spoken language effectively, there will be no one that will respect you as a professional.

I agree with you whole heartedly. If you can't communicate at all, your success in this industry will be minimal. What I was more concerned with and see as a trend, is that people are concerned with "exceptional" communication. This is much different than "effective" communication. I'm not trying to say that communication is of lower importance in EMS, I'm trying to say that it is unreasonable to expect EMT's and Paramedics to write and sound like Rhodes' scholars. If giving a simple, but effective report is a sin in this industry, then we are all sinners. If EMS gets a bum wrap from other segments of the medical community solely on the nervousness of the speaker, or lack of a thesaurus, then I think that's rediculous. As long as the care was appropriate.

Again, I fell we are all in agreement that education is a wonderful thing, and that furthering it would be preferable; I'm just trying to say that it is not as simple as an idea. It's not as easy as just saying, "We're the industry! Here's the new rules, follow them or get out!" There's a lot more to it. UMSTUDENT hit it on the nose with some of his remarks, I appreciate the moderation.

[EMSdirectorCO]

Spelling in my opinion gives the impression of what kind of care was provided, your competency in your EMT skills and treatment provided.  Was it thorough or just enough to get it done.  Being professional and caring about your report, shows what kind of EMT you really are!