Credibility

[Just Plain Ruff]

I'm in the consulting world now and still work part time as a medic and my true belief is that if you are not credible or if your integrity is ever questioned then you have some real work to do.

I don't think we can have integrity without credibility nor can you have credibility without integrity.

There is a beer commercial or some type of commercial out there where two guys drive up on a beer truck that one of the panels opens unsuspectedly(i just made a word). The guys drive up to the truck and just when you think they are about to grab a 12 pack one of the guys grabs the handle to the door and closes the door. They end it all with the words Integrity, do you have it?

Integrity is doing the right thing when you know it's gonna make some people mad. Credibility is the same.

there are many people I know with integrity and credibility but not many have only one.

[Ridryder 911]

Apparently, there are plenty don't think they are credible that participate here.. I won't disagree.. I guess this subject is to deep, I have to remember the difficult questions in life like : EMT pants, badges for whackers, and lights sirens.. oh yeah, can your Basic intubate

R/r 911

[AZCEP]

I do agree that this is definitely a question that has to be asked.

The trouble is how can you answer for yourself? Maybe I'm overthinking this, but for someone to be credible, they have to be able to do what they tell someone else to do. A supervisor that isn't willing to clean the toilet, but will read you the riot act if you don't has no credibility. An instructor that tells you how to run a code, but never spends time in the street actually doing it, has the same problem.

Am I credible? I would like to think so. When I tell a student something, can I show them how to actually do it on a patient? Most of the time. Am I willing to tell someone that I don't know something? Absolutely. I think I've come to grips with my limitations, but I can't say that others will have the same opinion.

These are the hard questions that have to be answered.

[chbare]

AZCEP, I do no see how people such as yourself could not be considered credible. Take a look at the people we consider credible. Read their posts and really analyze how they articulate (through posting) their answers and questions. You can get a feel for their intelligence, passion, and constant policy of standing against sub par ideas and actions.

Take care,

chbare.

[Asysin2leads]

Am I a credible? Well, of course, thats a matter of opinion. By your definiton, Rid, I'm still a wet behind the ears rookie, so perhaps my credibility isn't the highest.

I can say this, honestly, though. While I am still new to the level of paramedic, I know in my heart I have a good wealth of knowledge and experiences to draw from, and if I don't know the answer, I'll admit as much and then work hard to find it out.

I guess all I can say about myself is honestly, while I may use some humor here and there, when I give my opinion on something, not only is it what I really believe in my heart, but also its something that I think I can make an informed judgement about.

I take the stakes of this job very seriously. I made a vow to myself that I would never take a blind guess if I came to a situation that I didn't know what to do. The same goes for posts, I'm never going to make a statement of fact unless I can back it up either from personal experience or a source I can cite from.

I think I know what you're getting at though, Rid. For some reason,. this whole big field of medicine, everyone thinks they're an expert, even the lowest civilian can watch an episode of ER and think they're ready to work in an ER. Even worse, give someone a piece of paper saying they're certified in something and they become a neurosurgeon, nurse, and orthopaedist all rolled into one. Its kinda the fate of the modern world though, isn't it? Studying, integirty, honesty, we have no more need for that any more, not when we have the Internet, where you can download an essay an Albert Einstein can fight for space with Paris Hilton. Oprah Winfrey will have more affect on the public's health than the Surgeon General could ever dream, and its just the way it is. (BTW, the acting Surgeon General is Kenneth P. Moritsugu, who took over for Richard Carmona on Aug. 1, 2006. I just realized I didn't know so I looked it up.)

[Michael]

I've been waiting, and waiting, for someone here to turn up in a teeshirt bearing the legend "Yo! I'm incredible!"

What's taking so long? I thought this was 911.

Thanks, Rid, for the thought-provoking question.

[becksdad]

You know, I think a few people here have touched on something that is VERY indicative of both credibility and integrity. That is the ability to admit not knowing something, or to making a mistake. It is much more credible to be asked a question you have only very limited (or no) knowledge of, and to admit your limitation. Of course, that is always an opportunity to learn something, and you can always say "I will find out".

Probably even more difficult is to admit to an outright mistake (even a little one that probably has no lasting consequences). Someone in this field once said to me, "If you mess up - fess up". That has always stuck with me. I sure hate being less than perfect, but I try to own my mistakes. I know that I respect people much more when they accept their own responsibility instead of trying to deflect scrutiny elsewhere. My partners and I discuss things we do/don't do on calls all the time - and we aren't afraid to tell each other "this or that could have been better". Maybe that's a big part of the reason I respect my regular partners so much.

So I'm thinking that credibility and integrity are as much inherent traits of someone as their training, knowledge, and skill.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Becksdad, what an insightful post.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. Who do you respect more? someone who admits his error or mistake and learns from it or someone who tries to weasel out of it by blaming someone else for their mistake?

I can tell you I respect the person who admits their mistake.

Case in point, I had a patient who was pregnant, started to seize, and being a brand new medic I sort of panicked and grabbed out of the narc box the morphine instead of valium. I thought for sure I had grabbed the valium, could have sworn I did and I gave her 5mgs of morphine instead of valium. OOOOOOOPPS

I did not realize my mistake, My partner found the half used morphine. He asked why I gave valium to a seizure patient and I said, hey I didn't give morphine and he showed me the syringe. I went holy heck batman and ran in the ER, told the attending doc what I had done, he said thanks for telling him, he then called my supervisor, told them that the error was made but he was very proud of my admitting the error that he actually praised me in my care for this patient and told them no ill effects were caused. He also praised my integrity for ocming forward and admitting my error.

If you come clean when you make a mistake it's doing the right thing.

[BushyFromOz]

MAN! why am i the only person who said the didn't know if they were credible!

i guess the answer is a feel credibility is an opinion others have of you, and not one you have of yourself

[Just Plain Ruff]

Bushy it's all a matter of perspective. If you do the right thing even if it hurts to do it then call yourself credible.