Observations from the ER

    For the first time since I started my career in EMS, I have seen a part of us that has made me realize why we are often not taken seriously. This is hard for me to admit, because I have frequently been an offender of some of the things I have noticed over the past month, and am utterly ashamed of myself.

    While doing my time in the ER, I have had time to watch many crews walk into the ER with patients. In this time, I noticed the reactions of the nurses with each crew that walked in. Sometimes i'd notice an eye roll, other times nurses were truly paying attention. The most alarming thing I have observed is how absurd some of us look.

    Now, don't get me wrong here. I am not out to bash anyone, but I figured I would offer some collective insight on what I have observed, and offer a solution on how to fix it. The first thing I noticed was people acting inappropriately. On more than a couple of occasions, I witnessed people yelling across the ER to people. I am not talking, a "HEY WE NEED HELP!" kind of yelling either. I understand when you frequent certain facilities, you begin to form a working relationship with the staff, but yelling to them, often times with inappropriate remarks makes us look unprofessional. One person yelled something demeaning to a hospital security guard, who in turn looked at me and goes "is she really as nuts as I think she is? she keeps getting me in trouble." Believe me, I know this incident was meant in a playful manor, but we also need to keep in mind we are in an area with many sick patients, people don't want to listen to you yell. I have a big mouth myself, and probably have said things too loud once or  twice, but after witnessing this I know I will change that.

   The second thing I notice was how horribly dressed people were. There were crews who came in with uniforms half tucked in, patches bleached one too many times, and looking like they forgot what a hair brush and razor is. How can we expect anyone to look at us, and take what we have to say seriously when we don't take personal appearance seriously? I know I have walked in, shirt un-tucked, looking like fresh dog crap, and again now see why uniform, and personal upkeep is important.

   The last thing I noticed was carelessness. One day someone had put a C-collar on a tiny little old lady. Now, this C-collar was WAY too big, and went up to her nose. Kind of makes that crew look like idiots. The very next day, a crew brings in a patient on a backboard, who besides having skin tears, was stable. This patient was not flat on the board (nothing was stopping him from lying flat), had a buckle wretched down so tight, it left a perfect imprint on his bare thigh, and had a bandage on his arm that was so tight, it effectively could have been used to stop an arterial bleed, which was not the intended purpose. I understand in truly urgent situations, forgetting to be mindful of patient comfort, but if there is no immediate life threatening ailment, please use caution while treating. This is something I always have made sure to do. I never forgot to pad a patient's back on a board, I go out of my way to ensure comfort. Why? Because sometimes all we can do is be comforting to a patient. We don't always have a quick fix. The patient will always remember that you cared enough to make them as comfortable as you could.

    In order to be taken seriously, we need to me mindful of how we look and act. What is keeping us back is nobody's fault but our own. Save the dark humor for in the rig on the way back from the call, or at the station where there is no need for putting on the "Serious suit." If we act professionally, we will be seen as professionals. Teaching a non-verbal psych patient to "meow" at the top of their lungs with probably not score you many brownie points with the ER attending (True story).

I hope this perspective made sense, and you see what I very plainly saw. Be professional folks!

RU-Responders Unite