The hardest part is not always the call. Sometimes it is returning home afterward. The silence. The moment somebody finally asks, “Are you okay?” and your brain suddenly realizes the call is over. EMS providers spend entire careers functioning inside chaos. But when catastrophic incidents happen — line-of-duty deaths, pediatric arrests, crew injuries, ambulance crashes […]
Emergency responders manage behavioral and psychiatric symptoms on nearly every shift: anxiety before transport, agitation caused by hypoxia, or combativeness related to intoxication or altered mental status. These behavioral cues rarely represent isolated “psychiatric problems.” They often signal unmet physiologic needs, organic disease, or environmental stressors that require clinical attention. Behavior always has a cause. […]
Emergency responders excel at recognizing subtle behavioral changes in patients. EMS professionals routinely identify altered mental status, mood shifts, and stress responses within minutes of arrival. Yet many providers struggle to apply that same assessment lens to themselves. Mental wellness in EMS requires the same deliberate attention given to airway, breathing, and circulation. When early […]
It’s no secret that the EMS community isn’t the healthiest bunch of folks on the planet. We work truckloads of long hours. We eat on the run and sometimes our only options are gas station hot dogs and a granola bar from the local ED’s EMS room. Our job requires us to go 24+ hours […]
by: Chelsea Epling June 20, 2021, I received my hardest patient to date, the one that will stick with me for the rest of my life. The report we received was of a 61-year-old male who underwent cardiac arrest at home, without CPR for approximately 20 minutes. When EMS arrived, they were able to secure […]
Gwenny Lawson It’s almost midnight. It’s freezing cold outside, even though last week we hit 81°F. This shift is dragging on forever and right now I feel like I hate everyone and everything, despite this being a rather uneventful day. Maybe I just need a Snickers. I check my watch to see how many hours […]
Whether you work in the back of an ambulance, a helicopter, or a hospital, you likely have many tools to assist you in assessing and treating your patient. Tools such as monitors, a stethoscope, dopplers, thermometers, ultrasound units, glucometers and iStat machines, TOCO monitors, and endless imaging devices. Healthcare has created advanced technology for looking […]
March is Women’s History Month and here at IMPACT EMS, we will be highlighting the work of a small handful of women who have blazed trails in the field of EMS. First up: Marie Marvingt, a world class multi-sport athlete, aviator, surgical nurse, and all around badass. She was the third woman IN THE HISTORY […]
Jaren Jarrell | FP-C, CCEMT-P, NRP Twitter is the most raw, emotional, and informational social media platform out there. Most of the time, it’s someone arguing over ketamine doses or what COVID-19 treatment is the best based on their political association or opinion. Providers hide behind a pseudonym and post egotistical comments about others downplaying […]
Well-Being Sounds Nice. Evidence shows that employees who participate in Wellness/Well-Being programs have reduced lifestyle diseases, reduced stress, and improved overall well-being [1,2,3]. You might also find Wellness topics on the interwebs, but when you read the advice and suggestions you quickly realize that Well-Being is Well-Meaning but translates poorly to EMS life! Common advice […]
