Provider Health and Wellness in EMS
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 […]
Other Side of the Room
Other Side of the Room 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, […]
What the funk? How SAD shifts our vibe.
What the funk? A brief discussion of how seasonal affective disorder shifts our vibe 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 […]
Hands Down, Our Best Tool
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 […]
Women’s History Month: Celebrating the Women of EMS, Part 1
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 […]
Cause of Death: EGO, Opinion Based Psychoanalytical Approach of Ego in Medicine
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 is Well-Meaning
Well-Being is Well-Meaning 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 […]
Complacency 2.0…It’s Us
Fair warning – this might sting a little. First, here is a short summary. Say the words complacency in EMS, and most of us will nod in unison and conjure images of the “corner cutters” that work in the profession. These are the providers that know the policies and they know the protocols, but when […]
Complacency is a Death Sentence
by Chelsea Epling, BSN, RN, MCCN, EMT-P Scenarios You’re in the ICU, on shift 4 of 4, you’re tired, your patient assignment has been less than ideal this week. Alcohol withdrawals, overdoses, getting kicked at, screamed at and occasionally spit on because the patient doesn’t like being attached to every cord and IV line you’re […]
A Tale of Two Flight Paramedics
I’d like to tell you a story of two Flight Paramedics who recently re-certified their FP-C. The story will revolve around two FP-C. Flight Paramedic one..who we will call FP1 and Flight Paramedic two…who we will call FP2. Here is what you need to re-cert your FP-C in a nutshell: Retake the written certification examination […]