EMS Credibility A Fragile Commodity

When paramedics arrive at the hospital with their patients and report to triage it's important to have our ducks lined up. The credibility of a paramedic is fragile when dealing with triage nurses and physicians in hospital. They often don't understand the conditions in which we work so it is vital that we are ready to give a solid triage report. When things go wrong on a call that's OK, that happens. This can sometimes look bad when we roll into the ED, which is why our credibility and out report is so important.

If things go wrong on a call, it's not a time to panic, it's just important to be organized in your report to triage. If we are running bush league and don't have that solid report, then we are presumed to be bush league. Don't forget our world is usually quick and dirty, they call us ditch doctors for a reason. To our nursing colleagues, it is important to remember that as practitioners we do our utmost best for our patients, just as you do. When you aren't there it is important to hear the story before you pass judgment.

In someone's home, or the back of an ambulance we potentially deal with poor lighting conditions, cramped spaces, and  limited help. These are not excuses, because this is also where we are specialists.  I once heard it said, 

"There will always be someone better at intubation than you, there always be someone better at IV's than you, there will always be some one better at assessments and differentials than you, BUT nobody can do it like you can with the wheels moving." 

This quote had always stuck with me, because it's true. We specialize in these environments and that is what sets our world apart from the world of the ER. To that end though, not every call goes perfectly. That in and of itself is not the end of the world. To maintain our credibility it is important to be honest when things go wrong, not make excuses, just be honest. Communication of what has went well and what has not gone well will go a long way to maintain the respect of your colleagues. Some might say our colleagues shouldn't judge our performance, and for the most part they don't. They do, however, know when we aren't honest with them. 

At the end of the day as paramedics and EMT's you work very hard for your patients, and the vast majority of the time you provide excellent care. That is why when a call goes sideways and your bringing them into the ER it's OK to tell them that call went poorly, these things happen  for various reasons. Your credibility will remain much higher with your colleagues if your straight up about what happened, and then as a larger team of professionals everything still gets taken care of! 

Let's continue to progress the profession and build relationships within our professional medical community. Doctors, Nurses, paramedics, RT'S, and the list goes on, all work hard to provide excellent care for our patients. Remember we are all a team and cohesiveness translates into effectiveness. 

Please like and share this post with your friends and loved ones!! Join the discussion and leave your comments below!!