Sometimes I wish the hospital would not sedate my psych patients before

[Sasha]

downunderwunder, you must be new in EMS huh? I wasn't saying I wouldn't care about a patient because what happened. I'll say your not too bright on the obvious sarcasm either

I had a post, but on second thought, I'm going to retract it.

Hmph.

 

[Flight-LP]

my 150 mile transfer


You become bored and have no one to talk to except your partner and yourself


Only 1.5 more hours left before we get there! Woohoo

So bored that you stop paying attention to your patient and start playing on the internet?

I see the clarification about the x-box, although it was kind of dumb to bring it work knowing you have local security issues. However, surfing the net while transporting a pt. is completely unexcusable and utterly pathetic. I think your eloquence in describing your patients (i.e. complete lack of tact) is the least of your worries.....................

 

[Hastings]

I hate to say it, but if the patient is completely sedated, is it really so damning to keep one eye on a personal entertainment device and the other on the monitor/IV/patient? I don't believe so. I've never found it necessary to have a staring contest with a stable patient the entire 2 hours during a transport. Glances, sure, but staring, no.

I mean, it'd mean paying as much attention to the patient as I do while I write my report during a transport.

 

[Sasha]

I hate to say it, but if the patient is completely sedated, is it really so damning to keep one eye on a personal entertainment device and the other on the monitor/IV/patient? I don't believe so. I've never found it necessary to have a staring contest with a stable patient the entire 2 hours during a transport. Glances, sure, but staring, no.

I mean, it'd mean paying as much attention to the patient as I do while I write my report during a transport.

It doesn't matter if they're sedated or not, you don't have to have a staring contest but surfing the net is really unprofessional.

The service I used to work for, you can see through the back windows when the light was on, and you KNOW everyone looks! Imagine one of them seeing your patient conked out and you fiddling on your phone or computer. Imagine them making a call to the supers!

 

[Hockey]

So bored that you stop paying attention to your patient and start playing on the internet?

I see the clarification about the x-box, although it was kind of dumb to bring it work knowing you have local security issues. However, surfing the net while transporting a pt. is completely unexcusable and utterly pathetic. I think your eloquence in describing your patients (i.e. complete lack of tact) is the least of your worries.....................

Yes, because I was watching TV, had a laptop out (was on phone) and not paying any attention to my patient

He's still a human, its not like I didn't care for him and do my job. Jeesh, its amazing how people dig way to deep into things.

So let me ask you, when you are with your patient, and lets say a psych patient, you watch them every second of the ride, not looking out the window, doing your report (which was already done), or looking at your phone, etc etc? You realize some patients just want to be left alone. Especially psychs? I guess I could have bothered him and irritated him enough to get his condition going. But I used common sense

IV, monitor? Sorry, only basics here and we don't get the luxury of having that yet.

Maybe if I held his hand the whole way down and told him things would be alright you would finally think I would have "tact"

 

[Hockey]

It doesn't matter if they're sedated or not, you don't have to have a staring contest but surfing the net is really unprofessional.

The service I used to work for, you can see through the back windows when the light was on, and you KNOW everyone looks! Imagine one of them seeing your patient conked out and you fiddling on your phone or computer. Imagine them making a call to the supers!

Have you ever been a LONG distance transfer? What exactly did you do for the full trip?


I think its hilarious some people are making such a mountain out of nothing. The OP was meant to say how sometimes its fun to just talk to patients on a trip especially after a crapped out day.

 

[Sasha]

Have you ever been a LONG distance transfer? What exactly did you do for the full trip?

I have done LONG distance transports, I used to love them. My longest was about 200 miles. I didn't fiddle with my phone or computer. I monitored my patient, listened to the music playing up front, had a conversation with my partner, or flipped through my Medic field guide and studied drugs and algorithims. The difference? Anyone rubber necking through your back window wouldn't see a phone or a computer in your hands, but a little spiral flip book.

The OP was meant to say how sometimes its fun to just talk to patients on a trip especially after a crapped out day.

And no, your OP was saying how you wish your "sedated crazy" patient was "crazy crazy" because you were bored.

I guess I could have bothered him and irritated him enough to get his condition going.

Are you just not reading the things people are saying? Have you not realized how WRONG that is?

 

[Hockey]

I'm seriously not trying to start an argument here over something so small, but your starting to nitpick thinking someone is going to see the difference between a pocketbook, and a cell phone? You really think someone can see the phone? MAYBE if at night with the lights on bright. But sorry, middle of the day, no lights on, and oh, I'm going to make a LOT of you gasp, but our back windows had so much dirt and salt on them, I could barely see out of them.


With all do respect (seriously) you try to pass yourself off as the "perfect" person quite often

Are you just not reading the things people are saying? Have you not realized how WRONG that is?

I guess not

 

[Sasha]

With all do respect (seriously) you try to pass yourself off as the "perfect" person quite often

Far from it. I have many many faults, and a lot come to light on this forum. I just take my patient care seriously.

 

[Buzz]

I once did a transport from a hospital on the north side of Detroit to another hospital on the southern border of Cincinnati. The patient was given quite a few meds prior to us leaving the first hospital to help him tolerate the NG tube and the pain he was having. For close to four hours, this guy slept whilst I suctioned the NG tube every 15 minutes or so, kept an eye on his IV, worked on my report, and did repeat v/s. I kept the lights off in back most of the time, so that he could sleep a bit easier. His family in the car following us mentioned they were watching me for most of the trip as they were quite bored as well.

Aside from having something to do every 15 minutes or so, that was the most boring transport I've ever done since I started working. Even looking out the back window was quite boring as it was dark, it was night time (we left around 2300), and Ohio is flat.

Still, I'd much rather do that again than transport someone like my last psych patient... Transport time was 1 hour and fifteen minutes, and the hospital did not sedate this patient prior to sending her out. She was a screamer. Screaming at someone that wasn't there occasionally, but for the most part it was just one really long scream--really only stopping long enough for her to take another deep breath. She was also spitting at us, so I put one of those surgical face masks on her.


But around here, we have two types of psych patients: The psychiatric IFTs, and the psychiatric patients at the state facility having a medical emergency (which will always be more interesting than even the craziest 911 calls I've ever responded to).

 

[Sapphyre]

but your starting to nitpick thinking someone is going to see the difference between a pocketbook, and a cell phone?

Hey, just something interesting.....

Before I started EMT school, I was following an ambulance one day, it might have been evening, yes, lights were on, but, I was able to tell the pt's bag of NS was empty, before the medic moved to change it. It is possible for people to see that clearly into your rig.

(point of clarification, before anyone freaks, I happened to be behind the rig on the freeway, I wasn't literally following them)

 

[triemal04]

I have done LONG distance transports, I used to love them. My longest was about 200 miles. I didn't fiddle with my phone or computer. I monitored my patient, listened to the music playing up front, had a conversation with my partner, or flipped through my Medic field guide and studied drugs and algorithims. The difference? Anyone rubber necking through your back window wouldn't see a phone or a computer in your hands, but a little spiral flip book.

So you also ignored your pt to read and by holding a conversation with a third party, which could have been considered rude as well. But for appearances sake you would have looked attentive. So that makes it ok, right?

For the record, not every pt needs to be constantly monitored. Keep an eye on them and what's happening, but use your head; if you picked up that pt from a hospital room where they were by themself and had been for hours (or days) there was probably a reason for that. They'll be fine.

 

[Aidey]

Imagine one of them seeing your patient conked out and you fiddling on your phone or computer. Imagine them making a call to the supers!

I know of a couple of services now that use electronic records and tablet laptops to do all of their documentation, so someone could be fiddling on a computer and legitimately doing their job. I still see your point though that the main focus of the transport should be the patient.

 

[downunderwunda]

Yes, that must be true since it came from the expert.

Sarcasm?




downunderwunder, you must be new in EMS huh? I wasn't saying I wouldn't care about a patient because what happened. I'll say your not too bright on the obvious sarcasm either

No, I am not new to ems. But i refuse to have an attitude that is as closed minded as yours. I work closley with the mentally ill & see the full range of mental illness & when we in EMS see mentlly ill patients they are not as you so elequantly stated Lowlife?

Stealing stuff to sell it for crack? Sure...

That is a pretty big call.

When we had the big worldwide awakening about 20 years ago, it was considered an invasion of civil liberties to keep a person locked up because of mental illness. This was a worldwide phenominon. Suddenly all the hospitals for the mentally ill were closed, the patients released into the community & left to their own devices. Quite a few went back to family (a lot were not mentally ill to begin with, considering the number of women who were locked up for PMS!!!!!!!) & tried to resume a normal life. Unfortunatley most ended up increasing the number of homless. The prevailing attitude is 'I am not sick, only sick people need meds, i will stop taking them.' Instead they believe they can self medicate with alcohol & tobacco. Many do steal & end up in the psych unit of their jail.

They are not & do not in general terms steal for crack or other drugs, they steal usually because the voices are telling them to, or out of a need for survival.

We have issues with the mentally ill because we, as a society, do not know or understand what the problems are. More to the point we dont want to know. It is easier to close our minds & lable them all & blame the mentally ill because all they do is

Stealing stuff to sell it for crack?

Grow up. We have just seen a small narrowminded person show they have no idea about mental illness. God help usa all if they treat all of their patients with as much contempt

 

[exodus]

I know a few of our fire/rescue here use blackberries for reports.

 

[triemal04]

I have done LONG distance transports, I used to love them. My longest was about 200 miles. I didn't fiddle with my phone or computer. I monitored my patient, listened to the music playing up front, had a conversation with my partner, or flipped through my Medic field guide and studied drugs and algorithims. The difference? Anyone rubber necking through your back window wouldn't see a phone or a computer in your hands, but a little spiral flip book.

Huh. So you also ignored your pt, focused your attention elsewhere, and, may have been considered rude by having a conversation with a third party around the pt. But nobody would have known that, so I suppose that makes it ok, right? After all, appearance is everything isn't it.

For the record, not every pt needs to be constantly monitored and observed 24/7. Doing something else in that situation is perfectly acceptable as long as you are still checking on the pt and aware of what's going on. I mean, if you pick someone up from a room where they've been alone for several hours (or days) do you really think that they need you staring at them and constantly asking them questions for the duration of the trip?

 

[Flight-LP]

Yes, because I was watching TV, had a laptop out (was on phone) and not paying any attention to my patient

He's still a human, its not like I didn't care for him and do my job. Jeesh, its amazing how people dig way to deep into things.

So let me ask you, when you are with your patient, and lets say a psych patient, you watch them every second of the ride, not looking out the window, doing your report (which was already done), or looking at your phone, etc etc? You realize some patients just want to be left alone. Especially psychs? I guess I could have bothered him and irritated him enough to get his condition going. But I used common sense

IV, monitor? Sorry, only basics here and we don't get the luxury of having that yet.

Maybe if I held his hand the whole way down and told him things would be alright you would finally think I would have "tact"

What is equally amazing is the lack of professional work ethics some bring into EMS. Maintaining situational awareness by looking out the window or completing your required documentation is fine if the pt. does not require your immediate assistance. However, using the phone for personal calls or surfing the internet is not only unprofessional, it is disrespectful to your employer. I seriously doubt that many employers are paying you to engage in your personal wants. I know I wouldn't and I haven't before when I was in management. Drive with your cellphone or screw off while you had a patient, you were gone, plain and simple. You gone today and your replacement starting tomorrow. Perhaps with the decline in the economy, more people will have appreciation and respect for the small things; LIKE A JOB.

I have been on many long distance transfers, some taking an hour, some taking 20 hours. Yes, you do get bored, yes you do get tired, but no you don't slack off. Read your protocols, study some A&P, do something productive that will make you a more proficient EMT. Sorry, EMTlife doesn't count.

Remember, attitude and perception is everything and has a direct correlation to viewed professionalism.

hmmm, that gives me an idea for a new thread................

 

[Summit]

do something productive that will make you a more proficient EMT. Sorry, EMTlife doesn't count.

Oh, sure it does

On 24s, 48s, etc we were expected to be productive between 800-1700. Otherwise, if not on a call, you were free.

hmmm, that gives me an idea for a new thread................

do it!

 

[raisingkahne9]

After replying to this thread a few times.

I know that I've touched this on this several times, but it's the thing that bothers me the most about this thread. Calling a psych patient a "low life".

Psych patients are people too and to call them a low life, makes you look like you are looking down on them, and that your thinking your better than they are, all because they have a mental illness. Who are you to think that you are better than anyone? We all have our faults, and we all have our good points.

Have you ever stopped to think that the Psych patient you are transporting, has hit rock bottom? Let's say, his wife just left him, he just lost his job, one of his parents passed away, and he's in the middle of a custody dispute. Do you really think that he's going to be in any condition at all to make any type of rational decision? Sure, if he's heartless he will be. However, stealing your "X-box" is probally the last thing on his mind. He's probally more worried about putting his family back together.

And as for the X-box thing, if your that pissed off about it, turn it in to your insurance company, for theft from a vehicle, and get over it. And if you dont have insurance then sorry about your luck.

 

[Buffalo Dude]

Had a patient last week tell me that he thought I was a Communist agent sent to kidnap him "James Bond" style. He also said my English is very good, which I took as a compliment.