Deal breakers at work

Pet peeves:
1. Crummy attitudes towards/about patients - I mean, who the heck cares if they're a "frequent flyer," drug-seeking, faking neck pn in an MVA or a dang hooker who received the "hospital or jail" ultimatum from the police? As long as they're not belligerent or presenting a danger to EMS, I don't care how or why they ended up in our truck, they're getting our 100%, they're getting transported and the rig is getting cleaned. We're not the police and we're not St. Peter so why in heck do we need to spend ANY TIME AT ALL standing around, rolling our eyes and sneering about how they're dressed, how many "baby daddy" they have or how many times they call us? Even better, some of these EMS personnel doing the judging are they, themselves, guilty of rabble-rousing and getting into all sort of trouble on their free time.

2. Younger EMTs & Medics (20s & 30s) calling little, old ladies "sweetheart" or little old men "honey." Excuse me? Now I know I live in the deep south and that's bad enough because "sir" and "ma'am" are expected here but I grew up in New York and even I know better than to call an elder "sweetie." It's condescending and disrespectful. I don't care how frail Grandma is or what the pt's baseline mental status is. If you're in your 30s and the pt is old enough to be your parent or grandparent, they earned your "ma'am."

3. Crappy 'tudes between Medics and the lower ranks. If you're a medic, you should know your Basic partner isn't automatically your intellectual inferior simply because they haven't had the time, money or inclination to get that EMP Degree. AND THIS GOES BOTH WAYS. I'm sick of hearing old-timers who have been a Basic long enough to remember a time when you didn't even need a GED to do this job, referring to most Medics as "Paragods." Here's my philosophy: we never run out of things we can afford to learn from each other and everyone has something they're better at than you. Grow up.

4. I don't like the dip or the smoke but keep it away from me and the the pt and we're copacetic. I mean, I don't want to see it or risk touching it. We wear BSI for a reason and I really don't need to be touching your nasty spit Pepsi bottles.

5. People who have a ginormous list of pet-peeves they're adamant about. If you're so irritable and intolerant that you can't even handle a few quirks and foibles out of the people who hold a job, are non-violent, show up sober, have all their shots, share similar life-stress/experiences and wear the same uniform as you, you have no business treating pts on the street in chaotic circumstances. Again, grow up.

I'll say this: I'm green. These opinions are on behalf of someone who is smart and idealistic and not burnt out. However, I'm a Navy vet and this is a third career for me. I've been a leader and I've been a "booter." I've been both boss and peon. I hope you don't think my "green" status makes these any less valid because to me, one of the main things I think is holding EMS back as a profession is attitude.

Learn, do and teach.

Be safe, y'all!
 
Altered Mental Status said:
5. People who have a ginormous list of pet-peeves they're adamant about. If you're so irritable and intolerant that you can't even handle a few quirks and foibles out of the people who hold a job, are non-violent, show up sober, have all their shots, share similar life-stress/experiences and wear the same uniform as you, you have no business treating pts on the street in chaotic circumstances. Again, grow up.
!
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Sorry but you just rambled off a boatload of pet peeves... I'm confused.
 
That was sort of an attempt at lightening the tone of my nonetheless earnest "laundry list" and poking fun at myself as well.
 
Yep, you're very green...

Altered Mental Status said:
Pet peeves:
1. Crummy attitudes towards/about patients - I mean, who the heck cares if they're a "frequent flyer," drug-seeking, faking neck pn in an MVA or a dang hooker who received the "hospital or jail" ultimatum from the police? As long as they're not belligerent or presenting a danger to EMS, I don't care how or why they ended up in our truck, they're getting our 100%, they're getting transported and the rig is getting cleaned. We're not the police and we're not St. Peter so why in heck do we need to spend ANY TIME AT ALL standing around, rolling our eyes and sneering about how they're dressed, how many "baby daddy" they have or how many times they call us? Even better, some of these EMS personnel doing the judging are they, themselves, guilty of rabble-rousing and getting into all sort of trouble on their free time.
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Hahaha, get over yourself and your perception of the world you are entering. How people deal with their personal challenges is not your concern, unless you are offering them an alternative that works for them, which you do not seem to be doing... And no, not all of them need/deserve or should receive a ride to the hospital. If they are sick/injured then they need to get better, but EMS is a hammer, and not all problems are nails, but they sure look like it when all you have is a hammer. Now there is a line of professional decorum that your patient should really only see your game face, but seriously, if you think that for one moment you've got the answers, spend 10 years on the rigs, then we'll discuss...

2. Younger EMTs & Medics (20s & 30s) calling little, old ladies "sweetheart" or little old men "honey." Excuse me? Now I know I live in the deep south and that's bad enough because "sir" and "ma'am" are expected here but I grew up in New York and even I know better than to call an elder "sweetie." It's condescending and disrespectful. I don't care how frail Grandma is or what the pt's baseline mental status is. If you're in your 30s and the pt is old enough to be your parent or grandparent, they earned your "ma'am."
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Please justify your position to decide regional etiquette, and what is condescending and disrespectful.... Every patient is different and the skill sets required to care for that patient's physical and occasionally emotional health does not fit your "rigid" definitions. Again sweetie, spend a little time in the field, watch a 90 year old nursing home patient get a little spark in her eye when you call her "sweetie," when you have to cart her off at 0 Dark for dialysis, that might be the only kind word that they've heard that week. I've been able to break down the walls of formality by dropping that pretense when appropriate, not every patient is a sir/ma'am, but every patient deserves respect and an appropriate treatment.
3. Crappy 'tudes between Medics and the lower ranks. If you're a medic, you should know your Basic partner isn't automatically your intellectual inferior simply because they haven't had the time, money or inclination to get that EMP Degree. AND THIS GOES BOTH WAYS. I'm sick of hearing old-timers who have been a Basic long enough to remember a time when you didn't even need a GED to do this job, referring to most Medics as "Paragods." Here's my philosophy: we never run out of things we can afford to learn from each other and everyone has something they're better at than you. Grow up.
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With your previous demands, you're well on the way to becoming this one...
4. I don't like the dip or the smoke but keep it away from me and the the pt and we're copacetic. I mean, I don't want to see it or risk touching it. We wear BSI for a reason and I really don't need to be touching your nasty spit Pepsi bottles.
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Yeah, I can definitely agree with this
5. People who have a ginormous list of pet-peeves they're adamant about. If you're so irritable and intolerant that you can't even handle a few quirks and foibles out of the people who hold a job, are non-violent, show up sober, have all their shots, share similar life-stress/experiences and wear the same uniform as you, you have no business treating pts on the street in chaotic circumstances. Again, grow up.

I'll say this: I'm green. These opinions are on behalf of someone who is smart and idealistic and not burnt out. However, I'm a Navy vet and this is a third career for me. I've been a leader and I've been a "booter." I've been both boss and peon. I hope you don't think my "green" status makes these any less valid because to me, one of the main things I think is holding EMS back as a profession is attitude.

Learn, do and teach.

Be safe, y'all!
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Yes, you are green, and your opinions reflect that, as well as a lack of adequate time on pavement. However, there is a certain optimism that hasn't been beat out of you yet, and we need more who can still see the forest rather than just the broken trees. While there are many things that are holding EMS back, including being known as the "evidence free zone," our inability to adapt to progressive medical practices, our fascination with a pseudo-military structure, the anchor around our neck of the IAFF that stifles our ability to be come an actual profession, poor wages, lack of education, a poor mindset that focuses on "what I can do" rather than "why I do," and a non-sustainable wage structure for the majority of EMS, but yes, somewhere in there is "attitude." All said, keep the optimism, but look back on this post in a couple of years, and remember this is the way to feel, and most of all, try not to get burnt out.... BTW Go Army ;)
 
Altered Mental Status said:
Pet peeves:
1. Crummy attitudes towards/about patients - I mean, who the heck cares if they're a "frequent flyer," drug-seeking, faking neck pn in an MVA or a dang hooker who received the "hospital or jail" ultimatum from the police? As long as they're not belligerent or presenting a danger to EMS, I don't care how or why they ended up in our truck, they're getting our 100%, they're getting transported and the rig is getting cleaned. We're not the police and we're not St. Peter so why in heck do we need to spend ANY TIME AT ALL standing around, rolling our eyes and sneering about how they're dressed, how many "baby daddy" they have or how many times they call us? Even better, some of these EMS personnel doing the judging are they, themselves, guilty of rabble-rousing and getting into all sort of trouble on their free time.
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Wouldn't you rather be helping someone who actually needs an ambulance rather than enabling the degradation of our job into a glorified Taxi service? I worked 4 nights in a row this week. We transported one of our regulars 4 times in 4 nights. At some point, something has got to give.

The frustration/burn out stems from a jerk off calling 911 because he wants a sandwhich and a warm bed (that the tax payers are going to end up paying for) getting an ambulance while someone's 50 year old dad waits 20 minutes with a STEMI.

Generally speaking, I am nice to every one of my patients. It is just easier that way than getting them riled up...but those who cry wolf enough stop getting 100% from FD,EMS,PD, and the ER. Sadly, this does not bode well for when they actually need us.

2. Younger EMTs & Medics (20s & 30s) calling little, old ladies "sweetheart" or little old men "honey." Excuse me? Now I know I live in the deep south and that's bad enough because "sir" and "ma'am" are expected here but I grew up in New York and even I know better than to call an elder "sweetie." It's condescending and disrespectful. I don't care how frail Grandma is or what the pt's baseline mental status is. If you're in your 30s and the pt is old enough to be your parent or grandparent, they earned your "ma'am."
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I agree with this somewhat. I find it more annoying when Medics baby geriatric patients and talk to them in the same tone they would a toddler. They are people just like us. They used to drink, party, drive fast, and have some awesome stories to share if you treat them as an equal.

5. People who have a ginormous list of pet-peeves they're adamant about. If you're so irritable and intolerant that you can't even handle a few quirks and foibles out of the people who hold a job, are non-violent, show up sober, have all their shots, share similar life-stress/experiences and wear the same uniform as you, you have no business treating pts on the street in chaotic circumstances. Again, grow up.
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Few quirks and foibles! Yet everyone on this thread is raging against the dippers. I don't use any tobacco products but I don't have anything against people that do. Then again, I try to be easy going and to not take myself too seriously. It seems kinda ironic that the (I'm not directing this at you altered) meth head or person on crack will get less leeway from certain Paramedics than their SNUS using partner. We all pick and choose our battles. I guess I feel there are a lot things to be addressed with EMS before we all decide to write up all our dip using peers. I mean, all we are exposed to in our line of work is negativity. We live our lives in other peoples' terrible moments. Who am I to judge how someone alleviates the natural stress of the job?

I echo what the last guy said; it'll be interesting to see how your opinions change once you get some time under your belt. We were all the same way at one point. That's one of the reasons I enjoy working with fresh faces.
 
I guess my biggest pet peeve at work is what, I perceive to be, as genuine racism in the public sector.

I'm not talking about the jokes.

I'm talking about what seems to be co-workers with actual disdain for certain groups, ethnic or otherwise. People who have these over-inflated opinions but don't take the time to consider things like poverty, being born addicted to crack, born into a toxic neighborhood/society with terrible schools and having little to no opportunity from the get go. These neighborhoods and lifestyles didn't happen overnight, it took DECADES of underfunded education systems and an unfortunately sad/intolerant chapter of US history.

I realize that while I did not grow up in the most privileged of circumstances I have had a hell of a lot more opportunity than most of this world.

Think about how different your life would be if you were born to two crack-head parents in the 8 mile of Detroit or the East End of Oakland with no positive role models to look after you? Just gangs.

Sorry for ranting. It's just something I've observed when we get fresh Medics from the burbs. No, the patient is not acting that way just because they are Black or Hispanic. Yes, even though you did not make their ancestors slaves and you did not personally segregate them, they do have a legitimate gripe about the neighborhoods they were forced in to and how their society evolved into one of poverty and toxicity. It's not as simple as, "just getting over it".

It's complicated.

Since some people are probably wondering. I had a middle class upbringing with 8 years of private schooling. My pops is some Dutch guy from Holland. My mom is from the Philippines. I am first generation Californian born and bred.

Just food for thought. Next time examine how different our treatment is of someone living in a mansion versus someone living in the projects.

[/rant]
 
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@Luno & BeachMedic:

I think a lot of these frustrations will go away the day they start letting us treat and NOT transport the pt or transport at our discretion to Urgent Cares and other offices instead of the ED every time. I know that's a long way off but it's on the radar.

I'm a believer in your words and attitudes begetting even more of the same for yourself. The patents who call 911 for attention still have something WRONG with them...it must suck to have a life so :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty, AMR are your best pals. Before I joined the Navy or worked for a brokerage firm in Manhattan, I grew up working the same, crappy service-industry jobs as everyone. I dealt with lost of attitudes, customers trying to get away with out-of-date coupons, screaming at me that they wanted a free "senior coffee," eating 90% of their meal and sending it back for having mayo on it and demanding a discount AND a coupon for a free meal...I never felt tempted to participate in the after-work round of "let's talk :censored::censored::censored::censored: about the customers and how much they SUCK." I never gave them attitude back.

People act like buttholes sometimes. It's a fact of life. The only think *I* can control is not getting sucked into getting myself all bunged-up about their silliness. To me, scoffing and sneering about them (behind their backs or NOT) is significant of two things:
1. I'm getting sucked into the argument about it...maybe not with them but certainly with MYSELF and those around me. Does it really need to be SAID that they full of bug-dust?
2. Your repetitive expressions of resentment only serve as a daily reinforcement of negativity and negative, bitter feelings. You are brainwashing yourself right out of your own ability to let this kind of shizz roll off your own back.

Pick your battles. If a pt gets belligerent WITH YOU or you see some crazy :censored::censored::censored::censored: and you need to vent, I personally am going to validate and pay attention to you a lot more than if you're someone who gets pissed off at the lady with biPolar disorder, calling because she supposedly had a syncopal episode, secondary to a stubbed toe. Trust me: you and I will exchange bemused, knowing looks at some point. We will treat that pt like her toe is on fire and possibly uncover that the REAL reason she needs to transport today is because the whole bloody SYSTEM is broken and she needs more of her meds but no one cares about her enough to help her make that happen. We'll drop her off and we'll say "Feel better Mrs. BiPolar" and then get back in the truck and get back in service. We don't need to rail on negatively about it. We don't need to snarl or get uptight.

Maybe I'm green but I've SEEN THIS BE THE CASE. I've seen what a healthy dose of humor can do and a refusal to harp on the negative. I've seen seasoned medics IN MY SERVICE treat tghe local drunk Frequent Flyer like a family member...like one of "our own" who needs to get picked up and given some TLC. That's the kind of OUTSTANDING attitude I hope I still have when I'm ten years in.
 
And just to be clear: I work in a service area where nearly every-dang-body has both an unregistered handgun and large quantities of alcohol on their property at the same time.
 
Deal breakers at work?
I don't have any. If I have to work with somebody, I have to work with them. I can deal with it for a shift. There are many people I dislike working with, but we know our roles, and we get through the shift(somehow). People(partners) smoke in the truck. People dip in the truck. I won't even touch on drugs/etoh...let us not be so naive on here. Pink elephant in the room?
People leave the truck in disarray. No fuel, no O2, dead batteries, filthy...it goes on and on and on. People come in late. People have no people skills and argue with pts. People can't lift. People don't tuck their shirts in, or tie their boots, or even button their shirts up. People argue about pt care. People drive too fast. People are racist. And sexist. And biased and judgemental. We're human. We ALL have characteristics that SOMEBODY is not going to like. We all conflict with one another over something.
When I go in and I see who I'm working with and my heart sinks, it sinks, and I deal with it and get in the truck and do what I'm supposed to do.
I know my attitude may sound blase, but truly, it isn't. I don't let alot of things shake me so much as to label them all or nothing deal breakers.
 
Altered Mental Status said:
People act like buttholes sometimes. It's a fact of life. The only think *I* can control is not getting sucked into getting myself all bunged-up about their silliness.
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Preach it, sister.

If you march through this job expecting to save lives every minute of your shift, you will be sadly disappointed most of the time. If you expect to do some kind of good for each of your patients, and fight for them the best you can, you'll be very busy and often happy. And forcing yourself to do it for the patients you don't like is a challenge that keeps the day interesting.

Duty aside, if you don't act like a professional to everyone, good GRIEF, what a boring job. So I say, just be a certain kind of provider regardless of who the patient is; you're the only person in that relationship you can control.

I think you're doing great.
 
New partner goes for sushi:
gollum-biting-fish.jpg


(yeah, it's a rehash, but I like it a lot.)
 
Altered Mental Status said:
And just to be clear: I work in a service area where nearly every-dang-body has both an unregistered handgun and large quantities of alcohol on their property at the same time.
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Being that both are a "right" I don't see the issue... ;)
 
I love sushi...?
 
Current partner comments on every female. The constant she's sexy,hot,big butt,big boobs has become annoying.

Last straw was when he commented on a teenage patient. I dare him to say something else.
 
My newest partner can't pronounce the letter T, its always Dat, Dis etc etc.

She also says "daaammmmmnnnn" and "$hiiiittttttttt" quite often...


I love working with uncivilized people.
 
NYMedic828 said:
My newest partner can't pronounce the letter T, its always Dat, Dis etc etc.

She also says "daaammmmmnnnn" and "$hiiiittttttttt" quite often...


I love working with uncivilized people.
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That's a good portion of the NYC EMS community. Especially transport companies like transcare and citywide.
 
Hogging the remote.

Complaining about all the personal errands I NEED to do on the clock.

Not going to the coffee shop I like, just because it's more "convenient"

Liking different radio stations than me.

Serious, life threatening allergies that prevent me from eating, or possibly rubbing my partner with, my favorite foods.

Not knowing exactly what I want, when I want it on a call without me telling you. Ever.

Loud noises before 10:00 AM.

Doing calls.

Making noise during my mid afternoon nap.

^^ At least one of these has been an actual pet peeves from past partners^^

BUT.. On a serious note:

Quiet time. Seriously. We can be in the room together. Or in the truck, on a busy system. At some point between our 12th and 16th hour together, we can stop having inane conversation. My brain needs the rest. I don't not like you. (Though, I probably don't like you. I don't like anybody except my wife and like 3 other people, socially) But I just want some Quiet Time.
 
I have become a voracious reader at work to get my quiet time. Partners will keep talking and talking if I'm just on my phone but as soon as a good old book comes out, whaam! No more speaky.

I am not antisocial and some partners and I talk all shift. But others are so caught up in their own lives and want to share every last detail that I just cannot do it.
 
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