Decison making on scene

[daedalus]

Depends with us, actually. If it's ruled a BLS patient, and the BLS attendant did something stupid, it's solely on him unless the ALS provider did nothing to correct it or stop him. Whoever is ruled AIC for that case.

Not really. The paramedic can still be sued.

 

[wyoskibum]

If I am on scene with a providor with a higher level of cert, I assume I must follow their lead and medcial decisions? For example whether a PT gets a collar, 02 etc.

I have ran into this a few times, and I am trying to decide how to handle it. I want to make sure I am fullfilling my duties as a providor, but also respecting the chain of command and not appearing arrogant.

Are you a first responder assisting on scene and someone else will be transporting or are you part of the transport team?

It can be challenging in those situations, everyone will do something different. I always try to make calls a "team effort" and encourage all provider's input. The key is to make a suggestion in way that it make it a good "teachable moment". IE:

"Do you think the mechanism was sufficient to warrant spinal stabilization?"
"Would you like me to put the pt on a cannula since his RR is 26?"

If you are riding the pt to the hospital and writing the PCR, then you should have final say.

 

[SeeNoMore]

"The key is to make a suggestion in way that it make it a good "teachable moment". IE:"


This is a great suggestion. This is what I have been doing to make sure I am doing my best, but not making an *** of myself.

To all the medics here, please don't take my comments as evidene that I think I know better! Believe me I have a ton to learn and am more than happy to folllow lead.

I will say I have seen times in the field where some corners were cut that I am pretty sure did not have much to do with greater experience and knowledge. I could be mistaken, and this has been a minority of the time.

But certainly having me second guess an I or medic would only disrupt patient care.

 

[wyoskibum]

To all the medics here, please don't take my comments as evidene that I think I know better! Believe me I have a ton to learn and am more than happy to folllow lead.

At the end of the day, it is all about what is best for the patients. We are all human and even the most experience medic can get tunnel vision or make a mistake. I would rather work with an EMT who make suggestions and is active in the patient care instead of an EMT that I have to tell to get a set of vitals or put the pt on O2.

certainly having me second guess an I or medic would only disrupt patient care.

If you have a medic who is approachable, after the run I would encourage you to ask the medic why they did what they did. At the very least you will learn the different schools of thought on the treatment of whatever is wrong with the patient.