EMT fired after refusing to respond to call with patient who previously attacked her.

GMCmedic

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Nice attention grabbing title.

She quit

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joshrunkle35

EMT-P/RN
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Appropriate action: go to call. Stage outside. BSI...the scene is not safe. Call po-po for assist.


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DesertMedic66

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Great job with the misleading headline. She quit. She was not fired.
 

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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Read the article.... it isn't as simple as many of you are making it out to be.

And she didn't quit, per se. She refused to go on a non-emergency run involving a patient who had previously assaulted her and gave her a concussion, which the company's policy translates into a voluntary resignation of employment.

and i'd probably quit too before I was forced to be in a confined space with someone who previously gave me a head injury.
 

GMCmedic

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"Kindsey Swim said she quit after getting a call to help a patient she said injured her."

"Swim said dispatchers refused to transfer the call to other crews willing to take it, so she chose to walk away."


Sounds pretty simple. She herself stated she quit, the OP posted a false title to grab attention. Cut and dry.

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DesertMedic66

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Read the article.... it isn't as simple as many of you are making it out to be.

And she didn't quit, per se. She refused to go on a non-emergency run involving a patient who had previously assaulted her and gave her a concussion, which the company's policy translates into a voluntary resignation of employment.

and i'd probably quit too before I was forced to be in a confined space with someone who previously gave me a head injury.

This:

"Kindsey Swim said she quit after getting a call to help a patient she said injured her."

"Swim said dispatchers refused to transfer the call to other crews willing to take it, so she chose to walk away."


Sounds pretty simple. She herself stated she quit, the OP posted a false title to grab attention. Cut and dry.

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Refusing to take a call in my area is usually met with a finial written or you are fired. Respond to the call but stage away and ask for LEO or respond to the call and assess what is going on.
 

NysEms2117

ex-Parole officer/EMT
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I still think i'd respond, but the scene would be an unsafe scene for me, I would have a LEO no more then 5 feet away from me at any time on that call, and wouldn't transport without a LEO in the back with me.
 

GMCmedic

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As far as the situation as a whole, Im on the fence with this one. I dont feel the company made a reasonable (or really any) effort to protect her. On the other hand this isnt a patient thats just being a jerk, this patient has mental disabilities and maybe the EMT requires more training for how to handle this demographic.

Really need more information on if this is regular behavior for this patient or just an isolated incident.

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DrParasite

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I dont feel the company made a reasonable (or really any) effort to protect her.
Bingo!!!!

The first time it happened it was unexpected and unavoidable. The second time, the company did nothing to protect her, or prevent it from happening again. "Go on this run and risk another concussion or we accept your voluntary resignation, effective immediately." I'd quit too, but I wouldn't say it's as simple as saying "she quit, nothing to see here."

BTW, unless I'm misreading this, it was a non-emergency run. Might be different by you, but it's rare to have LEO with you on a private agency non-emergency assignment, and even rarer for them to transport with you.
 

NysEms2117

ex-Parole officer/EMT
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I don't think your misreading, however if they won't come with me to transport, come with me as joe blo the civilian. And the civilian joe blo who has previously been pushed/shoved/attacked by said patient. By me LEO's will actually talk and listen and make a judgement call, which varies everywhere. However thats my take.
 

epipusher

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She should have exhausted all options before walking away. As stated above, calling for additional assistance being one of them.
 

DesertMedic66

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Bingo!!!!

The first time it happened it was unexpected and unavoidable. The second time, the company did nothing to protect her, or prevent it from happening again. "Go on this run and risk another concussion or we accept your voluntary resignation, effective immediately." I'd quit too, but I wouldn't say it's as simple as saying "she quit, nothing to see here."

BTW, unless I'm misreading this, it was a non-emergency run. Might be different by you, but it's rare to have LEO with you on a private agency non-emergency assignment, and even rarer for them to transport with you.
So then how do we deal with this patient? If she was assaulted by this patient isn't there the possibility that this patient will attempt to assault any other provider? So should the agency send in another crew who might get assaulted? How many times has this patient been transported prior without assaulting anyone? What other ways is this patient going to get to his treatment location? If I'm running an IFT and I need LEO for something I have never had them not respond. If the patient is a danger to others but has to be transported then this patient will be restrained with all the seatbelts and 4 soft limb restraints.
 

INBOUNDCODE3

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EMS work is not all peaches & cream, you deal with all kinds & you've no right to elect your personal "no patient care" option. If you can't take heat get a job filing papers somewhere safe. I would have fired her with extreme prejudice & petitioned the State to revoke her creds forthwith.
 

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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And just so you aren't clear, you aren't a tool because you used the word forthwith; your entire post is, well, makes you out to be a huge tool, who is looking to screw your fellow EMT
 

E tank

Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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Big difference between an unpredictable, unsafe scene and being alone in the back of an ambulance with a patient that has demonstrably declared himself as dangerous. Probably so much more to this story, but to play along...if as advertised, a second person in the back would seem a prudent no brainer, both for the patient's safety and the crew. When "protocol" replaces common sense, well...
 

Underoath87

Forum Asst. Chief
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Her partner is also her boyfriend. Why didn't he just ride it in instead? Or help her restrain the patient before transport if he lacks the qualifications? There are too many holes in this story.
 
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