Yes, when it comes to moving and handling, the US is stuck in the mid 60's.
Also hindered by the brainwashed who can't see beyond their own departments prehistoric policies.
Getting pt. into ambulance
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Yes, when it comes to moving and handling, the US is stuck in the mid 60's.
Also hindered by the brainwashed who can't see beyond their own departments prehistoric policies.
Sasha
Forum Chief
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Not "brainwashed", people who don't care to lose their jobs because of their own lazyness or that of coworkers.
You see, a lot of companies, when you don't follow their policies, will fire you. Getting fired from one EMS job in my area kind of kills you for the rest of the few EMS services in the area.
Oh so it's lazyness now, having made a clinical decision to ambulate a stable patient?
Let's be under no disillusion here, as an EMT-B, your 120 hours of training has not even scratched the surface of emergency medical care. Perhaps you should look at the other posts on this thread by your more senior colleagues and actually see where we are coming from.
Your system obviously doesn't care about their employees. It's a pity you can't see that.
Sasha
Forum Chief
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Almost done with medic school, thanks. And my EMT class was more than 120 hours.
I see where they are coming from, it boils down to the fact they don't want to take the stretcher out and put it back in for what they deem a BS, no real complaint call. Do you see where I'm coming from? The fact that it's against company policy? This is no life or death decision here, it's not going to hurt them to get on the stretcher.
Grady_emt
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No, but if you hurt yourself while lifting said finger pain on the stretcher, then drop the stretcher, then they will get hurt. It's a very situation dependent thing to say weather you walk them out or don't, but if you have a minor complaint and are ambulatory, you're most likely gonnna walk out.
True (unless they are dropped...has happened), but eventually it is going to hurt the provider. it's the repetition of lifting which will cause the problem sooner or later, and look at all the senior EMS providers out there, many of whom are suffering from chronic back pain, and popping pills just to get through their day. Do their employers care? Nope, because the employee is the biggest throw-away commodity out there.
Take your medic class (and good luck with it), are you allowed to do any of the lifting as a student? I know I wasn't, even for the genuine cardiac calls.Why? Because I had no insurance under the system I was riding for, just a general umbrella policy for the school.
So the "lift all" is nothing to do with doing the right thing for the patient, and all to do with the EMS system covering their arse from litigation. If they could have the means to wrap the patient in cotton wool and seal it with clingfilm for transport purposes, believe me, they would be doing it.
That means, if the provider wishes to engage their brain and do what is best for both provider and patient, they should not be put down for it.
Sometimes stupid rules and regulations need to be bent a little.
Sasha
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Unless, like here, it's against company policy. Then you're kinda foolish to walk them out.
reaper
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Sasha,
If it is your company policy, then that is fine and you must abide by it. Don't come here saying people are lazy because they let a perfectly capable pt walk to the stretcher or truck. When you have more then a year in the business you will see that your back and health are not worth carrying someone that is capable of walking. I would suspect that being on an IFT, that every pt you see needs to be on a stretcher. That is not always the case in 911 service.
If it is your company policy, then that is fine and you must abide by it. Don't come here saying people are lazy because they let a perfectly capable pt walk to the stretcher or truck. When you have more then a year in the business you will see that your back and health are not worth carrying someone that is capable of walking. I would suspect that being on an IFT, that every pt you see needs to be on a stretcher. That is not always the case in 911 service.
Sasha
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Actually, you'd be suprised. a good number of them don't require a stretcher, are able to walk, yet the RN calls for ambulance transport anyway.
reaper
Working Bum
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Then that could be Medicare or insurance fraud? They need a medical necessity form signed by a Dr. to require ambulance transport to be paid. If they can walk, where is the necessity?
JPINFV
Gadfly
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To be fair, if the patient can't stand and transfer from a bed to a wheelchair by themselves then it's covered under medicare. So if the patient requires someone to help hold them as they stand and pivot, then a necessity is there. Then, of course, there's the patient's who need monitoring, on oxygen, hip precautions, watching due to psychatric conditions, and a bunch of other non-mobility related issues.
Sasha
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Beats me. We have a CMN that's attached to our reports that can be signed by a doctor, RN, or discharge planner. They're supposed to tick whatever box applies to that patient, if they don't tick a box, and it's not obvious like bilateral AKA or chronic confusion, then the form gets turned in with an unticked box and we let billing figure it out.
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RESQ_5_1
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Our Paramedic actually injured his Cervical Vertebrae lifting a pt. Due to the style in which he was lifting, his trapezius put lateral stress on his 5th cervical and caused a hairline fracture. That was over 2 years ago and he still does rehab with the occasional sick day call-in.