TransportJockey
Forum Chief
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So do it at the station, not in public.
I know this but do you have to put it in writing?...
- Thread starter Martyn
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So do it at the station, not in public.
abckidsmom
Dances with Patients
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In our area, the table talk got worse and worse until the Chief banned eating in restaurants with any department identifier on. Even off duty.
People only have what you say and do to judge you by.
Many years ago, the night shift went out to breakfast after a night when 2 trucks transported the same lady to the hospital at opposite ends of the shift. We were all talking about our "favorite" experience with that lady, when a lady across the aisle leaned over and said, "haven't you guys ever heard of patient confidentiality?"
Unfortunately, all the lessons I learned permanently, I learned the hard way. We were all in the sup's office before the night shift started that evening.
I can certainly agree with that, but we were all young once. Table talk no longer includes business. But youngsters always want to talk about the "exciting" run they made. We do not do non-emergency transports.
small town confidentiality?
I have worked in both little towns and big cities. I can tell you in a small town, there is no confidentiality. The providers don't even have to speak a word. As soon as the squad shows up at Joe's house, the town is all talk. If it shows up at joe's house twice in one day, sooner or later somebody will make something up about it that is actually right. As the HCP all you can do is neither confirm nor deny.
As for table talk, I have seen it clear people from food places rather quickly. It is better than an aura.
It is life though. The lunch or dinner shop talk is part of coping. It is especially potent when there are multiple disciplines of emergency workers together. Get a few ER folks of various title, a few cops, and some fire and EMS people at a table and it is just taken to another level.
Does it make everyone unprofessional? I don't think so. In many cultures and places, people are primarily defined by what they do. Perhaps in the ancillary disciplines or maybe nursing, it is just a job, but in medicine it is totally consuming. There is no other way to learn it. There is definately no other way to be good at it. You never hear anybody introduce themselves as nurse X or paramedic Y outside of work. But Dr. is a retained title.
From the mental standpoint, if you don't plan to take work home, you will need somewhere to take it. Perhaps non medical and non emergency people are really blissfully ignorant of life's realities and tragedies?
I have worked in both little towns and big cities. I can tell you in a small town, there is no confidentiality. The providers don't even have to speak a word. As soon as the squad shows up at Joe's house, the town is all talk. If it shows up at joe's house twice in one day, sooner or later somebody will make something up about it that is actually right. As the HCP all you can do is neither confirm nor deny.
As for table talk, I have seen it clear people from food places rather quickly. It is better than an aura.
It is life though. The lunch or dinner shop talk is part of coping. It is especially potent when there are multiple disciplines of emergency workers together. Get a few ER folks of various title, a few cops, and some fire and EMS people at a table and it is just taken to another level.
Does it make everyone unprofessional? I don't think so. In many cultures and places, people are primarily defined by what they do. Perhaps in the ancillary disciplines or maybe nursing, it is just a job, but in medicine it is totally consuming. There is no other way to learn it. There is definately no other way to be good at it. You never hear anybody introduce themselves as nurse X or paramedic Y outside of work. But Dr. is a retained title.
From the mental standpoint, if you don't plan to take work home, you will need somewhere to take it. Perhaps non medical and non emergency people are really blissfully ignorant of life's realities and tragedies?
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I have worked in both little towns and big cities. I can tell you in a small town, there is no confidentiality. The providers don't even have to speak a word. As soon as the squad shows up at Joe's house, the town is all talk. If it shows up at joe's house twice in one day, sooner or later somebody will make something up about it that is actually right. As the HCP all you can do is neither confirm nor deny.
As for table talk, I have seen it clear people from food places rather quickly. It is better than an aura.
It is life though. The lunch or dinner shop talk is part of coping. It is especially potent when there are multiple disciplines of emergency workers together. Get a few ER folks of various title, a few cops, and some fire and EMS people at a table and it is just taken to another level.
Does it make everyone unprofessional? I don't think so. In many cultures and places, people are primarily defined by what they do. Perhaps in the ancillary disciplines or maybe nursing, it is just a job, but in medicine it is totally consuming. There is no other way to learn it. There is definately no other way to be good at it. You never hear anybody introduce themselves as nurse X or paramedic Y outside of work. But Dr. is a retained title.
From the mental standpoint, if you don't plan to take work home, you will need somewhere to take it. Perhaps non medical and non emergency people are really blissfully ignorant of life's realities and tragedies?
You have a way with words that I wish I had. You very explicitly said what I was trying to say. If you get your last shifts' calls out of your head between the time you get off and the time you get home, you stand a better chance of being married longer---and happier. I know...
Lady_EMT
Forum Lieutenant
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Eh, not so much. We talk about work, they talk about work.
Just as long as we aren't loud about it, I don't see the problem.Maybe a little clarification would help here. We only do EMS at special events, such as rock concerts, marathons, triath----lons., etc. Any time we transport the patient goes straight to the ER. We don't do transfers of any sort.
However , not all are "true" emergencies. If a patient wants to go to a hospital ER for any reason at an event, they get a ride.