Need some help

Fezman92

NJ and PA EMT
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100
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So last night I messed up on a call and it caused a fellow EMT to get seriously injured and there might be a lawsuit from the family of the PT (no one died or had to be taken back to the hospital). I had to write up an incident report and I’m really doing my best not to spiral into a deep depression. I’m doubting my abilities as a provider, as a partner, and even if this is the right field for me. This could cost me my job and if I can’t even do basic transport without messing up, then I’ve got no chance of getting into 911, let alone thinking I can do nursing. I’m just really overwhelmed and not sure what to do. I have a bad habit of being overly critical of myself and I feel like that the entire situation is completely because of me.
 

Aprz

The New Beach Medic
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If there's likely going to be a lawsuit over it, do not talk about it here.

Nobody does this job perfectly. I know I've messed up a couple of times, thought about quitting, and concerns about losing my job. Easier said than done, but the first thing you need to do is take a step back from everything. Give yourself a day or two from taking any significant action eg quitting. Find out what's going to happen. Find out your options. Go on from there. Take it step by step.

If your company provides CISM or EAP, and if you feel like talking will help you or you want to try it, try utilizing those. Might help.
 
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Fezman92

Fezman92

NJ and PA EMT
497
100
28
Thanks, everyone so far at work I talked to said “we told you many times that you need to work on this, but you always said you were going to work on it but didn’t for whatever reason. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and fix it.” To an extent they’re right, but still that didn’t help.
 

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
Community Leader
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Everyone makes mistakes.

Dropped gurneys, collisions, and partners messing up patient movements/transfers. Part of the job.

Though highly unlikely, you may be sued. You may be put on an action plan and lose your job. It happens.

To be in EMS you have to be willing to learn from your mistakes. It sounds like your colleagues are frustrated that you're not learning fast enough.

Maybe it's time to find another gig that is either slower paced or isn't so reliant on you as a provider.
 
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Fezman92

Fezman92

NJ and PA EMT
497
100
28
I just need to get myself to stop worrying about something I can’t do anything about which is hard.
 

E tank

Caution: Paralyzing Agent
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Messing up a BLS transfer has nothing whatever to do with nursing or any other non-ems related medical fields, lawsuit or no lawsuit, getting fired or not. Accidents are a drag but they're not crimes. Maybe you pursue nursing sooner than you would have now with a lesson you really needed to learn...
 

CCCSD

Forum Deputy Chief
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Stop posting about it on here.
Contact the Mods and ask this thread be deleted.
 

ffemt8978

Forum Vice-Principal
Community Leader
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Nothing in this thread warrants it being removed.

Can you please remove my post?

It is imperative that you choose your words carefully before posting, as what you post is made available to the entire world. What you post in EMTLIFE will show up in search engine results, online archives, and even other websites for years to come. We suggest that you be careful what you post. Don't post anything specific (city, town, address, patients' names, etc.) or anything else that can get you in trouble legally.
Having said that, we do not remove posts based on user input or feedback. As long as your post doesn't violate a forum rule or law, it will remain public.
 

GMCmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
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1. You're probably putting too much thought into this, which is normal for new people.

2. Most people never really sue

3. AMR drags lawsuits out till the family is broke and happy to settle for way less.

4. Quit posting about it
 

CCCSD

Forum Deputy Chief
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So last night I messed up on a call and it caused a fellow EMT to get seriously injured and there might be a lawsuit from the family of the PT (no one died or had to be taken back to the hospital). I had to write up an incident report and I’m really doing my best not to spiral into a deep depression. I’m doubting my abilities as a provider, as a partner, and even if this is the right field for me. This could cost me my job and if I can’t even do basic transport without messing up, then I’ve got no chance of getting into 911, let alone thinking I can do nursing. I’m just really overwhelmed and not sure what to do. I have a bad habit of being overly critical of myself and I feel like that the entire situation is completely because of me.

Nothing in this thread warrants it being removed.

Read that FIRST sentence. In case you can’t see it. “So last night I messed up on a call and it caused a fellow EMT to get seriously injured.”

Thats GOLD to an attorney.
 

GMCmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
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Read that FIRST sentence. In case you can’t see it. “So last night I messed up on a call and it caused a fellow EMT to get seriously injured.”

Thats GOLD to an attorney.
Well according to the disclaimer posted that is the OPs problem.
 

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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So last night I messed up on a call and it caused a fellow EMT to get seriously injured and there might be a lawsuit from the family of the PT (no one died or had to be taken back to the hospital).
Based on this statement, I'm thinking your were carrying a patient, something happened, the patient fell, on your partner, resulting in your partner getting injured. Either that, or your crashed the ambulance, in which case, it's bad. esp if it seriously injured your partner. But if a lawsuit might be happening, I wouldn't be posting about it on the internet.
I had to write up an incident report and I’m really doing my best not to spiral into a deep depression.
it's normal to write incident reports anytime something bad happens. equipment failures, equipment failures with injury to patient, provider injury, bystander complaint, patient complaint, supervisor complaint, etc. don't stress having to write an incident report, as this is part of EMS.
I’m doubting my abilities as a provider, as a partner, and even if this is the right field for me.
from one incident? my friend, plenty of people in EMS have messed up during their career. many of us have sore backs, and have been injured on the job. and have had to write incident reports. you might be over reacting.
This could cost me my job and if I can’t even do basic transport without messing up, then I’ve got no chance of getting into 911, let alone thinking I can do nursing.
Ehhhh, I know more than one EMT who can't do basic transport, but still got a 911 job. It's not a great thing, but it does happen. I know more than one EMT and paramedic that is grossly incompetant, yet still has a 911 job. It's scary, but sadly true.
Thanks, everyone so far at work I talked to said “we told you many times that you need to work on this, but you always said you were going to work on it but didn’t for whatever reason. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and fix it.” To an extent they’re right, but still that didn’t help.
I don't know what you did, or what you need to work on, nor do I want you to provide any details, but it seems like you have been told what you need to work on, so do it. fix whatever issue you need to work on. and based on what you are describing, it can be fixed, as several people have told you to fix it.

If you do get fired, don't worry; getting fired from a transport company in NJ is not a career ender. They were a dime a dozen, all over the state, and many are constantly hiring (and, truth be told, the hiring standards are typically a pulse and a patch, and yes, I know from experience). getting fired from a 911 company in NJ is not a career ender. It happens, and I know several people that were fired from a 911 company and still work on 911 ambulances.

Making a mistake isn't a career ender, nor is it an indication that you aren't cut out for this field. the important thing is to learn from those mistakes, and not repeat them.
 

FiremanMike

Just a dude
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Well since we're not going to delete this thread..

I think it's pertinent to focus on the fact that this is an issue that you've been "told many times to work on this", and your admitted failure to do so has now resulted in a serious injury to your partner.

Your career implications notwithstanding, the above is VERY concerning to me.
 
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johnrsemt

Forum Deputy Chief
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What firemanMike says is important. That is something I would worry about: and start working on what ever it is: show them in writing and in actions, that "in the past I blew it off; but your right I should have done better and done it faster, and this is how I am correcting it".

But also important:
Lawsuits: I have been threatened with lawsuits multiple times; from patients, patients families (because we didn't shock asystole, "but they do it on TV so you are doing it wrong"), bystanders (for blocking the road, sidewalk, access into or out of a store), restaurant managers (for blocking traffic when they called 911). I have never NEVER been sued. I haven't worried about it.

Incident reports: You will have to do a lot of those over the years, I have been doing this since 1998, and I used to average 5 a month, now slow service maybe 4 or 5 a year: But I have done them because I left my ambulance dirty after the last shift: (even though I was told to turn it over without having a chance to wash it). To we had to stop hard, so that we didn't hit a car that ran the light, and the person behind us called it in and reported it. It happens, it happens a lot.

You will have many times to doubt your self and your work: Teachers do every time a student doesn't understand something or drops out of school.
Nurses do when a patient dies on them, same with doctors. It happens, things happen no matter what we do or don't do: should I have flown that patient? Should I have diverted to another hospital? Should I have refused to work with that Moron?

It can cost your job: my old company has a manager that threatened our jobs on a daily basis: that is how we knew we were busy, we were too busy to be harassed. They fired him and moral went up so high we couldn't see the top anymore.
Most people don't get fired for mistakes: I know medics who have killed a patient from a dumb move or not following protocols: not fired.
 
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