New NBC series "Trauma" this fall

[Brandon O]

Wait, wait, wait... medics lift things? I thought that was what BLS was for?

I said they CAN lift. Actually doing so... I think that might violate some union regs.

 

[Sasha]

The only part I like about Trauma is that the female medic, while made to be a sex object, is not a total blonde headed bimbo. She seems to have some knowledge to her and is not running around on scene going "omg u guys lyke what do i do? omg i broke a nail!"

However the fact that they made her an over emotional sex toy kind of ruins the only real redeeming quality of the show.

 

[Jon]

The only part I like about Trauma is that the female medic, while made to be a sex object, is not a total blonde headed bimbo. She seems to have some knowledge to her and is not running around on scene going "omg u guys lyke what do i do? omg i broke a nail!"

However the fact that they made her an over emotional sex toy kind of ruins the only real redeeming quality of the show.

Ruins?

I thought that was the only redeeming quality of the show,

 

[Brandon O]

Just watched the first two episodes through on the NBC site. This is great. Why do they have these big ambulances if nobody uses them? Fire was right, EMS isn't about transport ^_^

 

[VCEMT]

They actually showed something that you see in real life. An EMS responder checking a message on their cellphone and messaging. Yes, even with a dirty glove on. I think Rescue Me showed that, too. Now, that I think of it.

 

[DV_EMT]

^^^ yeah... just saw that too.

 

[Hal9000]

Garbage, I have watched around 7 total minutes of the show, and any further viewing will be purely on accident.

 

[medichopeful]

For some reason, I think I saw them do something right on the show...

 

[Achromatic]

Why do they have these big ambulances if nobody uses them?

Why use an ambulance if you can call for a chopper? Even if you're right down by the Wharf!

 

[twinstar_ca]

Garbage, I have watched around 7 total minutes of the show, and any further viewing will be purely on accident.

hear, hear!!! i'm with you on that... pure crap on tv... :wacko::glare:

 

[amberdt03]

so me and my partner transported a 5 year old today and the school nurse wanted to ride with, so we sat her up front and while transporting she asked me if i had watched the show. i said yes and she said she really liked it and that it was really accurate......i looked at her and said no its not.

 

[GonnaBeEMT]

Watch any police, fire, cowboy, military, etc..... show. Talk to an expert in any of those fields about the show, and none of them are accurate. These shows are produced for the general public's entertainment, and they would never know or care how accurate it is.

 

[Melclin]

*lols at rabbit* - "Yeah but I read it in a medical journal so..."

This show is hilarious.

 

[JPINFV]

That "journal" was probably JEMS.

 

[John E]

Is Trauma still on...?

if it is, I lost a wager. I bet it wouldn't last more than 3 weeks.

Damnit...I can usually pick what shows will make it pretty accurately.

 

[Achromatic]

Ahhh, informed consent.

"You're obviously drunk so we have to take you to the ER."
"I wanna go home."
"Okay, sign this form refusing transport."

 

[VFFforpeople]

My favorite part is..when I am a medic I can show up to any scene regardless of saftey (cause I mean really, why be safe?). Go to my personal life meetings while on shift, and overall just run around and be happy go lucky. This show is crap, but funny.

 

[Brandon O]

Ahhh, informed consent.

"You're obviously drunk so we have to take you to the ER."
"I wanna go home."
"Okay, sign this form refusing transport."

That was realistic.

 

[VFFforpeople]

If the PT is A&Ox4, and I have told him the bad side of what can happen. I have to let them go, simple as that.

 

[Achromatic]

If the PT is A&Ox4, and I have told him the bad side of what can happen. I have to let them go, simple as that.

Our typical standard, as defined to me in class (and our class is run by the county EMS itself, not a private college) was "if this person was driving, would they be DWI?" (and factoring in that you can be DWI under the legal limit) - if so, pay more serious attention to informed consent/refused treatment/AMA, etc.

May you still judge that person as informed/competent/capable? Absolutely, after taking a more thorough look at them. Not just a cursory "I can see you're sufficiently drunk that you're not sure of or barely aware of where you are, that your partner just assaulted you, nearly breaking your nose and is currently being arrested, you're proposing marriage to me, you're unable to walk in a straight line, or stand without assistance (all of which were visible in the scene) but that's good enough to me, here, sign this refusal."

To be crystal clear: may an intoxicated person refuse treatment and / or transport? Yes. Should a refusal be treated as flippantly as it was there, particularly considering the above? I would hope not.

The refusal in the episode would clearly have fallen afoul of "ability to comprehend the information presented" - would she comprehend that she had proposed to the EMT, too? And of at least two of the three components of decision-making process as it relates to competency: "ability to understand consequences of options presented", "ability to evaluate personal cost and benefit of said consequences and relate them to own values and priorities".

Slightly tangential, and more on refusing treatment. On the backside of our MIR is our county's "Refusal of Treatment" form. Most of our medics will actually make a PT read the form, aloud, before signing it, or countersigning it.