Partner Problems...HALP!

Fox800

Forum Captain
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I'd like to see how you guys would approach the situation.

I work on a dual-paramedic unit, my partner and I are equals, neither has authority over the other. We've had several issues lately and it seems to be building up. I'm thinking a "Come to Jesus" talk is on the horizon.

-Narcotics log error
After administering a controlled medication, my partner didn't log it in the drug log. We had a late call and only one of our relief had showed up, I took the call and stayed late and my partner went home. When I got back to the station (1.25hrs after shift change), I noticed that my partner had not logged her drug administration from like 6-7 hours ago. This in and of itself is a big deal, but let me continue. On our drug log, you have to list the patient's name. I didn't remember it (wasn't my call to ride) so I called her to she if she remembered. She could only remember the patient's first name. This might be considered a drug log error (our narcotics policies are pretty strict), depending on the supervisor (kind of up to interpretation), but I'm not taking ANY chances with the drug log. My partner said "I'll come up there in a few hours and [deal with it]". :blink: I told her that this wasn't OK and that she needed to try to find out the patient's full name by contacting the receiving hospital, and try and get the information from them. She said she didn't need to call the hospital and find out the patient's full name, that just having the first name on there would be fine. I said no, and told her that if she wasn't going to call the hospital to find out the information then I would. She basically said "you can call them if you want to." She got off the phone. I called the hospital and while they were nice, they never called me back. I wasn't going to sit around for an hour and wait for them to call back (I was already staying over late). I logged the administration (listing her as the person administering it - this is OK in our system) and put the patient's first name only. I called my supervisor to CYA, to let him know why that line in the drug log was partially filled out. He said it's OK, no big deal, type up a note explaining the circumstances and attach it to the drug log. He said thanks for letting him know and that when this happens a supervisor needs to be notified. I texted my partner after I finished cleaning up her mess and she proceeded to flip out :angry:, saying that she couldn't believe that I involved a supervisor for something so minor. No "thanks for catching that for me, I appreciate you remedying that error that could result in suspension", no offer to immediately come up to the station and fix it when I called her. The more I think about this, the angrier I become. This was two weeks ago.

-Talking behind my back to coworkers
Several days ago, I was hanging out with a coworker off duty when he casually says "hey what's this I hear about you narc'ing on your partner". Apparently she ran her mouth to other coworkers basically saying that I tried to get her in trouble/I ratted her out. NOT true. I informed a supervisor to cover both of our butts/self-report what happened. Narcotics log irregularities are a suspension-level offense on the first violation, followed by termination. I don't screw around with the drug log. This made me even angrier. :angry: When I explained the situation to my friend he was on my side.

-Temper Tantrums/Petty Crap
We had a call last week with a patient who needed to be placed on a backboard. It was my turn to do pt. care. I held c-spine and asked my partner to get a backboard. We were on the sidewalk and the ambulance was about 30-40 feet away. She brings me a backboard with no straps on the right side of the torso. The left side had one strap with a buckle, and one strap with nothing at all on it. There was no way to fasten the patient to the board, as half of the straps were missing. The only working straps were on the legs. NOT OK. I say "hey this won't work, half the straps are missing can you get the other backboard?". She picks up the bad one with an audible "UGH", and slams it either on the ground or against the ambulance. She returns with the second backboard and basically throws it next to me. <_< Keep in mind this is in front of 3-4 police officers and our (very intoxicated) patient. We do our thing and get the pt. on the board, I ask about it later and she basically blew me off, saying something like "yeah it's OK, whatever". She didn't want to talk about it.

-Laziness
Per policy we need to do a full unit check-off at the beginning of each shift. It's mentioned in our department policies and documents from our medical director. We come on shift and she says "hey the day shift checked out the truck and they didn't do any big calls, so I'm good with just checking the jump bag and monitor if you are." I start checking off the cabinets and she says "yeah I guess you're not since you're checking that off" and then lets out a sigh/acts childish.

We've only been working together for 3 weeks. She only has about 3-4 months of seniority on me. I'm not going to tolerate this crap, something's going to have to change.

Help me, EMTLife. I'm about to have a stroke. I'm not a very confrontational person and have never had to face this kind of crap before. I've NEVER had problems with partners like this, and we've already had all this BS occur in the first 2-3 weeks of working together.
 
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the_negro_puppy

Forum Asst. Chief
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She sounds like a lazy person, with a bad attitude that shouldn't be working as a paramedic. Just keep doing what you are doing. Don't let her laziness get you into trouble. If she is still causing you headaches after a while perhaps you could request a partner change?
 

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
Community Leader
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Welcome to life? You'll have these issues no matter what field you work in. Compromise, talk about it, and find a way to move forward. You don't have to like your colleagues, but you do have to work with them.
 

alphatrauma

Forum Captain
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... saying that I tried to get her in trouble/I ratted her out. NOT true. I informed a supervisor to cover both of our butts/self-report what happened.

Semantics aside, you DID rat her out and you were covering your rear end, when you went to the Sup.

That being said, I think you did the right/appropriate thing! It appears that you went out of your way to try to help her correct the problem she created, and it seems she apparently could care less. I throw people like that under the bus on a regular basis (being facetious). If you cannot get another partner, do the best you can with what you can... stay vigilant
 

JJR512

Forum Deputy Chief
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I have never worked with anyone whose *** was so nice that I would protect theirs before mine.
 

LonghornMedic

Forum Lieutenant
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Having a difficult partner can really suck. Nothing worse than sharing 12 or 24 hours with someone you can't stand. I think sitting down with her and being honest and explain everything the way you did here would be a start. If she still acts the same afterwards, then continue to do what you are already doing...your job. Keep checking the truck out at shift start, being vigilant with the narc logs, etc. If things get real nasty, then involve a supervisor. Just hang in there until the next shift bid.
 

usalsfyre

You have my stapler
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While I'm not one for carrying minor/stupid crap to a supervisor....

There's no way in flaming hell I'm going to attempt to cover up a drug log error that you refuse to take care of in a timely manner. This is not a threat just to my job (I can seek other employment) but to my livelihood in the form of action by the state against my paramedic certificate. You did the right thing, SHE screwed up if she refused to rectify the error in a timely fashion (meaning, right the heck now).

The other stuff, such is life. Try to talk it out, if it doesn't look like it's gonna work, seek a transfer.
 

Aidey

Community Leader Emeritus
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The other stuff, such is life. Try to talk it out, if it doesn't look like it's gonna work, seek a transfer.

Pretty much this.

Also, I work on an amb that is in service 24/7, and honestly, you have to learn whether or not you can trust the people you share with. We can, so we do an abbreviated full check. It isn't out of laziness, but becuase we trust our co-workers.

Also, what kind of service do you work for that you had no way of finding out the patients name without calling the hospital?
 

wyoskibum

Forum Captain
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Also, what kind of service do you work for that you had no way of finding out the patients name without calling the hospital?

In these days of computer PCR's and HIPPA that isn't unusual. All of my PCR's are created on the computer. I do print a copy to be signed by Med Control, but it goes into a locked file holder. Unless my partner happened to get a signature for me, they might not know the patients name.
 

Aidey

Community Leader Emeritus
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In these days of computer PCR's and HIPPA that isn't unusual. All of my PCR's are created on the computer. I do print a copy to be signed by Med Control, but it goes into a locked file holder. Unless my partner happened to get a signature for me, they might not know the patients name.

We have computer PCRs and I have 3 ways of getting the patient's name without calling the hospital. I can download and review the PCR of any patient I've transported.


Oxymoron anyone? :)


Abbreviated: To shorten, to cut short
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/abbreviated

Full: Complete in every particular, containing all that is possible
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/full

Oh shush you. A full full check can take 30-45 minutes becuase it involves counting everything right down to the number of alcohol wipes. An abbreviated full check means that when we look over everything nothing obvious is missing or short stocked.
 

abckidsmom

Dances with Patients
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Oxymoron anyone? :)




Abbreviated: To shorten, to cut short
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/abbreviated

Full: Complete in every particular, containing all that is possible
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/full

And I can see doing less than a full check of the equipment, but really, checking that all of the immobilization equipment is present is pretty far up on the list. It's easy to cover for the absence of bandaids, not so much the absence of a backboard ready to go.

In this case, with this partner, I'd probably start checking behind her on everything she did. It would piss her off, but I would know that we were getting the job done.

As for the narcing comment, I'd be prepared with a pat answer every time someone mentioned her to me...something slightly funny and intended to shut down the discussion. I can't think of it right now, but if it comes to me, I'll come back to this.
 

Aidey

Community Leader Emeritus
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It sounds like they share their ambulance with a day crew, and she was saying the day crew had done the check, not her personally.

I do agree with the backboard comment, my "abbreviated full check" would have caught that just FYI Mr. AK smarty-pants :p
 

wyoskibum

Forum Captain
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We have computer PCRs and I have 3 ways of getting the patient's name without calling the hospital. I can download and review the PCR of any patient I've transported.

Yeah but the OP didn't ride the call in or write the report. So she didn't have access to that information. Her partner who wrote the report, couldn't remember the pt name and had already left for the day.
 

WannaBeFlight

Forum Lieutenant
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Have you considered talking to someone through your EAP? Its confidential and allows you to talk to someone who is a neutral figure. But I agree with everyone else with continuing to do your job and cya... She will get hers in the end.
 
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Fox800

Forum Captain
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Yeah but the OP didn't ride the call in or write the report. So she didn't have access to that information. Her partner who wrote the report, couldn't remember the pt name and had already left for the day.

I'm a bro, bro.

With our ePCR's, one you submit the call, it's gone. You can't look it up again, you'd have to contact a supervisor/administrator to get it back.
 

Shishkabob

Forum Chief
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Atleast you guys have ePCRs... ours are all paper. Luckily we can go to our billing dept (in same building) and have a digital copy looked up if need be.
 
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emtchick171

Forum Lieutenant
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Sounds like she is just entirely too apathetic and irresponsible to have the responsibility of being a paramedic and being in charge of narcs. I may be wrong, but that is how it seemed.

I had a similar situation, my paramedic partner (we were on night shift) fell asleep...and I tried several times to wake him up so we could finish checking-off our truck (we had been too busy with calls to finish at shift change). Well, when he would not wake up and help I decided I was going to do it myself, so I did just that...checked off everything except the narcotics...and I would have gotten the dates off of them if they were not in his pocket! Anyway, I filled out the check-off sheet and placed it in the supervisors box with everything filled out...I placed a sticky note on the check off sheet saying " (my partners name) was responsible for narc check-off, and said he would do it asap." Also, that same night we had to use some Narcs and he only used a portion of the vial of morphine...so he had to "waste" the rest and did not get me to witness the form while we were at the hospital...so he came up at the end of shift the next morning wanting me to sign it. These were the major issues, there were also a few issues such as: not doing his part of the station duty, not answering calls when he was supposed to, sleeping through calls (me having to constantly wake him.)

- - I requested not to work with him anymore, because this was not the first time things like this have happened while he was on the truck. Great person, not a very responsible medic! My request was granted and all issues have been eliminated.

Maybe you could do the same thing for your partner and see if things worked out better, or if you really didn't want to change partners you could always just sit down and talk to her and see if talking accomplished anything! Hope everything goes well for you!!!!!!
 
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