Aidey
Community Leader Emeritus
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Oh, and on topic, having a consistent policy, no matter what it is, can help defend an employee against a complaint of discrimination.
Patient dropped the race card
- Thread starter Lifeguard326
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slb862
Forum Lieutenant
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how did we go from "Patient dropped the race card " to "whether or not your service allows family or friends to ride in the ambulance"? Obviously this poster had something to talk about. The poster wanted to hear others experiences and how they handled a situation of this nature.
A situation of this nature can be frustrating and disheartening. How you handle it is what counts. Honesty, dignity, and knowing you did what you can to help this pt. was the right and correct thing to do (or protocol).
My experience (not the only one) I had a child, that had been hit by a car, during the night, (the child and his friend had just shoplifted from a gas station), My crew of 2 ambulance, with 2 medics on board each, had this child, c-spined, long back boarded, 2 lines started, intubated and BVM, heart moniter applied, CPR in progress and to the hospital in 12 minutes. Upon arrival to the Level 2 trauma center, the pt. was xrayed immediately. To our dismay this child's cervical spine was displaced at C-1 and C-2, with the spinal column severed. The code was called. A rather large family gathering began to accumulate in the area of the hospital waiting room. Next thing we know the family pulled the race card. "If this kid was (of a different race) you would have ran the code longer".... There were threats of guns, hurting people, and lawsuits. Nothing came of this, luckily. And I don't wish this on anyone.
But, I would like to say that my partners and myself were confident and followed our protocol, without hesitation. Believe in yourself and don't second guess calls. If a mistake was made learn from it, don't shy away.
A situation of this nature can be frustrating and disheartening. How you handle it is what counts. Honesty, dignity, and knowing you did what you can to help this pt. was the right and correct thing to do (or protocol).
My experience (not the only one) I had a child, that had been hit by a car, during the night, (the child and his friend had just shoplifted from a gas station), My crew of 2 ambulance, with 2 medics on board each, had this child, c-spined, long back boarded, 2 lines started, intubated and BVM, heart moniter applied, CPR in progress and to the hospital in 12 minutes. Upon arrival to the Level 2 trauma center, the pt. was xrayed immediately. To our dismay this child's cervical spine was displaced at C-1 and C-2, with the spinal column severed. The code was called. A rather large family gathering began to accumulate in the area of the hospital waiting room. Next thing we know the family pulled the race card. "If this kid was (of a different race) you would have ran the code longer".... There were threats of guns, hurting people, and lawsuits. Nothing came of this, luckily. And I don't wish this on anyone.
But, I would like to say that my partners and myself were confident and followed our protocol, without hesitation. Believe in yourself and don't second guess calls. If a mistake was made learn from it, don't shy away.
Also if things go bad with patient you now have a person potentially interfering with care. We are not a hospital and do not have space like a hospital does for visitors. At the hospital you ask family and friends to leave the room while providing some types of care, where can they go when you are going down the highway?
In many years, many riders, and more than a few things not going well, I have never had rider interfere.
I have also seen that when friends/relatives are part of the resuscitation process, both in and out of the hospital, it has a positive effect on the family. Perhaps I am just comfortable enough in my own skin to have somebody watching?
As for driving, well... That is a matter not easily solved.
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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Bingo!!!! in one case, the employee can be viewed as making a decision based on race. if their is a policy, then the agency (and supervisor/management) have decided how to handle the situation, so the race card is completely taken out of the equation.
also keep in mind, even if there is no racial discrimination intended, just the accusation can cause negative PR and be detrimental to modern politics and careers.
PotashRLS
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This is spot on.
Unfortunately, pulling the race card has become more of the norm lately and somewhat of an accepted excuse depending where you are from. It is like a socially acceptable "cry wolf" to some extent. When it legitimately happens, all recourse should be taken, but throwing it out there in frustration draws a lot of attention and hurts a lot of people. I personally have not been acused and I feel for you. You know you did what you were supposed to do and ultimately get a sharp stick in the eye for doing it. Thats too bad!
Lifeguard326
Forum Ride Along
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Thanks PotashRLS, and to everyone else. Though we all don't agree on this topic, it is obvious that we all care about what we do and that it is never easy.
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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The title made me think it was about a horse track.
I had the race card used all the time. Being a white guy wearing scrubs in a jail setting didn't help much. In my book, a refusal is a refusal, if they don't want to sign time three in five minutes, I'm done feeding their diseased egoes and get it co-signed by a coworker and split.
With modern technology, I'd equip my ambulances with cameras and audio to record such instances, as well as others. "For training and other purposes, this ambulance ride is being recorded". Patient doesn't like it, they can get out; if they are that badly hurt, they won't care. Lock the cameras so only senior admin can access them and get the media.
I had the race card used all the time. Being a white guy wearing scrubs in a jail setting didn't help much. In my book, a refusal is a refusal, if they don't want to sign time three in five minutes, I'm done feeding their diseased egoes and get it co-signed by a coworker and split.
With modern technology, I'd equip my ambulances with cameras and audio to record such instances, as well as others. "For training and other purposes, this ambulance ride is being recorded". Patient doesn't like it, they can get out; if they are that badly hurt, they won't care. Lock the cameras so only senior admin can access them and get the media.
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This.
You don't need to justify your moral integrity to this stranger. Give a short, firm answer and go from there.
People will drop any "card" they have if they feel their personal sense of justice has been violated.
AtlantaEMT
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I had a black partner who was accused of being racist from a black patient. Weird thing was, that the patient was cool with me.
hatsuo
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It is sad how now a days people (mankind) still pull out the "your black, Im white, hes yellow, your blue" card. Especially to EMS when the medics have taken a stand and oath to help those in need, they still share their idiotic verbal comments. It's just really frustrating that there are human beings like that still out there.
lightsandsirens5
Forum Deputy Chief
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"You know when it comes to racism, people say: 'I don't care if they're black, white, purple, or green.' Uh, hold on now, purple people?!? You gotta draw the line somewhere! To heck with purple people! Unless they're suffocating, then help 'em." -- Mitch Hedburg
Anjel
Forum Angel
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"You know when it comes to racism, people say: 'I don't care if they're black, white, purple, or green.' Uh, hold on now, purple people?!? You gotta draw the line somewhere! To heck with purple people! Unless they're suffocating, then help 'em." -- Mitch Hedburg
hahahaha it never gets old
Hellsbells
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Smurfs?
Bullets
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dispathed to a Sick Person at one of our finest government funded apartment complexes. Its three 5 story buildings surrounding a courtyard. During the summer, the locals tend to hang out on the balconies and yell at each other, drink, and do other illicit activities.
Get there, patient is sitting outside on the bench by her apartment. flu like symptoms, vitals normal, nothing remarkable, so we explain the various pt movement devices for getting to the ambulance. she decided to walk and some of the finer residents take offense with this say that we dont make the white people walk, generally get hollered at
Get there, patient is sitting outside on the bench by her apartment. flu like symptoms, vitals normal, nothing remarkable, so we explain the various pt movement devices for getting to the ambulance. she decided to walk and some of the finer residents take offense with this say that we dont make the white people walk, generally get hollered at
BlueAngel2955
Forum Ride Along
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In my long EMS career (I'm now retired) I had the race card pulled many times. The worst incident involved a double shooting in the middle of a street in a minority neighborhood.
My unit was first on scene; two victims, 1st was DOS, trauma incompatible (took two to the head). We started care on the second as the second rig arrived and took over care. They scooped and pooped and in the midst of about 15-20 uniformed police the bystanders started advancing on us and calling us racists for "not helping that boy..." Threats were made, our rig was blocked off by some people and someone said very clearly, "Well let me go get MY gun and even this up..." Police finally got things under control and we got out of there safe but for a minute or two it was white-knuckle dirty underwear time...
There were others; usually due to perceived quality of care, some due to perceived socioeconomic status, etc., but this one was the worst for me.
My unit was first on scene; two victims, 1st was DOS, trauma incompatible (took two to the head). We started care on the second as the second rig arrived and took over care. They scooped and pooped and in the midst of about 15-20 uniformed police the bystanders started advancing on us and calling us racists for "not helping that boy..." Threats were made, our rig was blocked off by some people and someone said very clearly, "Well let me go get MY gun and even this up..." Police finally got things under control and we got out of there safe but for a minute or two it was white-knuckle dirty underwear time...
There were others; usually due to perceived quality of care, some due to perceived socioeconomic status, etc., but this one was the worst for me.
WuLabsWuTecH
Forum Deputy Chief
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I can agree with the policy as written. It's one more liability you don't want to deal with. Our policy is the in-charge has discretion as to whether someone can ride withe the driver seconding but in reality, if anyone doesn't want the rider the rider won't get a seat.
If the race card every gets pulled on me, I don't argue with them. I tell them they can believe what they want to believe, but I think that the patient needs to go to the hospital. If they want to sign a refusal, they can do so. Just like we don't call in other personnel for gender preferences, we won't call in other personnel for race preferences. IF you need to go that badly, then this won't bother you. But if you call 911, you get who you get. And if the scene is that unstable, the patient gets immediately loaded and we high tail it out of there and stop on the side of the road if more hands are needed in the back. If we don't have time to get the patient, then we pile in and get out of there. And yes, we do have a policy in place that if we feel unsafe, the medic starts moving regardless of who is trying to block us in. They tend to move out of your way when the big lumbering truck comes toward them and is blaring it's airhorn, sirens, and rumbler.
kermit
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Oh no, The man who is here to save me is BLACK!
I work with two medics as a general rule. I work 2 ,24's and off 72 and the first 24 I have a white male medic and for my second 24 I have a veteran black male medic. "veteran in both aspects of the word" prior service and also over 20 years as a medic, military and civilian. However I probably live in the most raciest little town in Arkansas which has almost zero black residence. I LOVE responding with my black partner to calls where the PT thinks they are dieing but cant stand the thought of a black person touching them. PRICELESS! front row seat to someone having to swallow a huge lump of racism. The look on their face is worth waking up at 3 am to go on the call. The cool thing is my partner get as big of a kick out of it as I do. We laugh and do the "oh no its a black man hi five" I LOVE THIS JOB!
I work with two medics as a general rule. I work 2 ,24's and off 72 and the first 24 I have a white male medic and for my second 24 I have a veteran black male medic. "veteran in both aspects of the word" prior service and also over 20 years as a medic, military and civilian. However I probably live in the most raciest little town in Arkansas which has almost zero black residence. I LOVE responding with my black partner to calls where the PT thinks they are dieing but cant stand the thought of a black person touching them. PRICELESS! front row seat to someone having to swallow a huge lump of racism. The look on their face is worth waking up at 3 am to go on the call. The cool thing is my partner get as big of a kick out of it as I do. We laugh and do the "oh no its a black man hi five" I LOVE THIS JOB!
lmao!!!!!!!
While I haven't been on any "race card"calls seeing I just passed NREMT... I did work Rent To Own and Payday n Title loans in a past life.I was the only white guy and most of my customers were AA....which didnt bother me except when I would have to go collect my money or stuff from some of the area drug dealers...and even they got used to me pretty quickly because I was always respectful to all my customers but I was firm in what I had to do...I'd ask about their families...let em know I was prayin for em if things were bad...just generally tried to be as much as a friend as I could.