Poll on empathy and EMS

[bigbaldguy]

Just a simple poll involving empathy and EMS. I'm curious to see if you feel a good medical provider should allow themselves to become emotionally involved in a patients situation or if you think it is better to remain detached.

 

[Handsome Robb]

You need to be compassionate and professional, but not emotionally involved. It's unhealthy. Not your emergency, IMO.

 

[Raquel]

I dont think anyone really detaches themselves, they just learn how to handle and cope with the hard things. but i think its better to get emotionally involved and show you care

 

[Elk Oil]

I think there's a difference between caring and becoming emotionally involved. I've seen EMTs who get emotionally involved and become useless at the scene of a difficult call. I've worked with people who care and are able to work difficult calls while not getting wrapped up in what's going on. So I think the two can be mutually exclusive. I believe to be a good EMT you have to genuinely care for your patients but must not get emotionally wrapped up in them.

 

[Anjel]

I didn't like any of those but I choose 2.

I have sympathy for some of my patients. But I don't put myself in their shoes and say I know what they are going through.

I care, and I comfort. I hold hands, wipe tears. But I don't make their tears my tears, and I dont make their pain my pain. I think that would just put too much on you.

 

[Sasha]

I still maintain that you don't have to be compassionate to be a medic.

 

[fast65]

In my opinion, the best EMS professionals are the ones who can be in touch with the emotions of their patients, without actually being involved with those emotions (if that makes sense?). Understanding what our patients are feeling is important, but if we let those feelings get to us then we can't continue to function effectively because we've allowed their emergency to become our emergency. So what do I think makes the best EMS professional?

A trained chimp in a medic outfit

 

[Raquel]

In my opinion, the best EMS professionals are the ones who can be in touch with the emotions of their patients, without actually being involved with those emotions (if that makes sense?). Understanding what our patients are feeling is important, but if we let those feelings get to us then we can't continue to function effectively because we've allowed their emergency to become our emergency. So what do I think makes the best EMS professional?

A trained chimp in a medic outfit

I totally agree!!

 

[STXmedic]

Chimpie is the epitome of EMS providers!

 

[katgrl2003]

Chimpie is the epitome of EMS providers!

I knew someone had to say it!

 

[MediMike]

Big difference between sympathy and empathy. I feel sorry for some of my patients. Do I share their emotions and experience them with them? Negatory ghost rider.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

I still maintain that you don't have to be compassionate to be a medic.

You don't. But you have to be compassionate to be a GOOD medic.

 

[Anjel]

Big difference between sympathy and empathy. I feel sorry for some of my patients. Do I share their emotions and experience them with them? Negatory ghost rider.

thats what I was trying to get out in my post.

so +1

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

You don't. But you have to be compassionate to be a GOOD medic.

You need compassion to be a nice medic

 

[firetender]

Empathy is an emotion. It passes. It does not control any more than a bout of anger or frivolity.

We have a choice about the emotions we hold on to. THIS is what affects our ability to perform in the job. If we hold on to ANY emotion and let it cloud our professional judgment then we are not doing the work.

FEELING emotions is not an indication of competence to serve. It's what you choose to do with them that matters.

My position is that it is helpful to know and understand and experience your emotions as related to this work so that you can recognize when you're CHOOSING to let them get in the way. If you deny having them, suppress or avoid them, they'll come back in some other form far more vexing.

But in your wording BBG, you, in Choice "B" seem to be saying feeling empathetic and opening yourself up to clouded judgment work hand in hand.

I could not disagree more.

 

[adamjh3]

Big difference between sympathy and empathy. I feel sorry for some of my patients. Do I share their emotions and experience them with them? Negatory ghost rider.

This.

If I do find myself getting "emotionally attached" I'm pretty good at compartmentalizing that until after the run, then talking through it with my partner, and moving on.

 

[MrBrown]

A good Ambulance Officer is empathetic and understanding

For example Brown and Black went to a job recently where afterwards we sat round and went "shirt we feel sorry for that guy" and ten minutes later we had forgotten about it.

Now this brings it back up Brown still thinks you know, its unfortunate and Brown hopes the guy is OK but Brown doesn't spend every waking moment of Brown's day thinking about it ... you can't otherwise you will go bonkers.

It's no good holding hands and crying with the crowd, somebody has to do something to fix whatever the problem is.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Do I feel sorry for some of my patients? Yes. Do I let that effect how I treat them? No. I may sound like a jerk to some but let's say on a 5150 transport I keep everyone in full restraints. It doesn't matter if they were a NAVY SEAL, a grandma, a 13 y/o patient. They are on the hold because they are a danger to someone. If I have an elderly lady in the back and she is crying I will odviously talk to her but I won't let her out of the restraints (and before someone says "what if that was your grandma?" well I have transported my grandma before on a 5150 hold in full restraints, and it sucked badly but I still did it).

Emotions make a huge difference in MCIs. If they are dead then you leave them. You don't start CPR because of your emotions. They are gone and the best thing to do is move on to the next patient to help them. In my view emotions cloud judgement. If your judgement is not clear then you are not a good EMT/Medic/Nurse/Doctor.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I think this thread needs some definitions, I know I had to look it up, and maybe it comes from me being a Master Debater in HS but:

From merriam-webster.com

Empathy-

the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this

Sympathy-

an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other

 

[Handsome Robb]

I think this thread needs some definitions. I know I had to look it up, and maybe it comes from me being a Master Debater in HS but:

As taken from www.merriam-webster.com

Empathy-

the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this

Sympathy-

an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other