Ridryder911
EMS Guru
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I'm not so sure we should be considering situations like this to be "tough luck" in terms of what the patient wants. I personally would not shy away or ask for another same-gender crew unless the patient specifically seemed to desire such a thing. I certainly would not ignore their request.
It's definitely a cultural thing and there is no way that I can force my ideals on a patient that may have just been sexually assulted and mentally traumatized because of it. I'm a firm believer in the, "do no harm" aspect of the job and forcing things to go your way on a call would be no different than the person who SA the victim forced themselves onto said victim.
If the patient does not care, I do not either, I am there simply to help them. But if the patient does care then I can at least ask them what would make them comfortable. ^_^
That's a nice thought but not realistic. One cannot operate EMS based and dispatched upon what "patients want". I have them want only Native Americans, read and heard of requesting "Blacks, female", etc... Alike any other business, one cannot always get what they want or should the EMS attempt to satisfy. EMS operation is much more complex than just being able to send the unit with what the patient request. When a patient request help, they are asking for medical help and that is what they are going to get.
As a male nurse, many assume that females would automatically want another gender but in reality that has never happened. When a patient is assigned that is who they get.
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