Smokers...u gotta love'em!

I am very fortunate in that I can follow my interests and inclinations without regard to career..... I have a lifelong interest in medicine and I love the challenge of learning as much as I can about EMS... I dont know if I will be a good paramedic or not.. I believe I can be... but you gotta admit there is a ton of egotistical macho BS in the field... now I understand that people under stress and pressure develope a them against us attitude... and yep... I can see that bleeding heart attitudes can be rubbed off after a short time in the field.... BUT... I grew up in an atmosphere of extreme violence, neglect and abuse.... there isnt a whole lot out in the field that will faze me... I lived on the streets at age 15 - and I know that a lot of people would have and did write me off.... As far as an open mind goes... I think I've probably seen both sides of the street... AND I still dont think its ok to refer to people as their conditions.... I think the term blue bloater is of more harm than help... BUT hey... . Im learning...

PS... I really appreciate you guys (and gals) taking the time to write....
 
Kaisu said:
I think the term blue bloater is of more harm than help... BUT hey... . Im learning...

PS... I really appreciate you guys (and gals) taking the time to write....
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Okay, since it was my post that started this, perhaps I should clarify....... Harm? What harm? How does the term in any way harm the pt? It is a short cut to the signs and symptoms associated with their particular manifestation of their disease. It's not like I walk into the pt's home and announce over the radio... "All responding units, we have a blue bloater...."

Also, I am not using the term as a derogatory reference to the patient but as a mnemonic to assist me in their care.

I am not bitter, or reactionary and using the terms as a way of distancing myself from my patients nor am I of the 'them vs. us' mentality.

I'm sorry about your husband's medical condition and I apologize for any disrespect you read into my comments. But, understand... this is an EMS forum, and as such is supposed to be a place where we can discuss things in a frank and open manner.

We do not discuss people here, but conditions. We refer to the 'chest pain' we saw last thursday or the "Hip Fx" we treated a week ago. Is it because we are so jaded that we no longer connect to the human side of our patients? Of course not. It's because here, discussing the call, we are more invested in learning, understanding, and interpreting the signs and symptoms so the next time we are on a similar call with someone's Aunt Martha or Uncle Charlie, we can actually make a difference.

Again, I'm sorry that you chose to interprete my remarks as a personal judgement against your husband's health condition, but prior to completion of your EMS course, I'd see someone about the chip on your shoulder.
 
Hey I'll be the first to admit that I may have been quick off the mark.... and I like my chip...

and an apology is totally unneccessary...
 
If EMS gets anymore politically correct, I'm changing careers.
"Heart Challenge" is the newest term on the block. :wacko:
 
SwissEMT said:
If EMS gets anymore politically correct, I'm changing careers.
"Heart Challenge" is the newest term on the block. :wacko:
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Hmm... my brain is spinning.. instead of dsyapnic... respiratorially challenged.. or maybe... for an MI... rhythmically impaired... unconsciousness will be referred to as Alternative Awareness..... bleeding out as possible volemicly deficient....... Lights and Sirens will be exercising Auditory and Visual Public Safety Awareness Protocols........ Flat line since it may be offensive to the less endowed female member of EMS will now be referred to as 'waveless'

The following terms are also to be banned...

Juicy veins
Code Brown
Combative - to be replaced with "negative physical response to Tx"
A&O is too judgemental and subjective and should be replaced with a numeric formula that quantifies the varied levels and areas of cognitive function.. sort of like the Glascow Coma scale only more complicated
 
i agree smoking is a bad habit and kills a persons health. but something is going to kill us all reguardless of how healthy we live
 
BossyCow said:
Hmm... my brain is spinning.. instead of dsyapnic... respiratorially challenged.. or maybe... for an MI... rhythmically impaired... unconsciousness will be referred to as Alternative Awareness..... bleeding out as possible volemicly deficient....... Lights and Sirens will be exercising Auditory and Visual Public Safety Awareness Protocols........ Flat line since it may be offensive to the less endowed female member of EMS will now be referred to as 'waveless'

The following terms are also to be banned...

Juicy veins
Code Brown
Combative - to be replaced with "negative physical response to Tx"
A&O is too judgemental and subjective and should be replaced with a numeric formula that quantifies the varied levels and areas of cognitive function.. sort of like the Glascow Coma scale only more complicated
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ha ha ha now thats just funny! i love it:P:)
 
Mmm.. that's like I heard of a call at my agency where this woman was on home oxygen and smoking a cigarette. There's a time when you really need scene safety.. *eye roll* lol.
 
Smokers are what my instructor calls "Job Security"


:P
 
Smoking and EMS Personal

It is funny to me that EMS people run calls on people that require O2 for smoking for 20+ years and yet outside every staion and base you are sure to find two or three people smoking like smoke stakes. I know that our is is stressful and there are times of waiting for something to happen but do these people even remember that in ten years they will be the one that needs EMS. Oh well just a thought.:unsure:
 
Yup ems smokers will equal pain in the butt patients. Ems are the worst patients. Will sedate and intubate so they don't bother me.:P
 
DocHoliday said:
It is funny to me that EMS people run calls on people that require O2 for smoking for 20+ years and yet outside every staion and base you are sure to find two or three people smoking like smoke stakes. I know that our is is stressful and there are times of waiting for something to happen but do these people even remember that in ten years they will be the one that needs EMS. Oh well just a thought.:unsure:
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Great insight!


Sad, but very true.
 
We have a LOL in our first due who calls 911 about 3 times a week. Same thing every time, "trouble breathing". And, as always, she's either smoking a cig when we walk in, or trying to hide the remains of the one she was smoking. Says smoking "calms her down" and "helps her breathe". *sigh*.
 
DocHoliday said:
It is funny to me that EMS people run calls on people that require O2 for smoking for 20+ years and yet outside every staion and base you are sure to find two or three people smoking like smoke stakes. I know that our is is stressful and there are times of waiting for something to happen but do these people even remember that in ten years they will be the one that needs EMS. Oh well just a thought.:unsure:
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I'm sure there are still some hospitals where you will see the Respiratory Therapist and/or Pulmonologist having a smoke in the designated smoking area before they go back to the ICU to intubate someone.
 
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