Survey on coping with patient death in EMS

[austin2118ace]

Hi All,

I am doing a small research project on how EMS providers cope with the death of patients for a class at Florida State University. The survey has a mixture of multiple choice questions and optional short response questions about your experiences with patient death and the various ways you chose to cope with those deaths. I know everyone is busy with the crisis, so if you are able to spare a few moments to complete the survey it would be extremely appreciated. I already have around 30 responses, but would like to expand my sample size a bit. The survey has already been approved by my instructor, and my paramedic supervisor at the organization I volunteer for approved it. Responses are completely anonymous and no identifying information is collected.

Thanks!

Survey Link: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_djxxUpNz5zgChmt

 

[medichopeful]

Hi All,

I am doing a small research project on how EMS providers cope with the death of patients for a class at Florida State University. The survey has a mixture of multiple choice questions and optional short response questions about your experiences with patient death and the various ways you chose to cope with those deaths. I know everyone is busy with the crisis, so if you are able to spare a few moments to complete the survey it would be extremely appreciated. I already have around 30 responses, but would like to expand my sample size a bit. The survey has already been approved by my instructor, and my paramedic supervisor at the organization I volunteer for approved it. Responses are completely anonymous and no identifying information is collected.

Thanks!

Survey Link: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_djxxUpNz5zgChmt

Done.

 

[akflightmedic]

Done

 

[E tank]

Who here has done CISM training and has had meaningful experience in either group or individual crisis management? Could you share a bit of your experience? Anyone been the beneficiary of it? How about individual counseling/EMDR?

 

[mgr22]

My experience on the receiving end of CISM has been mostly bad: too many rules, too much talking and not enough listening by the moderators, too many people per session, and few people feeling better afterwards. I realize all of those things are affected by the people running the show, and I don't have a significant sample size, but informal, brief conversations with partners or family seem more effective to me. So does keeping stuff private.

 

[ffemt8978]

My experience on the receiving end of CISM has been mostly bad: too many rules, too much talking and not enough listening by the moderators, too many people per session, and few people feeling better afterwards. I realize all of those things are affected by the people running the show, and I don't have a significant sample size, but informal, brief conversations with partners or family seem more effective to me. So does keeping stuff private.

Same here, with the added comment that blanket policies of everyone involved on the call be forced to attend a CISM is not beneficial either.

 

[DragonClaw]

Who here has done CISM training and has had meaningful experience in either group or individual crisis management? Could you share a bit of your experience? Anyone been the beneficiary of it? How about individual counseling/EMDR?

Unrelated to EMS, I've been reccomend to get EMDR.

 

[E tank]

Same here, with the added comment that blanket policies of everyone involved on the call be forced to attend a CISM is not beneficial either.

I think forced attendance has been universally condemned in these circles by now...hopefully. Different CISM teams can spin things differently and not all CISM 'event's' have the same objectives, ie, intervention v. debriefing...I think debriefings, if not run correctly can turn into a CSM intervention when all it is meant to do is get everyone involved up to speed on the facts and clear up rumors and false information. That sometimes I think is all folks need to process stuff in their own way effectively.

 

[johnrsemt]

The 1st time we had something along the lines of CISM, the counselor left crying because she couldn't deal with it. And the crews were nice about it, were trying to be mean. That was back in 1998 while I was in EMT B school; one of our classmates died in an apartment fire with her baby.
Ever since I have always done better just talking to coworkers and crews, not with counseling: but where I work now, it is so slow, and people I work with have not really worked in busy services so there is no one to talk to and de-stress with, so things are starting to bother me more

 

[DragonClaw]

Hi All,

I am doing a small research project on how EMS providers cope with the death of patients for a class at Florida State University. The survey has a mixture of multiple choice questions and optional short response questions about your experiences with patient death and the various ways you chose to cope with those deaths. I know everyone is busy with the crisis, so if you are able to spare a few moments to complete the survey it would be extremely appreciated. I already have around 30 responses, but would like to expand my sample size a bit. The survey has already been approved by my instructor, and my paramedic supervisor at the organization I volunteer for approved it. Responses are completely anonymous and no identifying information is collected.

Thanks!

Survey Link: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_djxxUpNz5zgChmt

I did the survey once and at the time I hadn't had a patient in my care die. Things have since changed. But I cannot retake the survey.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I had a bad experience with CISM early in my EMS career. It involved a multiple patient fatal accident that I was on as a newer EMT. The dead were several members of my high school class. I was doing okay with managing the grief until I was mandated to go to the CISM.

It didn’t go well. In a myriad of ways.

Based on the way it made me feel, I can’t ever, with a good conscience, recommend a CISM program.

Of course, YMMV.

 

[GMCmedic]

The last ground services I worked at, nearly every single one of the 9 fire departments did a mandatory CISM after a pediatric death, the ambulance crew was always invited and offered to speak with someone by the ambulance service.

After my pedi code.......nothing. No invites, no offers, nobody asked me about it. Very next pedi code in the county, back to normal with mandatory counseling or offers of counseling.

I didnt need counseling, I didnt want counseling. I guess everyone assumed this and didnt offer it...........and that IMO is a very dangerous thought process.