It's just like anything else. It's a TV show. Creative editing can make even the most boring call look good. Lots of jump cuts of trucks flashing lights and profile shots of strong jawed paramedics. Add in some random radio chatter, concerned bystanders, an NRB and Motorola squawks and all of a sudden even an IFT can look like an MCI
Agreed, but I still can't help but wonder how much of what they say is ad-libbed, scripted, or just the cheesiest "Reaper Racing" crews that they have.
I guess it's quite possible it's a combination of all of the above mentioned. Every service has these types, which is exactly what pulls in ratings. So, yaaay, keep encouraging the people who mimic this behavior learned on TV to continue to act as such because, well, TV never lies, and is never wrong. I mean come on people look how real, and down-to-earth the Kartrashians are??
I have noticed an increase in even the crews at my service going "code" to the local hospitals from the time I started until now. It's questionable as I am not the one running the calls, but when you chop, cut, and edit every call to be an emergent ride to the ED whilst you smile, laugh, and joke with your patient all the way there this sure encourages these actions, and all but obliterates the need to use clinical insight, judgement, or crtical thinking as tools to decide mode of transport. After all, what does it matter what we're taught in school? Clearly, every other profession was taken seriously based solely on how high they scored on the "coolness factor" meter.
I know it's often discussed on here, but I have never gotten the chance to voice my opinion so please bear with me. I did look over to my wife mid-show and told her how sad it makes me that even in this day and age with all the pissing and moaning about us being a profession this is what is continually shown to be "what we do". The folks on the show, the producers themselves, and everyone involved really does nothing to show the intelligent side of some of the better clinicians I've learned from both on this forum, and over the length of my career.
When you have one of these "cool racer reaping medics" on 'Nightwatch' bellow how the first thing that comes to mind with a 30 year old anxious patient (in spite of them being pale, cool, diaphoretic, tachycardic, and not grabbing a room air while the patient was in the position found) is a panic attack, you're going to leave the wrong impression to many newer folks. And let's not forget the layperson who now compares them to us.
Will I still watch these shows? Probably, it's still very much like a bad car wreck, hard not to look...even harder not to critique.
Thanks all for letting me share my zero-two...
