hometownmedic5
Forum Asst. Chief
- 806
- 612
- 93
Where is the line between being a good partner and being a good employee and a good steward for your system?
My current partner is a bad paramedic. Clinically, he's quite far behind the times with some very bad practices. He's lazy, not believing in bringing equipment to the patient. He wants to bls als calls. He forgoes appropriate treatments because he doesn't want to do the work(and potentially because he doesn't know what to do/how to do it). He has no capacity to talk to patients appropriately, often converting cooperative psychs into nightmares; patients willing to be transported into handcuffs and involuntary holds.
He's a bad employee. He doesn't wear his uniform, doesn't do his check outs, he doesn't replace used supplies. He spends all day doing side work(computer based work/phone calls) and treats every call as a personal insult to him. He never carries a radio, so I have to chase him around and we constantly have to go retrieve his computer and so forth after a call when we get sent to cover another station. When he does pack up his gear before we leave on a call, it causes a delay long enough to trigger an alert on our chute time.
He doesn't listen to a word I say. I have talked myself blue in the face trying to explain to him the policies and procedures for working in this system, which he ignores. Every discussion becomes an argument until I give up in frustration. I spend at least a broken up hour a shift defending him to the fire department because they know me well enough o bring me their complaints and I am trying not to sandbag him. I spend most of the day babysitting him, cleaning up his screw ups, bailing him out as much as I can and I'm simply tired of it.
So where is the line? How far down this rabbit hole do I go before I’ve done my part and I can join the other team? Keep in mind that for six months, I’ve been a good partner I’ve defended his bad performance and tried to improve it whenever I can, but he just wont listen. I love my job, I’m happy with my employer, I’m happy and comfortable with my system. I’m respected by my colleagues, my management, my medical director. I’m doing my job to the best of my abilities; but I’m at this time inseparable from this hack. I’m on the hook for every thing he does or doesn’t do because I’m not doing anything in an official capacity to separate myself. When is it fair to cut him loose and start documenting and reporting?
My current partner is a bad paramedic. Clinically, he's quite far behind the times with some very bad practices. He's lazy, not believing in bringing equipment to the patient. He wants to bls als calls. He forgoes appropriate treatments because he doesn't want to do the work(and potentially because he doesn't know what to do/how to do it). He has no capacity to talk to patients appropriately, often converting cooperative psychs into nightmares; patients willing to be transported into handcuffs and involuntary holds.
He's a bad employee. He doesn't wear his uniform, doesn't do his check outs, he doesn't replace used supplies. He spends all day doing side work(computer based work/phone calls) and treats every call as a personal insult to him. He never carries a radio, so I have to chase him around and we constantly have to go retrieve his computer and so forth after a call when we get sent to cover another station. When he does pack up his gear before we leave on a call, it causes a delay long enough to trigger an alert on our chute time.
He doesn't listen to a word I say. I have talked myself blue in the face trying to explain to him the policies and procedures for working in this system, which he ignores. Every discussion becomes an argument until I give up in frustration. I spend at least a broken up hour a shift defending him to the fire department because they know me well enough o bring me their complaints and I am trying not to sandbag him. I spend most of the day babysitting him, cleaning up his screw ups, bailing him out as much as I can and I'm simply tired of it.
So where is the line? How far down this rabbit hole do I go before I’ve done my part and I can join the other team? Keep in mind that for six months, I’ve been a good partner I’ve defended his bad performance and tried to improve it whenever I can, but he just wont listen. I love my job, I’m happy with my employer, I’m happy and comfortable with my system. I’m respected by my colleagues, my management, my medical director. I’m doing my job to the best of my abilities; but I’m at this time inseparable from this hack. I’m on the hook for every thing he does or doesn’t do because I’m not doing anything in an official capacity to separate myself. When is it fair to cut him loose and start documenting and reporting?
. 
