Observations from Facebook Friday

Spent some time actually observing and digesting some EMS stuff on Facebook today.  Two random thoughts.

1) Less than a few moments ago, I watched my Facebook feed roll by with another NAEMT post shilling the “Field EMS Bill.” Tell me how making sure EMS ends up in the Federal HHS bureaucracy (ya know, the same people implementing ObamaCare) and creating a pool of grants for “innovative” EMS projects (read: politically connected EMS systems that already get plenty of national attention and funding) does a thing for the field EMS provider? I’d much rather the NAEMT powers-that-be working on true certification reciprocity.

2) I also observed a post about palliative care and DNRs that was shared from one of groups that I’d identify as catering to the so-called “low information voters” of EMS.   The ambulance drivers on that group (yep, if you act like Mongo the Gorilla, I’ll call you an ambulance driver) asked if a transfer patient had a DNR.  The nurse replied that the patient had “comfort measures only.”  The ambulance drivers said “full code then.”  I can’t understand some people in EMS.  They want a simple cookbook of recipes to follow, along the lines of “If A, then B.”   But when people call them ambulance drivers, they claim to be offended medical professionals.  Nope.  You’re an ambulance driver.  Professionals don’t define themselves by a skill set (witness the paramedic intubation debate) and exercise some freaking judgment.   Have a banana, Mongo.

Comments

  1. Mike Smertka says

    Always like to read your stuff.