When I started in EMS I was informed by
my instructor that my biggest enemy in patient care was going to be
nurses. Nurses didn't like EMS because they hated the lights and
sirens. They hated that the paramedics could intubate and run off of
standard orders. They hated us because of many reasons. All of which
were related to jealousy. By the way my EMT had been married to a
nurse that he called Cruella DeVille.
I found that most nurses that I
encountered were supportive. Their biggest complaints were often
involving no IV's on patients or call ins they felt were inadequate.
They were my skill instructors in Intermediate and Paramedic class.
They helped us constantly and we helped them. I found there was a
rivalry, but it was more akin to that of the Army and Marines,
friendly and for the most part productive.
In our looking forward to EMS 2.0 and
the community paramedic concept, we need to learn from the nurses we
know. Mainly long term impact on the patient of our treatment. Oxygen
is the most abused drug on the ambulance. We consider it safe and it
makes the patient think we are doing something. However Oxygen
Toxicity is becoming recognized as more prevalent than previously
thought.
Thinking clinically will lead to better
care all around. A major problem is coming from system protocols that
are not updated often. You can still be in a position of doing
something that will either harm your patient or possibly harm your
ability to provide for your family. This is especially true in states
like Illinois that still utilize a resource hospital instead of
services hiring their own medical director.
Yes, these things we can learn from
nurses. It turns out that when the nurse was mad at you for bringing
in a patient on 15 lpm per nonrebreather he or she was right. You
were possibly harming that patient. Welcome to EMS 2.0. We have to
admit we were wrong sometimes.
Thoughtfully yours.