I am on the second of four night shifts, sat on the station computer procrastinating time once more. Currently on my attending shift with the radio in front of me with trepidation waiting for the next job (will it be genuine or a complete waste of time!)
Anyway I am currently contemplating on the amount of time paramedics and technicians think about backsides. Honestly this is nothing rude, but we do. There is a constant thought when you are going to a call "is there anything on scene that is likely to hurt myself or my crew mate."
This is a very sad state of affairs. But long gone are the days when ambulance staff are seen as knights in shining armour. We are often now and inconvenience, interfering busy bodies that are getting involved into something that we are not welcome. I have witnessed this is the amount of verbal abuse that we are suffering, which is increasing on a daily basis.
As a result as a crew we are constantly watching each others backs making sure we are safe. This I have found is an essential part of the job and a vital ability in any person in the ambulance service.
Sunday 5 October 2008
Saturday 4 October 2008
Saturday Nights
It had to happen a blog about Saturday night shift. Which I am still on at the moment.
The problem with Saturday night shifts is alcohol. It makes sane, ordinary people do crazy things or have crazy things happen to them. It also seems to remove the ability to make rational thought.
One patient this evening, severe assualt to the head with resulting head injuries. Where most of us would be in pain and agony and accept the treatment suggested by medical personnel, drink causes a major headache for ambulance staff, and as a trainee removes you from the comfort of a textbook answer to a solution.
So this person was seriously assaulted and was knocked unconcious now only responsive to painful stimuli. So text book treatment of this patient is commenced. Airway cleared and C-Spine immobilised, oxygen applied as making good respiratory effort for themselves. Collared and boarded and away we are about to go.
Until...
Patient now decides to get up and "wants to go home". This completely ruins all hope of textbook treatment and we are back into the land of improvisation that I have come to know and love.
So alchol not only causes the insult to have occured in the first place, but also causes a problem, as ambulance staff are increasingly unable to give the best care to patients due to alcohol.
(Hypoxia was considered as a reason for the aggitation, but the clinical impression at the time was leading towards alcohol being the protagonist.)
The problem with Saturday night shifts is alcohol. It makes sane, ordinary people do crazy things or have crazy things happen to them. It also seems to remove the ability to make rational thought.
One patient this evening, severe assualt to the head with resulting head injuries. Where most of us would be in pain and agony and accept the treatment suggested by medical personnel, drink causes a major headache for ambulance staff, and as a trainee removes you from the comfort of a textbook answer to a solution.
So this person was seriously assaulted and was knocked unconcious now only responsive to painful stimuli. So text book treatment of this patient is commenced. Airway cleared and C-Spine immobilised, oxygen applied as making good respiratory effort for themselves. Collared and boarded and away we are about to go.
Until...
Patient now decides to get up and "wants to go home". This completely ruins all hope of textbook treatment and we are back into the land of improvisation that I have come to know and love.
So alchol not only causes the insult to have occured in the first place, but also causes a problem, as ambulance staff are increasingly unable to give the best care to patients due to alcohol.
(Hypoxia was considered as a reason for the aggitation, but the clinical impression at the time was leading towards alcohol being the protagonist.)
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