Does this make me a bad EMT?

[Shishkabob]

You turn your head, throw up and keep going. You are not running away and abandoning them.

You've never seen someone vomit uncontrollably for extended lengths of time, rendering them unable to do anything else? I have.


What if they ran away to vomit?

 

[Sasha]

If they are running away hiding in their car and sobbing hysterically, while throwing up then yes they dont need to be working as am.emt. if they run to throw up amd come back, then it is not the same.

Are you honestly tryingto say its okay to abandon a patient because you cant take it?

 

[HotelCo]

Both inhibit care of the patient, do they not? Why is one better than the other?

I can turn my head, throw up, and resume whatever I was doing.

Can you do the same if you've run away to your car and are crying?


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[Shishkabob]

I can turn my head, throw up, and resume whatever I was doing.

And we come back to the "uncontrollable" part of "uncontrollable vomiting" that you and sasha like to ignore

Are you honestly tryingto say its okay to abandon a patient because you cant take it?

If there are more providers taking care of the patient, some of which higher than your level, it's not abandonment, is it?

 

[abckidsmom]

Lady EMT, were you in any way in charge of this scene? Who was responsible for the searching for the right location and the hour-long wait to have the dispatcher recontact the caller?

Just wondering, and then I will have enough info to answer your question.

 

[CheifBud]

Abandonment is leaving a patient in the hands of someone with lesser capability than you yourself posses. A paramedic cannot run off and leave an EMT-I or B with a patient. That is abandonment in its truest form however an EMT-B can with simple approval of the Paramedic that will be taking over, leave the patient with them.

 

[usalsfyre]

You need to gut check yourself right now. This is not a career-ender in and of itself, but you need to ask yourself "what happens next time?" "What happens when I'm the only advanced provider available?" Your answers to these questions determine where you go from here. If you can't learn to compartmentalize, your done. If this was an isolated case and you can get over it, it proves your human and underestimated the effect calls can have on you.

As far as a serious call "bringing you back", it's no sign of being a bad person. I'll be honest, I enjoy the crap out of a procedure-heavy, mentally challenging, seriously ill or injured call...until it's over. Then the enjoyment generally fades to the haunting feeling that goes along with realizing the patient/family has just had a massively life altering event. That "fade" didn't start till 6 or 8 years (as a full-time provider who became aware of the after effects)in though.

Vomitting. As someone who has had intractable vommiting in the back of an EMS aircraft there's sometimes no "go on with it" it can put you 100% out of commission.

 

[HotelCo]

And we come back to the "uncontrollable" part of "uncontrollable vomiting" that you and sasha like to ignore

I've yet to find myself "uncontrollably vomiting" due to something I've seen, smelled, heard, or tasted. If you're prone to it, perhaps you should rethink your career choice.

If there are more providers taking care of the patient, some of which higher than your level, it's not abandonment, is it?

In this instance there were other providers on scene. What if it happens again when she's the only one, or she's needed to help with patient care?


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[tickle me doe face]

I've yet to find myself "uncontrollably vomiting" due to something I've seen, smelled, heard, or tasted. If you're prone to it, perhaps you should rethink your career choice.

Is uncontrollable vomiting by an EMT common? this worries me

 

[JPINFV]

Abandonment is leaving a patient in the hands of someone with lesser capability than you yourself posses. A paramedic cannot run off and leave an EMT-I or B with a patient. That is abandonment in its truest form however an EMT-B can with simple approval of the Paramedic that will be taking over, leave the patient with them.

...err, no. Plenty of jurisdictions allow paramedics, after an assessment, to turn care over to a paramedic. Similarly, if that was the case than a patient would never be able to be discharged from the hospital.

 

[truetiger]

Not saying you're a bad emt, but fleeing the scene was a very poor choice. Fleeing the scene makes a bold statement that when times get tough, you'll bail. Personally, I don't want to be partners with someone who might leave me hanging if things don't go well.

 

[Sasha]

Is uncontrollable vomiting by an EMT common? this worries me

No linuss is just grasping at straws to try and prove his weak argument.

 

[Shishkabob]

I've yet to find myself "uncontrollably vomiting" due to something I've seen, smelled, heard, or tasted. If you're prone to it, perhaps you should rethink your career choice.

I've yet to either, however, an uncontrollable response is an uncontrollable response, is it not?

No linuss is just grasping at straws to try and prove his weak argument.

No grasping, especially since there are other people here who are apparently agreeing with me.


I'm just trying to figure out how one is justified, but the other is not, when there was no detriment to the patient, no law broken, no abandonment, like you (wrongly) claimed.

 

[HotelCo]

I'm just trying to figure out how one is justified, but the other is not, when there was no detriment to the patient, no law broken, no abandonment, like you (wrongly) claimed.

Running away is a conscious act.

No detriment this time. Like I said before: what happens next time?

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[foxfire]

I don't think that the op abandoned the pt. Grant it she did not excuse herself correctly. But there were medics attending the pt, according to her.
I am reluctant to throw the baby out with the bath water and send her to the chopping block. Sounds like this was the first time reaction. If she was my partner I would advise her to seek some counseling and give her a second chance.
I say learn how to stay focused even though you feel like falling apart inside. If it becomes a habit then I would suggest a change of career.
Just my two cent worth.

 

[Shishkabob]

Running away is a conscious act.

Is it always? You sure the autonomic responses don't just "happen" when presented with something traumatic?

No detriment this time. Like I said before: what happens next time?

And what happens if you screw up sometime in the future. Should we just tell you to leave EMS now because of what might or might not happen in the future?


Many agencies will retain and re-educate providers after a sentinel event, so long as it doesn't cross over in to negligence, do they not?

 

[Sasha]

She didnt abandon the pt this time, what about next time?

How do you think the family felt seeing someone run crying out of the ambulance?

If someone is vomiting uncontrollably non stop then yeah ems isnt for them. If they vomit once, then theyre fine. You are grasping the two are not similar, you dont uncontrollably run away, you chose to run.

Its my opinion that the OP should not be in EMS. I would not be partners with this person and would likely not allow them on my scene.

 

[Shishkabob]

She didnt abandon the pt this time, what about next time?

You didn't abandon any patients last shift either.... but what about next time? Go ahead and turn in your cert now so we can avoid any potential abandonment.

How do you think the family felt seeing someone run crying out of the ambulance?

Not good.

How do you think families of 9/11 victims felt watching criyng cops, firefighters and paramedics on national TV? They should have been in the rubble saving lives, not crying!

If someone is vomiting uncontrollably non stop then yeah ems isnt for them. If they vomit once, then theyre fine. You are grasping the two are not similar, you dont uncontrollably run away, you chose to run.

I don't think you get the whole "uncontrollable" thing.

Or the "autonomic nervous system response" thing either.





Do I think what happened is good? No. Should it have happened? No. Do I fault someone for something they cannot control? Nope.

 

[HotelCo]

Is it always? You sure the autonomic responses don't just "happen" when presented with something traumatic?

Let's go along with the idea that it wasn't a conscious act for a moment then. Do you really want that person to come to your emergency?

How can you retrain someone to prevent them from doing something that just "happens"?

Show them photos of graphic scenes to desensitize them?




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[saskvolunteer]

She didnt abandon the pt this time, what about next time?

How do you think the family felt seeing someone run crying out of the ambulance?

If someone is vomiting uncontrollably non stop then yeah ems isnt for them. If they vomit once, then theyre fine. You are grasping the two are not similar, you dont uncontrollably run away, you chose to run.

Its my opinion that the OP should not be in EMS. I would not be partners with this person and would likely not allow them on my scene.

Don't you run IFT?


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