First fatality

[Lorianne2010]

Small enough , we have death as does any community , our service centers in a town of less than 1500 and farming communities surround the town...We have fatalities both trauma and medical just not very many.

 

[usafmedic45]

Ah....I've just never run into an active EMT who has gone that long without a death. You're lucky.

 

[systemet]

If you stay in EMS, you'll see many more. It's ok to let it bother you. After a while it won't any more, most of the time. Then you start worrying a little about your own humanity.

For me, it's where the violence and the suicide intersect with the children. I've forgotten many, but not those. But it's also a job, and this is part of it.

 

[Lorianne2010]

I hadn't gone without , I had my first this past December...And as trauma deaths go it was rough, even the most senior medics who arrived after I did was shaken up a bit , yes I was fortunate to have gone so long with out one ...As I told Drew, I think I dealt with it appropriately. True I still think about that scene but not in a negative way but to learn what I can from it .

 

[usafmedic45]

The day you stop thinking about it is the day you need to leave the field. What we do see should affect us in some way, preferably to spur us on to not only prevent when possible, to treat effectively when challenged, to support humanely when death is imminent and to above all else learn from our experiences to improve our abilities. If it doesn't affect someone, then there is something very, very wrong and the medical field is a poor choice for them

 

[abckidsmom]

Please look on your time on the scene of someone's death as an opportunity to positively impact the situation. Whatever you do, you are going to be remembered. Let yourself be remembered for good, for cleaning up ALL the mess after yourself, for letting them have one more private moment with the dead person, for explaining everything you can for them.

Look for ways to help them, and you will be surprised to find that it's actually really satisfying work to be there when people die.

The truth is that people die all the time, in sad and tragic ways, but you can put some positive change in the situation and you *are* actually helping, even if the outcome for the patient is the same.

 

[Lorianne2010]

Well said .....Thanks guys for the incredible insight I know I appreciate your wisdom as well as the others who are new to the profession.

 

[VCEMT]

I remember my first. Rigger, lividity, the smell, the sound of fluid bubbling out his nose, his collection of pornos in a bookcase, a floor littered with tissues, porno mag stacks, human :censored::censored::censored::censored: on the floor, plaques from years of service with a police department, and a freaked out Asian hooker that was found hiding in a restroom. Good times, good times.

 

[systemet]

I remember my first. Rigger, lividity, the smell, the sound of fluid bubbling out his nose, his collection of pornos in a bookcase, a floor littered with tissues, porno mag stacks, human :censored::censored::censored::censored: on the floor, plaques from years of service with a police department, and a freaked out Asian hooker that was found hiding in a restroom. Good times, good times.

If that happened anywhere near the location in your forum profile, I'd suggest editing it out before it catches up with you.

 

[Anthony7994]

If that happened anywhere near the location in your forum profile, I'd suggest editing it out before it catches up with you.

This^

 

[usafmedic45]

Rigger

Rigor....just FYI.

the sound of fluid bubbling out his nose

I take it this happened in an non air conditioned room during the peak of summer heat?

 

[Shishkabob]

If that happened anywhere near the location in your forum profile, I'd suggest editing it out before it catches up with you.

There's no medical information included in there.......

 

[usafmedic45]

There's no medical information included in there.......

...and he didn't say he had been a cop in that area. LOL

 

[systemet]

...and he didn't say he had been a cop in that area. LOL

Glad I could amuse you so easily!

If this was my call, dead ex-cop, less than ideal circumstances, I wouldn't be putting it on the internet.

Where I've worked, the cops have been part of the EMS family, if that makes sense.