Keeping Your Cool

[ParkMedic]

One of the things that wasn't covered indepth in class, was how to remain calm while all around you the s*** is hitting the fan. What do you do to keep yourself under control and focused, while all around you you have a tanking patient, anxious family members, or just overall chaos? Any suggestions?

 

[DesertMedic66]

Focus on what needs to be done. If you have enough people on scene assign one of your team members to talk to the family and help calm them down.

The more experience you have the easier this will become

 

[ExpatMedic0]

Something that def comes more with experience. Just remember it's "not your emergency", it's someone else's. If you feel overwhelmed or lost, take a deep breath, try to maintain a professional deminer on the outside and just start over with the basics, ABC/CAB. If there are enough personnel on scene, someone can help with crowd control. If the situation takes places in a crowded public place, or noisy environment, like the sidewalk for example, Once I establish the patient is ok to move, I move them as quickly as possible into the ambulance or somewhere else alone to complete my assessment.

 

[FLMedic311]

"Fake it till you make it". You will hear it a lot! Because in a sense it is true and also because different people learn differently. So until you can get a few years under your belt to really find your own here a couple tips that may help.
1. Meditation- This may sound silly but I am not talking about spiritual/religious type of meditation. I am referring to "Kettlebells for the brain". Amazing talk by one Dr. Scott Weingart, a must listen too!
2. Take it all in- When you have those high stress low frequency calls, don't shy away. Stay involved and embrace your fear/nerves. Accept them and remember it for next time, use it to help develop strategies for self control on the next one.
3. Study- Your out of school! Your in the field and doing it!! But your not done learning. Not even close and if you put your book down because you are "Licensed/Certified" you're wrong. The only way to keep $h** from hitting the fan is to know how to pick it up without flinging it. And the only way to do that is to know your $h**!

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you!!

 

[GMCmedic]

I probably dont have the most professional approach, but if the patient is unconscious or dead, I usually make small talk with firefighters after I've assigned them a task. Usually ask how their kids are, or talk about a fire we went to. Weve all seen reports about what we thought were unconscious patients remembering negative things that medical personnel said...this keeps me and other personnel occupied so we dont say those things.

If the patient is awake I talk them through what im doing and it keeps me focused on doing just that.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[RocketMedic]

I like to make a plan and communicate it to my team. Having a good plan makes it easier to stay calm because you're working towards something, not improvising.

 

[NysEms2117]

honestly it's just experience, once its happened enough, you know what to do and it will just come natural. having a plan always helps. and what @ExpatMedic0 said is 100% true, worst comes to worst freak out on the inside not the outside. People call 911 and expect some kind of miracle to happen, if it does or not well thats a different story, but remember THEY called 911.

 

[VentMonkey]

Like Rocket, I formulate a plan...in my head. I work part-time on the ground so when I do it's never with the same EMT.

Currently we have so many new faces, and even if it's a veteran EMT, they may not be used to my flow. So all I ask is that they "follow my lead".

In my head if we're going to an arrest or some high-acuity call I already know what, and how I want things done overall, so if they follow direction it's usually fairly straightforward. If I give them this elaborate plan, or tell them step by step how to do something, but it's their first high-acuity call it typically won't pan out quite as well.

Displaying a calm, easy-going demeanor will ensure everyone else around says "well heck, the PIC isn't too worried, we're all doing ok." This typically comes with time, hence it isn't hammered on in class.

Two things two instructors taught me that I still implement til this day are:

1. If you find yourself overwhelmed literally step back, breathe easy, regroup, and move forward.

2. (and fire never understands this) If the family is hovering over us while we're working their family member, chances are they are concerned and "want to know" what we are doing. They have every right to know. I will explain it myself as I am doing it if they aren't ushered away by the heroes in the yellow pants. Walking a concerned family member through a traumatic event can be very cathartic to them.

Sadly, this isn't done enough outside of the hospital setting. This too displays a level of collectiveness that comes with time, but will be well worth it when it's done, and done right.

 

[StCEMT]

My thoughts pretty much echo everyone else. If you notice, there is a general trend of being systematic and organized.

 

[VentMonkey]

A general trend of being systematic and organized.

Honestly? This^^^. The "fake it til you make it" mantra, and freaking out on the inside is easier said than done, especially when you're just starting out. They belong in the same stockpile as "treat the patient, not the monitor". Know you will spaz, and make mistakes, just want to get better. That is all.

I have seen 2 year medics spin, I have seen 20 year medics spin. I have seen, and felt myself spin. Learn from all of it. It just take a little bit of time. Always learn from what you felt you didn't think you did right on those calls, and improve.

Going back to what @StCEMT says. Yup, I always check a handful of items without fail regardless of the day (suction, monitor, ETCO2, glucometer, airway gear, and decompression kits). I make sure they're where I want them, and where I can access them.

Even if I don't use them, I could care less what anyone thinks. Don't be that lazy guy/ gal, that is a sure fire way to set yourself up for a disasterous call with quite possibly a sentinel event of an outcome; bad stuff.

 

[ParkMedic]

I came across this site on a whim, lurked for a while, and then joined. I'm glad I did. Thanks all for your advice and assistance.

 

[Flying]

Prepare, prepare, prepare, and put yourself in a position to make a quick plan and execute it with your team.

You will embarrass yourself and maybe not know what to do, but making as much of the call as you can a process helps to reduce that.

 

[ExpatMedic0]

I have also seen plenty of people manage with ABC-IV,O2, Monitor, Transport, that have absolutely no idea what's wrong with the patient and just treat the symptoms/follow protocol lol. Not to advocate cookbook medicine in any way, but if you're in over your head sometimes transporting and managing the basics is the best option to fall back on. Even after 10 years I still get a terrible feeling in my gut if I get a pediatric arrest.

 

[NomadicMedic]

And, while it may seem trite, if you ever get lost and need a moment to reset and refocus ... listen to lung sounds. You can have 30 seconds of quiet to gather your thoughts and figure out what's next.

Thanks Mike Smith for that great lesson.