psychology

EMT91

EMT91

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I am thinking of taking a psychology course next semester...if you have taken such a course do you think it has benefited you in the ems field?
 
1. See what courses are transferable and if they require prerequisites.
2. The very best psych class I ever took was titled "Industrial Psychology". They have a new name for it now, but it is the psychology of the workplace, so ti (especially the older studies) is hard-nosed and pretty practical. Very empiric.
 
While I'm far from knowledgeable about psychology, I took (sophomore year) an intro psych class. I found the developmental component to be helpful, somewhat - certainly helped with the peds segment of my EMT class, and has helped me get a better perspective on the fortunately few peds patients I've had. A course on biological basis of behavior or physiological psychology might be a bit more scientific and a little less "soft" than most psych classes.
 
I would suggest taking a psychology course if you can, I found my intro psych course to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable of all the classes I took in college. I'm not sure that it will make you a better provider, but you'll certainly gain knowledge you can apply to the profession and life.
 
I highly recommend taking a psych course or at the very least some courses that deal with mental health. I would estimate that at least 50 of the calls I go on have some kind of mental health element.
 
bigbaldguy said:
I would estimate that at least 50 of the calls I go on have some kind of mental health element.
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This is totally, totally true. Even as a volley, a good 50 percent of my calls that haven't been toned out as a psych call have involved psychiatric/mental health aspects. And that's a low ball figure - patients be craaaaaaazy :P
 
Intro to Psych won't teach you much. It wasn't until I took graduate level courses in psychology (Psychopathology and Biological Psychology) did I finally begin to go "ah hah!". I took abnormal psych, developmental psych, personality psych, etc but they didn't help as much as the graduate level courses.
 
Of all the college courses I have taken, I found intro to psych to be one of the most useful to EMS. The class spent a lot of time looking at the brain's anatomy and how different parts were affected by different injuries. I got a few lectures on abnormal psych and a few on concussions, both are applicable to EMS.
 
Tigger said:
Of all the college courses I have taken, I found intro to psych to be one of the most useful to EMS. The class spent a lot of time looking at the brain's anatomy and how different parts were affected by different injuries. I got a few lectures on abnormal psych and a few on concussions, both are applicable to EMS.
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They taught you how concussions and TBI might affect behavior in Intro to Psych?! I wish I would have taken your psych when I was in college. Even abnormal was tedious as it explained the philosophy behind deviance more than the actual biology. Consider yourself envied!
 
bstone said:
They taught you how concussions and TBI might affect behavior in Intro to Psych?! I wish I would have taken your psych when I was in college. Even abnormal was tedious as it explained the philosophy behind deviance more than the actual biology. Consider yourself envied!
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Our neuropsych department is impressive. That professor is also our faculty representative when dealing with concussed athletes that will need to miss class as a result of the "cocooning" treatment (staying in a dark room sleeping till symptoms mitigate) so he has a special interest.

Ironically I had been drilled in the back of the head with a slap-pass covering a hockey practice a few days before the class started and struggled mightily in that class as my own symptoms took three weeks to calm down.
 
Tigger said:
Our neuropsych department is impressive. That professor is also our faculty representative when dealing with concussed athletes that will need to miss class as a result of the "cocooning" treatment (staying in a dark room sleeping till symptoms mitigate) so he has a special interest.

Ironically I had been drilled in the back of the head with a slap-pass covering a hockey practice a few days before the class started and struggled mightily in that class as my own symptoms took three weeks to calm down.
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One of the classes I took was called "Brain and Behavior" which was similar to Biological Psychology but more focused on neuropsych. It was absolutely fascinating and is what made me fall in love with neurobiology and neurobio research. I will have to read more on the cocooning treatment. I've definitely seen people do it, but mostly with migraines.
 
I think maybe this is one of those things that can be over thought. I agree that knowing the exact pathophysiology of TBI and such can be of benefit. I think it is more important at an EMS level that we have a good solid understanding of the types of mental illness, and how these issues effect a patient and his or her family. I think in EMS knowing exactly which part of the patients brain produces the chemical that is making him depressed, anxious, ect is interesting but not nearly as important. Ideally of course you have both sets of information but of the two I would seek out a course that covers the basics of mental illness as opposed to one that gives you an in depth look at the pathophysiology of the illness itself.
 
I have always found the mind to be interesting. Saving a few people from suicide is one of the reasons I got interested in ems.
 
"Saving" someone from suicide is not something you'll do much of... However, having a good foundation in psych and learning to detect signs of suicide ideation (may not always be there...) or at least seeing what's normal and not normal affect would help you in working with patients who may have psych/emotional issues. It is also good to have a general working knowledge that psych issues may have an underlying biological component and therefore the patient may be taking meds for it... leading you to look for psych meds and recognize what they're generally prescribed for.

As to the TBI component, if you have a class that covers TBI and how to assess it, you'll be well ahead of your EMT peers. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, it's covered in a sports injury prevention course and some of those may not be open outside of a sports medicine program.
 
Akulahawk said:
"Saving" someone from suicide is not something you'll do much of... However, having a good foundation in psych and learning to detect signs of suicide ideation (may not always be there...) or at least seeing what's normal and not normal affect would help you in working with patients who may have psych/emotional issues. It is also good to have a general working knowledge that psych issues may have an underlying biological component and therefore the patient may be taking meds for it... leading you to look for psych meds and recognize what they're generally prescribed for.

As to the TBI component, if you have a class that covers TBI and how to assess it, you'll be well ahead of your EMT peers. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, it's covered in a sports injury prevention course and some of those may not be open outside of a sports medicine program.
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I should have worded that differently. I just enjoyed knowing I was able to step in at those moments and wanted todo something similar whether it entail actually saving someones life or giving the homeless guy a ride to the hospital.
 
EMT91 said:
I should have worded that differently. I just enjoyed knowing I was able to step in at those moments and wanted todo something similar whether it entail actually saving someones life or giving the homeless guy a ride to the hospital.
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Also being that I am depressed myself helps me to have a good basis as I have researched things pertaining to depression etc. :)
 
An EMT-PSYCH class might be a good deal, and I bet some law enforcement academies teach something akin to it.

When I come to the door with my ambulance litter and my partner, I don't need to know that the socioeconomic status and birth order of the presenting patient makes them more-prone to deficits of identity and self-worth (although the concept of the family having a "presenting patient" is a good one to have*). I need to know how to approach people with emotional or psychological troubles and understand what they are undergoing off afraid of. I need to know the applicable local state and federal laws concerning these patients' rights and treatment.


*The family, usually without conscious decision making, "decides" that one member is the sick one. EG, a family which has issue with incest may focus their attentions upon treating the member with/about their drinking problems or repeated runaways.
 
Well, I almost majored in Psychology.... Until I took it in college and realized it was not my thing :). I'm not working in the EMS field 'yet' but I'm sure it would be of great benefit to have a psychological understanding of patients actions/conditions, as it does in most professions that involve direct contact/care of people.
 
I agree to start with a "General Psychology" course - it is a common prerequisite for later psych classes and is often a requirement for your AA/AS degree.

If you want to take a second class I would take a "Life-Span Psychology" or "Developmental Psychology" - this often has (should have) Intro/General Psych as a prereq. This class looks more in depth at the different stages of development which can help when working with pediatric and geriatric patients. This class also has the benefit of being a common prereq for nursing programs if you decide to go that route. Good luck!
 
Charlie

I first majored in Psychology and have come to realize you can make a broad use of it no matter your profession. It's almost manditory now. :)
 
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