OK, preface: This thread is not a discussion on if there should be volunteers or not. This is to be a discussion on the best uses for volunteers in the out of hospital setting. I ask the moderating team to aggressively make sure this doesn't become the "volunteers are lesser than paid professional thread."
Today, I got to study at home. A very rare occurance for me, as my daughter usually insists on helping and I have a lot to do which doesn't lend itself to being helped by a 21 month old.
Background
But in her eagerness and with the cry of "BABY!" she burried her nose into one of my embryology texts. It is has a rather eyecatching pink and purple cover with a fetus on it. She quickly thumbed through it repeating her cry everytime she saw a baby, and stared at the genetic defects page at length. (I am sure somebody is phoning child services, probably my wife.)
Anyway during one of my breaks, I fired up the web browser, and on the front page was: "90 pregnant teens, 24% of the female poplation in school outside of Memphis."
In addition to the facts of the case, there was some lady professing that the trouble with girls is they don't know how to say "no" or "wait for marriage." I am glad to see they are paying such quacks to "help."
Then I came here and saw the volunteer ambulance in NJ shut down, and spoke to a friend on what "helps" in the practice of medicine.
The point.
So I was thinking. (a dangerous pastime I know) Here is this ready core of volunteers, with at least 120 more hours of medical education than the average US citizen. Who actually devote their spare time sitting around waiting to answer the call to help from their constituency.
But what if that cry for help isn't coming from 911? What if it is not a cry, but the silent tears of the downtrodden, the lonely, the confused, those with nobody to talk to without fear of being judged or ratted on?
We see all the time the elderly who are alone and struggling, call 911, or become a healthcare "victim" in order for companionship or comfort. Could teenagers also be looking for the same?
As a community service minded volunteer, is there something that you or your agency could do to help the vulnerable at all extremis of age?
Is there a way you could get involved to positively effect peoples lives prior to them resorting to 911?
We talk all the time about the future of EMS being in a more public health role. But because of economic constraints, it seems the only realistic way to move forward is to enlist the help of those not seeking renumeration.
Is it possible that volunteers could be the unlikely heroes of advancing US EMS?
While we are on this topic, how many volunteers out there are willing to do something like this?
Could you set aside your personal beliefs and prejudices to offer objective and factual advice?
Could you find just as much satisfaction knowing your labor helped an elderly person stay in their home for their final days instead of being institutionalized?
Would you be willing to undergo training or education to that end in order to help people?
If you are a professional healthcare provider, would you be willing to donate time to it as well?
Today, I got to study at home. A very rare occurance for me, as my daughter usually insists on helping and I have a lot to do which doesn't lend itself to being helped by a 21 month old.
Background
But in her eagerness and with the cry of "BABY!" she burried her nose into one of my embryology texts. It is has a rather eyecatching pink and purple cover with a fetus on it. She quickly thumbed through it repeating her cry everytime she saw a baby, and stared at the genetic defects page at length. (I am sure somebody is phoning child services, probably my wife.)
Anyway during one of my breaks, I fired up the web browser, and on the front page was: "90 pregnant teens, 24% of the female poplation in school outside of Memphis."
In addition to the facts of the case, there was some lady professing that the trouble with girls is they don't know how to say "no" or "wait for marriage." I am glad to see they are paying such quacks to "help."
Then I came here and saw the volunteer ambulance in NJ shut down, and spoke to a friend on what "helps" in the practice of medicine.
The point.
So I was thinking. (a dangerous pastime I know) Here is this ready core of volunteers, with at least 120 more hours of medical education than the average US citizen. Who actually devote their spare time sitting around waiting to answer the call to help from their constituency.
But what if that cry for help isn't coming from 911? What if it is not a cry, but the silent tears of the downtrodden, the lonely, the confused, those with nobody to talk to without fear of being judged or ratted on?
We see all the time the elderly who are alone and struggling, call 911, or become a healthcare "victim" in order for companionship or comfort. Could teenagers also be looking for the same?
As a community service minded volunteer, is there something that you or your agency could do to help the vulnerable at all extremis of age?
Is there a way you could get involved to positively effect peoples lives prior to them resorting to 911?
We talk all the time about the future of EMS being in a more public health role. But because of economic constraints, it seems the only realistic way to move forward is to enlist the help of those not seeking renumeration.
Is it possible that volunteers could be the unlikely heroes of advancing US EMS?
While we are on this topic, how many volunteers out there are willing to do something like this?
Could you set aside your personal beliefs and prejudices to offer objective and factual advice?
Could you find just as much satisfaction knowing your labor helped an elderly person stay in their home for their final days instead of being institutionalized?
Would you be willing to undergo training or education to that end in order to help people?
If you are a professional healthcare provider, would you be willing to donate time to it as well?
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