82 | Getting comfortable saying “I don’t know” | Advice for newbies | Learning from those lower than you on the perceived hierarchy

Practical EMS

Batching work applies with nurses too. Do multiples things when you enter the room, so you don’t have to go in and out many times

Ben talks about efficiency in the field being important due to the limited time and resources

As providers we must get comfortable with saying “I don’t know”

In medicine in general we don’t know everything, nor can we diagnose everything. Especially true in emergency medicine

Chest pain is a great example. We don’t get a clear answer or diagnose most of the time

We must be careful what we tell patients is going on when there is not a clear answer. Specific diagnoses will follow patient for a long time

Ben talks about some struggles new EMT and paramedics have and how the scope of a paramedic is still poorly understood, they often hear “I didn’t know you could do that?”

Teaching the EMT and paramedic students the context of the “why” behind treatments and not just the skills themselves

The difference between magic and medicine is we can trouble shoot and analyze medicine, we know why it works and if it doesn’t there is usually an explanation

Keep your mind open and learn from others. You can usually find someone that has a similar style as you, but you can also learn a ton from those who practice different from you

Ask a lot of questions, grow your confidence gradually

You need to master the more mundane tasks before moving to the exciting in some circumstances

Charge nurses need to help develop their team and communicate well

Be a mentor and correct people in a non-public setting, grow people instead of getting rid of them if they are struggling

Find a mentor or multiple mentors when you are new and when you have some experience, mentor people

You must be constantly teaching newer people and learning from more experienced people in medicine

You can make or break someone’s medical experience when they are new to the field

Cultures can be developed by the poor attitudes of a few crews or staff

You have to guard against the bias that those that are burned out can bring

Constructive criticism can come from even those that are not nice or not tactful if you can be open enough to take the feedback

You can learn from anyone, even those lower on the perceived hierarchy

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Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, Paramedics
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Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn’t represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.