In the end it wasn't the homeless beggar or the drug crazed whacko throwing his poop that cracked my "go with the flow" mentality, it was an elderly woman who frowned when her daughter spoke about her.
Early this morning, while helping a cancer patient back into bed I had to listen to her adult daughter complain about how difficult it is to help her mom all the time.
Our patient felt weak, from all the chemotherapy, and got up to use the restroom. Her legs felt weak and she plopped down to the floor. When she needed help she did what every self respecting person does, she called her family for help.
10 minutes away with her own family the daughter didn't help mom back into bed, but called 911 so we could, "Get her admitted, she can't stay here alone."
The woman with the end stage, painful, slowly vomiting her life away, cancer simply wanted to stay in her home. A more and more common tale these days.
The family saw fit to rent out a few rooms in mom's house to help cover the costs of, well...I'm not sure because there is no caregiver at the house and judging by the daughter's reactions and words, there never will be.
Our hands were tied. We couldn't leave a woman in bed with no way to ambulate in case of fire and no one there to help her. The family refused to step in and without access to other options, a dying woman is now in the most disease infested, uncomfortable place the current system allows. The emergency room. And taking a bed out of rotation for emergencies no less.
Well, not anymore. I'm young in this business but I see a need and I see a solution and I'm going to do something about it.
Studying the Advanced Paramedic Programs I can find I see an awesome opportunity to reach out to the community in a way they demand but we can not provide currently. A fluid response that can be dialed up or dialed down to address specific issues in specific communities.
I spent over 3 hours this morning reading through state EMS documents, training requirements, Licensure and re-certification demands as well as a number of position papers describing similar problems. Usually a task like that spills the wind from my sails on page 2.
I am fired up, energized and ready for a fight. I can hear the Medical Directors already shaking their heads, but with the training I've outlined, the skills needed and the limited persons who will perform them, there is no way it can't at least get to a trial phase.
I feel my time here playing at Happy Medic Headquarters will decrease quite a bit in the coming months as I prepare this proposal. You're not rid of me, but the posts will be fewer, and perhaps as a result, more pertinent to the original purpose of this place.
Wish me luck gentle readers, I'm taking on the entrenched Old Ways and I intend to win!
Your Happy Medic
Early this morning, while helping a cancer patient back into bed I had to listen to her adult daughter complain about how difficult it is to help her mom all the time.
Our patient felt weak, from all the chemotherapy, and got up to use the restroom. Her legs felt weak and she plopped down to the floor. When she needed help she did what every self respecting person does, she called her family for help.
10 minutes away with her own family the daughter didn't help mom back into bed, but called 911 so we could, "Get her admitted, she can't stay here alone."
The woman with the end stage, painful, slowly vomiting her life away, cancer simply wanted to stay in her home. A more and more common tale these days.
The family saw fit to rent out a few rooms in mom's house to help cover the costs of, well...I'm not sure because there is no caregiver at the house and judging by the daughter's reactions and words, there never will be.
Our hands were tied. We couldn't leave a woman in bed with no way to ambulate in case of fire and no one there to help her. The family refused to step in and without access to other options, a dying woman is now in the most disease infested, uncomfortable place the current system allows. The emergency room. And taking a bed out of rotation for emergencies no less.
Well, not anymore. I'm young in this business but I see a need and I see a solution and I'm going to do something about it.
Studying the Advanced Paramedic Programs I can find I see an awesome opportunity to reach out to the community in a way they demand but we can not provide currently. A fluid response that can be dialed up or dialed down to address specific issues in specific communities.
I spent over 3 hours this morning reading through state EMS documents, training requirements, Licensure and re-certification demands as well as a number of position papers describing similar problems. Usually a task like that spills the wind from my sails on page 2.
I am fired up, energized and ready for a fight. I can hear the Medical Directors already shaking their heads, but with the training I've outlined, the skills needed and the limited persons who will perform them, there is no way it can't at least get to a trial phase.
I feel my time here playing at Happy Medic Headquarters will decrease quite a bit in the coming months as I prepare this proposal. You're not rid of me, but the posts will be fewer, and perhaps as a result, more pertinent to the original purpose of this place.
Wish me luck gentle readers, I'm taking on the entrenched Old Ways and I intend to win!
Your Happy Medic
Comments
http://legeros.com/ralwake/photos/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=2107#chief100-0903161314
Good luck!
Good luck
I'm not looking to solve the problems with California's lax Paramedic standards. With budget cuts I need to find a way to upgrade a select few positions, already supervisory positions, with special skills that will allow them to solve the problems in my system.
Special skills like pediatric intubation, RSI and the training and authority to refuse ambulance transport while given access to alternate patient care options.
I'm no fool in thinking I'm going to change the world, just my world.
In that case, I'd eliminate as APP candidates any and all graduates of CA's world-famous "Make me a medic NOW so I can get on the job" paramedic schools, unless they already had a degree in a life science before they went in.
Just sayin.
Anonymous, drop me a line at my gmail address, I'd love to chat more.
It is the Music of a people who will NOT be slaves again.
When the beating of your heart echos the beating of the drum, there is a life about to start when the morning comes.
Will you join in my crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade, is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be freeeee!!!
- Ok, so Happy when I read your post that song from Les Miserables popped into my head. Whether it's cool in a comment or not is immaterial.
I'm with ya buddy, and I've got an idea to help with your project and another trick or two up my sleeve as well.