Nov 03 2024 32 mins 1
Why did Nick switch to law enforcement? He burned out on medicine
What does he miss the most: The team mentality. The fire crews that he grew close to. He felt certain they could handle whatever call came their way
We talk about the struggles working a 48-hour shift with a rural fire department but also having to manage the expectation from the private ambulance company that you run calls in a much wider radius to include the city when needed
Sleep deprivation is a big factor in burnout
Nick talks about his heavy caffeine intake and how he started having runs of dysrhythmia that later required a cardiac ablation for atrial flutter
What does Nick not miss? Getting up to run calls. The tiredness. The anger and helplessness
I remember getting to my absolute wits end on those 48-hour shifts and having to call our supervisor and tell them we were done running calls because we were so tired
Nick talks about how he could feel that stress and sleep deprivation damaging him in real time, like if his hand was on fire
The stress level of running those calls an hour from the hospital with no other paramedic on scene and having to perform high level skills has not been matched as a PA in the ED
Nick talks about how, even in law enforcement, his fear of the next call is not equal to what it was as a paramedic
Brent talks about a time when Nick was so angry he started stabbing his seat belt
Don’t blame the patient for their medical emergencies and don’t take your frustrations out on them
Nick talks about losing his temper on an innocent dispatcher after a hard night
Why do we see more resiliency and less burnout on the fire side?
Maybe the team mentality on the fire department, ability to move to slower shifts, debriefing
We all tend to get support after that horrific call that makes the news, but a bigger problem might be the micro-traumas that we all undergo day in and day out
Resiliency needs to be built into the system – you are going to get burned out and have a tough day at some point and it needs to be prepared for
We don’t typically lie to ourselves that we are “okay,” we may genuinely feel okay. It’s later that situations and calls may
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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 ed...
