Practical EMS

Nov 03 2024 79 ep. 27 mins 2
Practical EMS Podcast artwork

My mission is to use the stories we all have in emergency medicine to encourage and uplift you where you are. EMT, Paramedic, nurse, PA, NP or physician. Emergency medicine is a very difficult specialty with unique challenges, and it calls us all to be better than the average person in order to stay healthy for our patients, our families and own mental wellness. I want to connect with EMS crews, fire crews, ER RN's, ER techs and new ER advanced practice providers to better understand their current struggles. I also want to bridge the gap between prehospital medicine and the emergency department and to encourage those seeking to become an advanced practice provider. Disclaimer: All Practical EMS content is opinion only. It is unaffiliated with any company or organization and does not represent any company or organization that Aaron currently works for or has worked for in the past. No content should be taken as medical advice.

  Education  Health & Fitness
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74 | Burning out on EMS | Sleep deprivation | Raging at dispatch | Daily micro-traumas

Nov 03 2024 32 mins  
Why did Nick switch to law enforcement? He burned out on medicineWhat 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 wayWe 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

73 | New panel! | EMS to law enforcement | The lesson from the spine board

Oct 27 2024 31 mins  
Mark (paramedic) | Brent (fire officer and EMT) | Nick (former paramedic and current police officer)Mark has worked in urban and very rural 911 ambulances and does part time EMT education now Community paramedicine is an emerging field and can vary a lot from region to region. Paramedics are flexible providers, so the potential is hugeBrent has stuck with firefighting from his earl

72 | Nate’s off-duty call | That human connection | Moral injury vs burnout | Newbie advice

Oct 20 2024 32 mins  
Nate talks about a motorcycle crash he stopped at on his way home and how he was critical in saving an injured patient and how he became close with the family who still talk to him today. Even though the patient ultimately died, the impact he made on that family was immense. Patients remember usWe need to remember we treat a person not a complaint or a room numberThe balance is fin

71 | Rapid sequence intubation changes | How crews can make or break an EMT student’s experience | How those hard calls affect us | Casey talks about the impression he made on a family

Oct 13 2024 29 mins  
The paradigm around rapid sequence intubation is evolving and becoming much safer with more education and procedures. Sometimes in emergency medicine slow is better. We need to stay mindful and calm in chaos and this requires us to detach and be above the fray and walk slowly instead of run. This will actually increase effectiveness and efficiency. Nate recounts his EMT rides with

70 | Why the big scope differences across state lines | Case review purpose | Teaching the newbies

Oct 06 2024 29 mins  
EMS varies significantly from state to state so you get a wide range in the abilities of EMT’s and paramedics nation wideCase reviews are moving to an educational rather than a punitive model There is no true national standard for EMT’s and paramedic’s which further complicates thingsThe regions that EMS is practiced in vary a ton as well. Skills may need to be performed much

69 | New panel! Why emergency medicine | Don’t just do something, stand there | Being proud of what you do

Sep 29 2024 36 mins  
Meet our new panelKash (EM physician)Casey (Paramedic)Nate (EMT)Why emergency medicine?Kash: Likes to see results in the short term rather than manage long-term problems. Decided on EM and even an EMS fellowship before starting med school after getting his EMTAaron: When in PA school you really need to be at least considering primary care but I decided it was not for me. A day in p

#68 - Over-reliance on technology, standards for students, don't listen to naysayers, advice for newbies

Sep 22 2024 26 mins  
Matt talks about our reliance on technology and how sometimes it is nice to remember that to assess a patient it is actually really simple without using technologyAndrew: I am mostly paid to not get tricked into missing something big.Standards in medical education changing when there is emphasis on getting people through programsKeep holding high standards for your studentsAdvice f

#67 - Burnout avoidance, decision fatigue, driving lights and sirens, Where is God in emergency medicine?

Sep 15 2024 26 mins  
Imminent baby delivery stories Burnout tips: avoid the overtime. Sometimes the extra money is not worth the additional life stress.Make sure you get off on time and make that transition to home life.Andrew uses audio books so he has something to look forward to while driving to and from shift.Patients are often not even the source of our stress, it’s operational difficulties, int

#66 - Paramedics getting offended, first code as a medical student, making a human connection and measuring success in EMS

Sep 08 2024 32 mins  
The team mentality at all levels in the ED is key to a harmonious, efficient and effective environmentIn EMS, this can be difficult on a given scene when you may not know the other responders all that well and it can be easy to get offended when no offense was meantDeveloping a thick skin is important in emergency medicine. You can’t allow negative emotions of others to affect yo

New panel, power in detaching, controlled drowning, overwhelm as a new provider

Sep 01 2024 29 mins  
Meet our new panelMatt (EMT) Julie (RN) Sarah (paramedic) Schasny (paramedic) Andrew (EM physician)Advice for the newbies: Don’t panic, it is not your emergencyFind the balance of detachment while still making sure the patient feels cared for and understoodPart of avoiding burnout is taking some time to access the human side of youself in caring for a patient while also not takin