1 / 31

Chapter 2

Chapter 2. The Well-Being of the EMT-Basic. Topics. 2. Emotional Aspects of EMS Stressful Situations and Stress Management Scene Safety Enrichment Information. Emotional Aspects of EMS. 2.

oke
Download Presentation

Chapter 2

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 2 The Well-Being of the EMT-Basic Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  2. Topics 2 • Emotional Aspects of EMS • Stressful Situations and Stress Management • Scene Safety • Enrichment Information Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  3. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • People utilize EMS when there is a crisis, and often, this crisis affects not only the patient but the family as well. • The EMT-B serves an important role in helping those people to handle these highly emotional situations. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  4. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Death and dying are unfortunate but daily occurrences. • Five emotional stages • Denial (“Not me.”) • Anger (“Why me?”) • Bargaining (“Okay, but first let me…”) • Depression (“Okay, but I haven’t…”) • Acceptance (“Okay, I am not afraid.”) Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  5. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Dealing with the dying patient, family, and bystanders • Maintain patient's dignity • Show respect • Communicate well • Allow family/friends to express themselves Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  6. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Dealing with the dying patient, family, and bystanders • Listen empathetically. • Do not give false assurances. • Use gentle tone of voice and touch as appropriate. • Extend comfort to the family. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  7. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Highly stressful situations • Affect the patient as well as the care providers. • EMT-Bs need to be able to handle these stressors. • The EMT-B can witness more stressful situations in a month than most would in a lifetime. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  8. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Highly stressful situations commonly encountered • Job related • Long hours • Low recognition • Boredom between calls • Critical decision making • Being responsible for another’s life • Fear of making critical error • Witnessing death Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  9. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Highly stressful situations commonly encountered • Call (job) related • Multiple casualty incidents (MCIs) • Abuse and neglect of life • Infant and children emergencies • Injury or death of coworker • Caring for friend or relative • Graphic traumatic injuries or catastrophic illnesses Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  10. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Stress management • Due to the type of work, without proper identification and management, excessive stress can lead to “burnout.” • Learn to recognize these signs in yourself as well as those you work with. • Do not be afraid to seek professional help. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  11. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Recognizing warning signs of stress • Irritability towards others • Inability to concentrate • Insomnia • Anxiety • Loss of appetite • Excessive guilt • Feelings of isolation • Loss of interest in work • Diminished sexual desire or interest Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  12. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Making lifestyle changes to help manage stress in your life • Be attentive to your diet. • Exercise often. • Learn relaxation techniques. • Avoid inappropriate “self-medication.” • Keep balance in your life with your other commitments. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  13. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Stress in your family and friends can occur to an extent from the nature of your work. • Lack of understanding (of the nature of your work). • Fear of separation from you (long hours of job). • Fear of injury/death to you (from potential dangers you face). • Inability to plan (due to unforseeability of emergencies). • Inability to share (difficulty in communicating what you witness in an understandable way to family). Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  14. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Changes to make at work, that work • “Buddy” system with a coworker. • Encourage and support coworkers in general. • Allow yourself breaks. • Request shifts that increase your time with family. • Rotate, if possible, to another station with a lower call volume periodically. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  15. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • Critical incident stress • A critical incident is one that causes interference in your ability to perform your duties. • Death of a coworker in the line of duty • Death of a patient after intense rescue efforts • Events in which your life is threatened or harmed • Multiple casualty incidents • Sudden death of a baby or infant Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  16. Emotional Aspects of EMS 2 • How to deal with stress from critical incidents • Critical incident stress management • Critical incident defusing (immediate – within 1-4 hours of event) • Critical incident stress debriefing (within 24-72 hours from event) Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  17. Scene Safety 2 • Keeping yourself and your patient free from danger while on scene is but one aspect of scene safety. • This also involves taking appropriate measures to protect yourself from pathogens. • Pathogens are microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses that are capable of spreading disease. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  18. Scene Safety 2 • How disease (pathogens) can spread • Blood to blood contact • Contact with open wounds and exposed tissue • Indirectly by way of a contaminated needle • Through the air by coughing or sneezing • Exhalation of infected droplets that are then breathed into the respiratory tree of another Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  19. Scene Safety 2 • Body Substance Isolation (BSI) • Requirement by OSHA. • EMS personnel must also be notified when they have contact with patients with communicable diseases. • BSI precautions are taken by using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  20. Scene Safety 2 • PPE and other BSI precautions • Hand washing • Eye protection • Protective gloves Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  21. Scene Safety 2 • PPE and other BSI precautions • Gowns • Masks Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  22. Scene Safety 2 • PPE and other BSI precautions • Use disposable equipment when possible. • Change uniform when soiled. • Document well any actual or potential exposures. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  23. Scene Safety 2 • Advanced safety precautions • Protection from common diseases (immunizations) • Yearly Mantoux test • Following company and/or state reporting exposure plans Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  24. Scene Safety 2 • Protecting yourself from accidental injury • Your most important concern! • Scenes can be (or become) dangerous. • Rescue operations • Hazardous materials • Violence • Environmental extremes Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  25. Scene Safety 2 • Hazardous materials Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  26. Scene Safety 2 • Rescue situations Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  27. Scene Safety 2 • Protective outerwear for specific needs Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  28. Scene Safety 2 • Violence and Crime • May erupt with or without warning. • Enlist law enforcement early. • Never enter a scene which you do not feel comfortable with until police arrive. • Whenever possible, try to protect the integrity of a crime scene. Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  29. Enrichment 2 • Hepatitis B • Disease process • Mode of communication • Personal protection • Signs and symptoms of infection • Reporting and treatment Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  30. Enrichment 2 • Tuberculosis • Disease process • Mode of communication • Personal protection • Signs and symptoms • Reporting and treatment Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

  31. Enrichment 2 • Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) • Disease process • Mode of communication • Personal protection • Signs and symptoms • Reporting and treatment Prehospital Emergency Care 7e Mistovich/Hafen/Karren

More Related