Why Do We Eat Our Young?

     In one way or another, we've all probably participated in some form of practical joking. For example, we've all heard stories where a rookie was told to go out to the ambulance and grab the No. 7 fallopian tube. Fortunately, most of the time, these jokes are played in good fun, with no harm intended.

     There are some, however, who believe that students and new employees need to be "toughened up" to fit in. Sometimes this sort of joking can have detrimental and long-lasting effects. We can never be sure of the personality or past experiences of the person with whom we're "kidding," nor can we be sure our "jokes" will be taken as such.

     Here's an example of what I'm referring to: While working for the local EMS service, my partner and I responded to a patient with a gunshot wound. Upon arrival we found two distraught adults sitting in the front seat of a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home in a middle-class neighborhood. The male was on the driver's side; the female was in the front passenger seat, clutching a body. After convincing them to exit the vehicle so we could check the patient, we learned the patient was their son (we'll call him Dan). Dan had injuries incompatible with life from a gun shot wound to the head. He'd been dead for a few hours prior to his parents finding him.

     Once they calmed enough to talk with us, the mother said, "He's one of yours." We didn't recognize him, so we asked her what EMS service Dan worked for. She said he worked at a grocery store, then added that he hadn't been working for an EMS service, as he was unable to find a job. She then declared, "You killed him!"

     This obviously caught us off-guard, so we asked to what she was referring. We wondered if she thought we hadn't responded rapidly enough. The mother proceeded to explain how Dan was harassed and belittled by two preceptors while in paramedic school. She said it left a lasting impression on him, and he was never able to bring himself to work for an EMS system, despite the fact that he'd graduated and successfully passed the NREMT paramedic exam. She said all he'd ever wanted was to be a paramedic.

     I was stunned by this accusation-I'd been Dan's paramedic instructor! I told the parents who I was and asked why he never came to talk with me about his negative experiences. His mother said Dan thought he'd be perceived as weak if he wasn't able to "take it." Although Dan may have had other underlying problems with depression, the foremost thing his parents remembered was that he was harassed while completing the field internship portion of his paramedic training, and they equated the thoughtless acts of a few people with everyone in EMS.

     Many practicing paramedics have forgotten what it was like to be in school and be the student on the ambulance. Many have also forgotten what it was like being the new person in the system or having to take an ALS call for the first time. We all decided to work in EMS to help people. Nowhere in the law or any paramedic textbook does it say the person we're helping must be a patient. It is in our best interests to work with paramedic students, to nurture them and help them become the best they can be. The student we have on our ambulance today may be our partner next month or next year.

     We need to take the same approach with new colleagues. Harassing or belittling a new employee does nothing to strengthen the system we work for, nor does it promote a healthy work environment. We all need to remember that we started in EMS with no experience, and we had to rely on someone to help us. We each learned our job with the guidance of someone who had experience, whether it was an instructor, preceptor or our first partner. New employees and students often look up to us as role models. What kind of an example do we set? Does our appearance depict professionalism? Are we willing to answer their questions, or will we tell them we're too busy or they should already know the answer? Will we take the time to review standing orders and help them practice drug calculations? Will we show them how a piece of equipment works? Will we give them constructive criticism or just belittle them? Ask yourself: How would I want to be treated if I was in their position? How do I want people to perceive and remember me?

     We need to remember that beyond our patients, this includes hospital staff, other public-safety employees and our students and fellow EMS providers. We need to evaluate our attitudes, what we say and how willing we are to help with tasks we may consider mundane and routine. They may not be routine to a new employee or student!

     We want others to look up to us and recognize us for the jobs we do and the service we provide. The actions or words of one person can reinforce this positive image…or destroy it in a matter of seconds.

Michael Fisher, NREMT-P, CCP, is program director of paramedic training at Greenville (SC) Technical College and a paramedic with Greenville County EMS.