Reader Feedback: October 2020

The Pros and Cons of Catching Some Z’s On Duty

The following are Facebook comments regarding a recently published study that indicates intrashift naps improved providers’ recovery between shifts; decreased fatigue, sleepiness, and anxiety; alleviated burnout; and lowered their blood pressure.  

It will always be a mystery to me why sleep is so demonized in the U.S. It's just as important as eating and drinking. I know places like Italy take a midday nap, and everyone does it. In the U.S. we would rather you kill yourself or someone else than to think that you were getting “something for nothing.”

—Billy R.

Paramedic of 29 years here. I did about five years of 24s and about 10–15 years of nights. I’m lucky to be alive. Seriously, the medical data show that heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems result from a lack of sleep and especially from interrupting the natural sleep pattern of human beings. For a while when I was doing nights, I used medication to help me sleep, and I used to try to adapt to my family’s lifestyle for the 3–4 days off I had. Then I would go back and work nights. The sad fact is that data shows that’s even worse for your health than just working nights. I’m done being a paramedic and retired at 62. Now I teach doctors, nurses, and paramedics. Take care of yourself.

—Claude H.

I use medication on my off days to ensure I get decent sleep. But it’s not a long-term solution. Fortunately my agency is pushing towards 12s with pay increases to balance a livable wage.

—Samuel M.

Suicide Awareness

Thank you for giving direction in helping those around us who could be contemplating suicide [“The EMS Suicide Threat”]. I will make sure I am more conscious of those around me in the EMS world and see if I can reach out to help them.

—Cynthia Bredenkamp, online comment

Kudos on Leadership Webinar

The recent webinar on leadership [“Advancing Your Emotional Intelligence Skills”] was very interesting. We have applied many of the concepts explained by [speaker] Chris Cebollero before, and now in our work in prehospital and intrahospital emergency services. We will be on the lookout for new webinars that will undoubtedly contribute to improving the professional and human quality of the medical care we provide. Many thanks.

—Gerardo Jose Illescas Fernandez, Director General, Colegio Tecnologico Mexicano en Medicina de Urgencia, Mexico City

'Accident' vs. 'Crash'

Thank you for including this important story [“Mo. Paramedic Paralyzed in Ambulance Accident”]. However, you have rewritten the headline of the original article to call this out as an “accident.” The AP Stylebook recommends avoiding the word “accident” as it “can be read as exonerating the person responsible.” In the future, I urge you to consider using terms like “crash” or “collision.” This incident was not an accident, but could have been prevented by safer streets and drivers.

—Liz Kramer, online comment

Before You Post Anything on Social Media...

[In response to “The Hidden Harm Behind EMS Memes”] Question one: Is this something I would post on a billboard next to a busy interstate with my name and phone number next to it? If not, don't post it on social media. Yes, you can get fired for it. No, it's not a free speech matter. No, it's not dark humor or the stress of the job.

—Benjamin H., via Facebook