Editorial: Excited to Give You Our Best

Hello. My name is Nick Miller, and I am the new senior content and program director for EMS World and EMS World Expo. I am excited and honored to be invited to serve you in this position. 

Over the last 25 years, my career as a medic has assumed many roles: EMT, paramedic, critical care paramedic, instructor, educator, professor, and program director. I have worked in the field in urban, suburban, and rural environments across the United States. I have worked for hospital-based services, private ambulance services, emergency departments, ambulance districts, and fire departments. 

The Peace Corps once advertised it was “the toughest job you’ll ever love.” That holds true for paramedicine as well. We go to work every day so that others may live. For most of my career in the field, I worked as a paramedic with an EMT partner on an ALS ambulance. During that time I experienced the best and worst this profession has to offer. There is no greater feeling of accomplishment than saving a life, soothing an injured child, or being capable of helping others in a way few people can. There is a strong and undeniable comradery among medics. The men and women I have worked with in this profession have become lifelong friends.

I know firsthand the unique and difficult stressors placed on medics every day, coupled with the unrealistic expectations of others who demand perfection on every call. I know what it is like to be an overwhelmed rookie, work a vehicle extrication in -40ºF weather, an electrocution in the balmy rural bayou, a cardiac arrest in a living room where a family watches in tears. I have experienced the difficulty of stabilizing critical patients over long distances, the fear on the face of a new mother who is bleeding out, and the immense fatigue that comes with doing all these things with little to no sleep. 

I also have experienced the many difficulties this profession brings that have nothing to do with patient care. I know the deep frustration of trying to make ends meet by constantly working overtime or multiple jobs, the stress of maintaining familial relationships with crazy work hours, the difficulty of being misunderstood by bystanders, the feeling of helplessness when being unfairly berated by horrible bosses, and the sudden fight-or-flight response that comes when you are physically attacked and must defend yourself. I know the sorrow of losing fellow medics who have died in the line of duty or through suicide, the unfair discrimination of being shut out of opportunities by other medical professions, and the empty, sinking feeling of being nothing more than a disposable widget to the department you serve. Despite all of this, I still love this profession. It is an honor and a privilege to serve my community and fellow medics. There is nothing else like it. 

As an educator, I strive to provide my students the education, training, and preparation I never had as a paramedic. My goal is to develop the best medics possible with the little time I have with them. Like a parent, I work hard to help my students avoid as much as possible of the pain and hard knocks I suffered because I was not prepared for the realities of this profession. My career as an educator has allowed me to teach some of the finest civilian and military medics in the world. I have also been able to develop innovative and forward-thinking education programs to help medics advance in their careers. 

One thing my career has given me over the last 25 years is the gift of perspective—perspective I plan to use at EMS World to help you manage complex clinical situations and successfully navigate all the dangers and land mines of this profession. I will work with our team to bring important and relevant issues to the forefront and shine a light toward the future. I have learned we are only worth what we give away. The EMS World team is excited to give you our very best. 

EMS World will continue to deliver high-quality content that is relevant to you as a professional—content you can use immediately to improve your performance and understand the issues facing the profession. What I am looking forward to most in my new role is the opportunity to meet and engage with you—whether it is in person at EMS World Expo or by other means. I look forward to sharing your stories, hearing your ideas, and working with you through your concerns. We invite you to reach out to us. We want you to feel at home here at EMS World. This is your place to learn, engage, and connect.  

Nicholas Miller, MS, NRP, is senior content and program director for EMS World and EMS World Expo. Reach him at nick@emsworld.com.