In the past this gathering has been limited to Advanced Life Support providers (Paramedics). However, our department has grown a bit in the last few years and to make things a bit easier for our perennially overworked Clinical Coordinator we now include the Basic Life Support Providers (EMT’s) for their annual skill review.
A few weeks ago our hospital was being screened by a national organization in an effort to achieve a somewhat prestigious designation. In addition to a thorough inspection each area of clinical specialty was asked to prepare a display containing an overview of the department and its personnel. I routinely eschew participation in such displays. However several dozen of our staff members posted pictures of themselves with brief bios. Most were pretty standard but one in particular caught my eye. In it the author (a twenty something woman) listed among her activities her participation as a volunteer at Planned Parenthood “protecting the rights of women”. While this really irritated me I put on a shower cap (it was a busy day and I did not want housekeeping to have to clean up a mess should the top of my head explode) and continued on with my activities making a mental note to be confrontational with this imbecile should the opportunity present itself.
In the course of our recertification today each of us had to don an escape hood and conduct a “fit test” to determine what size we should don in case of an emergency. They are essentially a large plastic bag with a filtered valve and look like this.
Ironically, it occurred to me that with the judicious application of a small string and a bit of duct tape I potentially could have saved more lives in one afternoon than I have in almost twenty years as a Paramedic. Then again I have a soul and a conscience.
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