Not Important, Part II

It's been a REAL busy week, more on that in another post. I have been drained and this is the first night I've been home all week, and I spent almost all of this evening dealing with personnel issues within my squad. Let's just say I'm shot and leave it at that. I wanted to write  post, but the mental juices are just numb. I was gonna hit the rack after checking a few blogs thinking that might get my mind off the issues my people are dealing with. I happened on this post by the Burned Out Medic and it made me smile and think. I am shamelessly going to do a part 2 of his post. So now I have a story to share...

 My paying job is 10 miles outside of my district. Our facility sits on a hill next to a large body of water and on the other side is the next county west of us. It's another world 'over there'. In addition to be a different county, it has a different commercial ALS agency serving the area, and of course a different hospital. Until they put the bridge up 50 years ago, people from our side would have to drive 5 hours to get there. So we are very separate world.
 I have a scanner in my office which gets very little from my own county because of the metal building I am in the middle of, and I really don't have many channels in there because I am not interested in having it go off all the time, I just want to hear anything that will affect my department or major issues occurring in the area. I rarely leave work to attend a job, and only when it is a major.
 One of the things I hear really well in my office is the EMS frequency for the Hospital directly across the water. It's about ten miles, but in our direct line of sight. I recently removed this frequency from my radio because I found it too distracting at work. It wasn't the amount of traffic on the air, it was the content. I realized that every time an ambulance called into the hospital, I stopped what I was doing and listened. I was hoping to get another story. When I drive around the state I listen to systems all over and I learn things. Good stuff usually, and sometimes I hear bad stuff. Either way, I learn something. But this hospital just never ceases to amaze me. I have to wonder how they train their staff, and how they treat EMS when they walk through the door. Here's a few samples, you be the judge:
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 MEDIC: ST. Nowhere, this is Medic 1 enroute to your facility with a 68 year old male currently in cardiac arrest. CPR is in progress at this time, and ALS workup and initial treatment has been completed. Our ETA is 2 minutes, do you require anything further?
E/D: DO you have some vitals for us?
MEDIC: Vitals?! Um, Yeah, I have vitals, but the patient, not so much.
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 MEDIC: St. Nowhere, this is Medic 1 enroute to your facility with a 27 year old male who was the driver in single vehicle accident. The vehicle struck a telephone pole at a high rate of speed tearing most of the front end off the vehicle, The vehicle rolled approximately 4 times down an embankment. Extrication took about 30 minutes. The patient appears to have multi-system trauma and was not conscious since our arrival on-scene. B/P is 100/50, pulse is 145 and weak, respiration's are 25 and shallow, pupils are reactive and equal, we have 2 large bore IV's started, drawn blood samples, and are working on a 12 lead for you now. Lungs sounds are diminshed on the right side. Our ETA is 5 minutes, do you require anything further?
E/D: Is this patient on a backboard?
MEDIC: Affirmative, full spinal precautions are in place. ( I suspect a hint of "WTF?" in the drivers voice)
E/D: Does this patient have a collar on?
MEDIC: Um, yes, as stated, full spinal precautions. (Now I KNOW I hear a "WTF?" in the drivers voice)
E/D:[sounding bored] OK, we'll find a bed when you get here. (OK, I'm now saying "WTF" as I sit at my desk)
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MEDIC: St. Nowhere, this is Medic 1 currently inbound with a 89 year old male for a psych evaluation from Heavenly Care Nursing home. The patient lashed out at a staff member this evening and struck her with his cane. Vitals are within normal limits. The patient is calm and cooperative and resting comfortably. We should be there in 5 minutes. Do you need anything further?
E/D: Is this persons initials "G.S."
MEDIC: Um, ah, Yes, they are.
E/D: [AUDIBLE GROAN] Okayyyyyy, we'll get the restraints out, and be ready when you arrive.
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MEDIC: Good evening St. nowhere, this is Medic 1 about 10 minutes out, we have a {long detailed description of a trauma patinet who feet 30 feet onto a rock outcropping}.
E/D: Standby
MEDIC: {after about a full minute} Ah, St. Nowhere, this is Medic 1, are you still there?
E/D: {Snotty female voice} I SAID Standby! The Doctor is coming!
E/D: {Male voice} Can you give me the ultrasound results on this patient?
MEDIC: Um, no sir. We don't not have ultrasound capabilities. This is not a transfer sir, this patient is coming in to you from the incident scene. [There is no EMS ultrasound available in our area, let alone region, yet]
E/D: You do not have ulktrasound?!
MEDIC: No sir.
E/D: Why not?! [OK, at this point I am looking around for a tape recorder and make a note to bring one in and keep it handy]
MEDIC: Sorry Doc, we do what we can. We're pulling into the E/D now. Out.
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So, the Burned out Medic shouldn't feel so alone. It happens elsewhere. I hope he forgives me for writing part II to his post.
UU