Friday, July 19, 2013

Professional tidbit I'm putting in my pocket for the future

At my hospital, the residents man the medic radios, answering questions, giving the approval for meds, declaring codes, etc. There is a script for answering the radios that's usually followed by all residents:

EMS: "Medic Doc, this is County ES, how do you receive?"

Medic Doc: "ES, we hear you loud and clear, go ahead."

EMS: "Medic Doc, we have a 65 year old female complaining of tight socks, baggy pants, and a light wallet. BP is 120/80, pulse 72, sugar stick negative, no active bleeding, GCS of 15. Permission to give a bolus of saline and 2 slaps to the side of the head?

Medic Doc: "Thank you ES, I understand you have a 65 year old female, normal vital signs and hemodynamically stable. I agree with your plan of saline and slaps, what is your ETA?

EMS: "Medic Doc, our ETA is 5 minutes, over."

Medic Doc: "Copy ES, over and out."

Wasn't that simple and clear? Very concise? Easy as pie, not hard, no hassles, and most importantly, no confusion.

Alas, this is July, when the new interns arrive, either timid and hesitant, or full of ego and bullshit. So I shouldn't have been surprised when the new resident answered the radio like this:

EMS: "Medic Doc, this is County ES, how do you receive?"

Medic Doc: "clear."

EMS: "Medic Doc, we did not register your response, please repeat."

Medic Doc: "clear."

EMS: "Medic Doc, did you reply?"

MD: "CLEAR."  (As if volume was the problem.)

EMS: "Medic Doc, we have not heard a clear response, we're going to assume you hear us. We have a 45 year old male complaining of shortness of patience, pain in his sphincter, and itchy teeth. Request to administer 50 of ...

(Interrupting) Medic Doc: "I said CLEAR."

EMS: "... and a repeat EKG if you deem it necessary, over."

MD: "......"

EMS: "Medic Doc?"

MD: "Ok."

EMS: "Um, Medic Doc, is that an ok to... everything? Did you hear us?"

MD: "I said ok, I'm on the other phone."

EMS: "Uh, Medic Doc, we need clarification, please repeat our transmission."

MD: "........"

EMS: "Medic Doc?"

MD: "......."

EMS: "Medic Doc, how do you receive?"

MD: (snottily) "I hear you, yeah."

EMS: "Can you repeat please?"

MD: "I'll see you in 10."

EMS: "Medic Doc, we're pulling up right now."

MD: "See you in 10."

During this whole conversation, she was talking to someone else on another phone, carrying on the same type of conversation. Due to tone, I'm guessing she was the ego intern, not the timid one. Never get sick in July...

No comments:

Post a Comment