Take long, deep breaths...

I'm posting Saturday's post today, because I know tomorrow is going to be a nightmare of activity for me. An early post? I'm shocked too.

The idea for this post came to me after reading Baby Medic's post 'Real Strength', which I think is compulsory reading for anyone in the field. What I want to talk about today is the aura you seem to get when working in an emergency setting.

There is a long running joke in St John Ambulance about the 'Paramedic Strut'. Basically, whenever a Paramedic walks into one of our posts following a 'Code 6' (call for Ambulance), they tend to strut in with the flag billowing in the background while they calmly ask "So..." *pause for effect* "What seems to be the problem here?". Naturally, the girls (or guys, should the Paramedic be female) swoon and the patient will miraculously recover at their touch - once more the world is safe.

What this joke refers to is the sense of authority that is immediately identifiable in a Paramedic. I tend to summarise this into two categories, and this is where Baby Medic's post comes into play.

The first type of Paramedic will come into the room and ignore us (St Johnno's) completely. They will do their obs, perhaps ask a question or two to the person in command and then get irritated when said person isn't familiar with one of the terms or methodologies the Paramedic is referring to. They assert their authority through a sense of aggression and condescension. While I'm the first to admit we are only First Aid (more on this later), it is this first type of Paramedic who leaves a bad taste in your mouth long after the ambulance has left. They use every technical term to talk about the situation and the patient is often too scared or feeling too incompetent to actually ask what is wrong with them.

The second type of Paramedic walks into the room, says hello to everyone and with a calm grace takes in the situation. They take obs, also asking the Johnno's around questions and explaining any terms/methodologies in a conversational and respectful way. They talk to and reassure the patient, explaining in simple terms what the problem is and why going to hospital would be the best idea - but reminding them it's their choice. It's this calm and respectful stance that I've come to admire about certain Paramedics.

Of course a single Paramedic may have a combination of both attributes, and this may also change from day to day - the job is demanding, tiring and often frustrating. But at the same time, the attitude rubs off, so even if you're feeling frustrated it's important to keep that calm.

Before any Paramedics flood my inbox (not very likely... but still) with emails, I'll be making another post on Monday with the other side of this story from what I can gather. Then please email me if I've left anything out.