Beyond Clinical Care (Part 2)

How does the responsibility of the uniform extend beyond the emergency call?

In the second part of our conversation with Scott Moore, Bill Seifarth continues the discussion regarding essential non-clinical topics for the EMS community. While our profession is defined by clinical excellence and the successful completion of the national certification examination, true leadership requires a focus on the person providing care. 

This episode highlights the importance of financial education to reduce the stress that many in our field face on a daily basis. Furthermore, Bill and Scott examine the reality of being a public figure in the digital age. Every Clinician represents the profession at all times, and understanding the impact of a digital footprint is vital for maintaining professional standards. 

Watch the full episode of Registry Insider on our website or your favorite podcast platform!

#EMS   #EMT #EMR #podcast #emergency #medical #healthcare #ambulance #research #education #examination #studying #NREMT

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:13

Welcome to the Registry Insider. I'm Bill Seifert from the National Registry of EMTs. And on today's episode, uh, we are going to be continuing a conversation we had with Scott Moore uh last week when we discussed some non-clinical topics that EMS systems, EMS agencies, and leaders and supervisors should be mindful of, especially as they're onboarding EMS clinicians into their systems. So, Scott, thanks again for joining me for um kind of the second part of our conversation talking about those non-clinical but yet really important topics that EMS leaders uh should be more mindful of and employers should be more mindful of. So during last episode, we talked um briefly about the importance of making sure that there's work-life balance with the EMS clinicians to prevent burnout, but also instilling in them very early on in their career the importance of financial um education so they have an understanding of how uh they can be saving money and also um budgeting appropriately, having a basic understanding of finances, because as you said, that's the number one stressor uh for most EMS clinicians. So uh as we continue in this conversation, um if you have any more thoughts on that, please feel free to add them. But can we uh you focus now on your your advice that you would give to new hires or employers and supervisors should give to new hires about um the role that they play and the perception that they may be encountering in the public and how important that is um for employers to be conveyed to their employees.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Yeah, sure. It's you know, I it's funny, um, you know, most of this came up during or just following the Charlie Kirk uh death. And um we saw a fair number, you know when I was coming up back in the early 90s, you know, thankfully I was not a digital native. I'm very happy for that. Um but you know, following Charlie Kirk and and even frankly after the BLM riots or protests, uh but and and in some instances riots, uh, you know, there were uh there was a lot of social media. The way my kids at 18 and 20 navigate the world is very different than I think the way um many of many of us older uh now older EMS folks navigated the world. So I think it's important to recognize that that is an element that is critically important, right? It's um for me, a Facebook or social media or Instagram or TikTok is something is sort of you know fun thing that I do. For my kids, it's it's part of the fabric of their existence. And so I think you know, recognizing that as your folks come on board, right, again, as I said last episode, we don't tend to let people go for clinical issues, right? We let them go for the other non-clinical aspects of the job, and where I've seen a fair amount of activity in this last year, year and a half, was really around the uh EMT or paramedic or EMS personnel making comments online and and and and believing that in fact they have the right to do so, which they certainly do. However, um that right is not completely without consequence. Right. And so um one of the things that I I think are important, and I don't tend to see this in orientation programs, are talking to folks about the fact that they're now working in an EMT or paramedic or an intermediate or advanced um capacity. You know, if you're associated with an EMS agency or public safety agency, you're a public figure, whether that agency is public, private, or otherwise. You are a public figure. And in fact, you know, most times I I want folks to wear that with pride, but it also comes with pretty significant responsibility. You know, uh during the you know, around the time of Charlie Kirk or during the BLM um uh social movement, we saw folks making comments. Like there was uh an EMT who posted something to the effect of if you sit down in front of my ambulance, I'll run you over. Right? Or uh following Charlie Kirk, people making incredibly insensitive comments about you know his death uh or about the people who were involved in his death. And I think um the fact of the matter is uh you know what EMS to me is is sort of the best humanity has to offer, right? And and when you sign on as an Imterior Paramedic, you were signing on to behave differently. And and you were also giving up a piece of your your anonymity, right? And in other words, you know, the public, 95% of the public never utilizes EMS. 90, 100% of their confidence for 95% of the public is in what they see. Right? And so this is the reason why I say to folks like, you know, if we're about the improvement or preservation of human life, right, you can never show an indifference to it. You can never show an insensitivity to it, and you should and and EMS is about hope. Right? At the end of the day, what we deliver, frankly, in my opinion, more than clinical skills, is hope. And so when you make a you know, when you go on to social media, people are looking for you to deliver hope, not not despair, not anger, not hatred. And um, you know, and here's the deal, right? We you know, we have a provision in healthcare that you must provide all individuals health care, right, medical care based, regardless of the group that they belong to or the political affiliation that they have. And so we have to be better than that, right, at the end of the day. But I don't think you can expect that that's logical, right? For a new EMT to recognize, right, that um, and I say this to folks, if you've got an EMT sticker on your car, you've got a fire department sticker on your car, remember you can't like be aggressive in traffic, you can't, you know, wave at people with one finger, you can't, you know, you can't do those things because you're representing every one of us. And, you know, um, so I you know, from my perspective, I say is like, look, if you're really trying to prepare people to represent not only your organization but the profession, don't expect that they know that because nowhere in the Brady book does it talk about that, right? And so, you know, if the goal is orientation is about ensuring that your employees are successful in the role, um, you have to you have to provide content that discusses that special responsibility they have. And I know David Givitt, I've never met David, I'd love to meet him someday because I quote him every time I discuss this topic. I've never met David Givitt. Um I've I've read an article by him on this topic, and one of the quotes he has is something to the effect of that EMS is the best humanity uh representative of humanity, and the public's faith in in that humanity is um is is basically created and or fostered or cultivated based upon what people see. And and and that essentially it's the best currency we have, and it can't afford to waste that, right? Or or to not not take care or s or to spend it foolishly. Right. So again, I you know I used to say to new EMTs, if you're responding to a call and you come to an intersection that's relatively busy and you have to push two or three cars out of the way, and halfway through the intersection you get canceled, don't shut the lights off and pull into the Dunkin' Donut. Right? Keep the lights on, turn off the siren, keep the lights on, turn the corner, and if you then need to go to you know turn the lights off, and then if you need to go back, that's fine. But you know, don't park in the fire lane. I I'm sorry, at the end of the day, or a handicapped spot. I've had a we had a crew got cited for parking in a handicapped spot, and I said, but you're not handicapped. They're like, Well, we're an ambulance. I said, but without a handicapped plate on it or a handicapped packard. You know, uh again, I don't I don't I'm not mocking anyone who did to park in the fire lane, but I say, like again, in this day and age, sadly, right, yeah, the people are pretty hypercritical and looking, you know, we tend to be looking for things. We just have to rise above it. And and um, and while I understand, you know, you may need to stay, keep your vehicle close so that you can get on for a call, but that's okay. Your partner's gonna stay in the truck and you know, circle the parking lot. And if you get a call, by the time that partner swings right around the front, you'll be ready to roll. So I just think that we don't pay enough attention and tell people, like, look, the first termination I ever did back in 1992 was for someone who on the way home from a very, very busy shift. We'd usually do 20-30 calls on a 24-hour shift. He was driving home in his little red pickup, and somebody cut him off, and he got angry and and actually forced that motorcycle off the road, got out of his car and said, I pick up a holes like you every single day. And he was in uniform. And so he's like, But I was off duty. I said, one, you were in uniform, or number two, right? Um, you got out and referenced the fact that you work in the MS, right? Not only the fact you were wearing uniform, but you referenced the fact you work in EMS. Again, what possible expectation should that motorcyclist or a member of the public who viewed that have of us as a profession? Right? And this is when people say, like, I should be able to, you know, my social media account is private, and I want to say to most employees, based upon what I see, there isn't much that's private in your life. Right. And I'm not meaning to be fresh, right? But again, what I'd say is your responsibilities are are simply different. It's what drew you to the job in the first place, right? Is that you wanted to be different. You wanted to be the person who instead of pulling out your phone and recording, or instead of, you know, um, you know, pointing and staring, you decided to get off the couch or get off the and help. Yeah. And so I go like, you are in a different role. With that comes great responsibility. And if you have great responsibility, then we should be not expecting folks know that, because that's something that I've learned over 36 years working in EMS. I sort of had a sense of it when I was a younger kid, but truthfully, if we want them to be successful, we have to look at where they're falling down. And this is a place where they're falling down.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

And there's plenty of data to support that.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Like the t-shirt, my job's to save your ass, not kiss it.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

To me. Which sells at most conferences that are in the world. I would not hire a single person who wears that t-shirt. And um, because again, that that is a level of hubris or arrogance that has no business in healthcare. Right? Um, you want a level of confidence and uh but not arrogance, right? And not and not and not a uh, you know, and and I don't know about you, but in all the calls I've did, and I've worked in a busy system, 20, 30 calls and 24-hour shift, saving saving people.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Saving lives, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

Yeah, I mean I think it's really again delivering hope, representing humanity, and giving people um the best care that you can possibly give them, because again, you know, I I talk about the fact that I think it's something like 1,100 babies enter the world at the hands of a pre-hospital provider every single year. And um but when you think about that, I'm like, you know what? You're the first person a person who entered the the world that lays their eyes on, and even though probably can't see actually, you know, focus on you, but that person will likely live to see the next uh century.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

Yeah. And so I go, that's a huge responsibility. And if you want the public, when people say like EMS needs to respect us, respect might come from degrees, but it more likely comes from behavior. And um, because I know plenty of people with advanced degrees who are just not very good people. No, yeah, yeah, and and again, uh you know, the data shows over and over again when it comes down to lawsuits, and and I I tell EMTs nowadays, I'm like, you need to be cautious of this. Right? I don't care how proficient a provider you are, the most proficient provider who is a jerk will more likely have problems than the most the kindest provider who actually isn't really very good, will never have that problem. Right. And um and again, that you know, I think I think organizations need to be recognizing where are people falling down, looking at that data, and then building programs to address that issue.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

Good. Well, um I appreciate you coming back for staying around, I should say, for a second episode while we're here at the American Ambleth Association conference. And um I appreciate the insights you give from uh from a human resource law perspective. Uh so um again, where can people go to find out more about you or uh the services that your your firm provides uh for EMS but also more broadly healthcare?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

Yeah, sure. So um we're at www.wmklawgroup.com. Certainly you can just type in EMS Attorney and you'll either get PWW, also a fabulous organization, great, Doug and Steve and the whole team of lawyers, Ryan, everyone over there are fantastic. But certainly, you know, also we Brian, Brian Werfel, myself, Chris Kelly, Dan Peterson, and Adam uh Parker, um, all of us have been in EMS for now a very, very long time. And um, you know, but uh, you know, we're one of the advantages we have is you know, both both sort of the compliance-related stuff, but the HR stuff. And um, you know, uh, you know, again, I approach things from the perspective of, you know, if you're in a courtroom, you've already lost. It doesn't matter whether you win. And my goal is to educate and help help help support those organizations. Because running an ambient service, I was a CEO of a $22 million ambient service for a bunch of years, and I will say that it's hard, right? And again, you can't expect that even your your managers are also employees, and they too need an orientation so that they're getting what they need in order to be successful. So uh, but yeah, so you know, certainly call us uh um, you know, or or just send us an email. There's a contact form right through our website.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

So wonderful. Well, thank you again for joining. Appreciate what you do for uh certainly EMS, uh, but also for spending time with us today on this episode.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

Well, I appreciate the registry you guys have been just unbelievable.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Thank you as well for joining us, and as always, stay safe. Thank you for joining us for this episode. If you wouldn't mind, please click the like and subscribe buttons as well as the notifications so you can get notifications of upcoming episodes. Also, for the latest and greatest happenings of the National Registry, feel free to go to nrmt.org. Thank you very much, and again, stay safe.