Emergency Department Safety

Midwives train paramedics in emergency skills

Many emergency service and health-care workers who serve the public are routinely exposed to the trauma of their patients and clients. These workers include police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services staff, hospital emergency department staff, funeral home workers, 911 operators and many others. These unsung heroes enter into burning buildings, pull crash survivors to safety, carry out life-saving procedures, and deal with the aftermath of horrible tragedies. In their work, these professionals need to be incredibly strong and resourceful, and share a culture of courage and resilience. The downside of these strengths can be an unspoken code of silence which can lead to hiding personal fears, pain, and trauma from others and reluctance to access counseling and psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress symptoms. When I first began my practice as a clinical psychologist and established the Traumatology Institute in Canada in 1998, I immediately offered services to emergency service professionals. As a result of this work, I recognized that emergency service workers needed to be incredibly courageous, resourceful, strong and resilient by nature. I noticed that individuals going into these fields were often very good at being caring and compassionate with others but not necessarily for themselves. They did not easily tolerate emotional discomfort as this was perceived as weakness in their own response to their work. They revealed a lack of self-compassion when reflecting on their own emotional pain. To give an example, several years ago I coordinated a Psychological First Aid response after a plane crash in a rural community (details have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved). The pilot and all 24 passengers in the plane lost their lives resulting in a community-wide sense of grief and loss. Two days after the crash, John, an RCMP member who was managing the response to the incident spoke with me in the hallway of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). Almost everyone on the plane was a member of John�s small community. He was personally devastated but did not feel that he could express his feelings with friends or colleagues because of his role in the aftermath of the event. John explained quietly and away from his peers that he felt �burnt.� I asked him to explain what he meant.

The Medical Leader » Law raises safety concerns: PMC Emergency ...

PIKEVILLE — During the 2011 regular session of the General Assembly, legislators changed state law, allowing the purchase of higher-powered fireworks.

“This year, state law allows for the purchase of fireworks that are known as ‘1.4 Consumer Fireworks,’” said William Swope, director of the Division of Fire Prevention who also serves as Kentucky’s state fire marshal. “This does not mean that fireworks you see at professional shows are legal; they are not. What this does mean is that popular fireworks like Roman candles, firecrackers and bottle rockets can now be sold and used legally by consumers in our state, providing that local ordinances allow this activity.”

Pikeville Medical Center Emergency Department Nursing Director Michelle Rainey said the hospital usually doesn’t treat many fireworks- related injuries, but the number of injuries caused by fireworks may increase because people can now legally purchase higher-powered fireworks.

She expects to see an increase in the number of burns and/or traumatic injuries to the hands and face this year.

“If the fireworks are easier to get, we may see an increase in the number of injuries,” she said. “We are always prepared for any kind of injury that comes in. We’re always prepared for any kind of emergency medical need.”

Here’s what PMC Emergency Department physicians Brandon Smallwood, M.D. (Medical Director of the ED) and John Fleming, D.O., had to say about dealing with emergencies:

What is the most important thing a person should remember when facing a medical emergency?