Nurse VS Paramedic (From an actual member)

[Guest219794]

I am an RN with a background in EMS.  I still keep my Basic EMT current, ski patrol in a high volume resort, and do volly search and rescue.

There is, and always has been, some conflict between medics and nurses.  You have LTC nurses who feel that they are disrespected by medics when they call for emergent transport.  Then there are medics who feel that they are blown off by ER nurses, or treated like uneducated ambulance drivers by ICU nurses.

We are all on the same team here.  We all have the goal of improving patient outcomes.  So- thoughts on how to improve this critical relationship?

As a basic ski patroller, I would occasionally turn a patient over to Life Flight- these medics and nurses are pretty much at the top of the food chain.  At the time, I had around 100 hours of training under my belt.  Despite that, they were always respectful, listened to what I had to say, and treated me like a colleague.  Rightly so- while they might be able to run pressors and decompress chests, etc..., no way they could stabilize and transport a critical patient down expert level ski terrain.  They were a good example.

As an ER nurse, I maintain a good relationship with EMS.  I rely on them.  I am always polite and friendly.  If I don't understand why they took a certain course of action, I ask.  If I think they screwed something up, I don't address it at the time, or criticize them during transition of care.  I might follow up, or talk to a supervisor- who I also maintain a good relationship with.  I generally do this outside of official channels.  We are on the same team with the same goals.

One thing I think helps ER nurses maintain respect for medics is to periodically ride on an ambulance.  Run pressors during a blood transfusion in a moving vehicle and all of a sudden you gain an understanding of what its about.  Also- take the time to learn about the protocol driven environment in which they work.  If you don't understand a protocol, ask for education, rather than criticize something you know nothing about.

So what are your thoughts on how to close this divide?  If you feel the need to vent, or relay your own negative anecdotal experience, as though it is somehow representative- feel free to do so.  In another thread labelled "Unproductive Venting".  If you have something productive to add, I would love to hear it.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Having been a medic in my past life, I believe that we should treat everyone with respect. We all bring something to the table!  And I agree, I think every nurse should do a ride along to get an understanding, if they are able. EMS should understand that if an outlier (LTC,  clinic, or home setting) calls for patient transport to ER, a Dr has ordered it...I've been guilty of questioning when I worked that role, and I've been questioned like I was too stupid to know if the patient really needs transport in all the mentioned outlier settings. We all need to really just try to support each other. End of my thoughts. Good post after the other pot stirrer today ?