What EMS means

You can have all the fancy trucks, equipment, uniforms, whatever but if you can't do this you are in the wrong field.

Wow, that is a great picture. Truly great. And greatly true.

The ambulance service I rode with, one of the EMT's snapped that picture. They say a picture speaks a thousand words. That one does for sure. lol

I like it

Yeah. Reminds me of a story from a friend of mine who works on an ambulance. They were transporting an elderly patient back to a senior center. She was designated HLR Minus, or CPR Minus, which basically means DNR, by the doctor. All he could do was hold her hand.

man, thats gotta be hard coming across a DNR, couldnt imagine...

I've done that before with an old lady and she talked my head off about her life, kids, god, and other things...most rewarding time i've ever spent with the elderly .

What's a DNR?

Do Not Resuscitate...it's like one of the saddest things an EMS provider can get in my opinion. For example, if a person is having a heart attack or if they're in full arrest or even just cardiac arrest, you can'r do ANYTHING but watch until they die or leave and fill out some paperwork. If something happens when you're on your way to the hospital with that type of person in your ambulance, Kaizer's friend for example, all Kaizers' friend could do is hold that patients hand since he couldn't help her/him due to the form. Did I explain it well enough?

Well, I do like our new ambulances and EQ2B, LED package, radios, and other equipment... lol but seriously, that is a great, meaningful picture. The knowledge that you're there to help somebody at what could be the worst time of their life is a great feeling.

J. Hannahan wrote:Do Not Resuscitate...it's like one of the saddest things an EMS provider can get in my opinion. For example, if a person is having a heart attack or if they're in full arrest or even just cardiac arrest, you can'r do ANYTHING but watch until they die or leave and fill out some paperwork. If something happens when you're on your way to the hospital with that type of person in your ambulance, Kaizer's friend for example, all Kaizers' friend could do is hold that patients hand since he couldn't help her/him due to the form. Did I explain it well enough?

Yeah, I got it... That's sad.

Well, I don't want to sound mean. But, it didn't bother me. I was talking to a patient in the ER one day who had one, she was just tired of pain, and being sick. And just didn't want to continue on.

Ya... I've been on one before on a ride along, the person was happy as could be so to speak. Theres a time when its not worth living and it time to let go.

Once you've lived a good life, and you're happy with what you've done, well at least for me, I'd be ready to accept death, everntually we've all gotta quit

Well said, Burke. I have to agree with you 100% on that one.

It's so your passing will be more dignified. Here they will still provide you with any other life-prolonging care you need, they just won't restart your heart of you go. Either a patient can choose it, or the treating physician declares it. Those are cases where resuscitation would be useless, or as the guidelines say "disturb or prolong the dying process". IE cause the patient more harm than good, especially in terminal phase illnesses.

Mind you, at least in canada, if you're in the terminal phase, and they've given you a short time left AND you are in hospital, they would put you in palative care, and just wait for you to die. There nurses are trained to help your last little bit of life be as good as possible. I dunno about everywhere else, but that's how it works here. Mind you if you're staying out of hospital, they don't admit you there, they just let you die at home

I'm only 13, so I have a lot of good years ahead of me. Still, we have Life Support and that means that if you're on Life Support, than they're just trying to keep your body alive. There's really no point in living, as it's just a machine. If people want to die, then let them. It's probably better than dealing with the pain.