Tools for Success in EMS

Course overview

Objectives List the benefits of utilizing checklists for all provider levels Describe how situational awareness is required for all providers to effectively manage both their patients and the scene Identify how crew dynamics and effective communication can have a significant positive impact on the outcome of your call Content In this episode the team discusses specific ways efficiency can be improved in the field of EMS. Steve explains how his department has utilized a pit crew model and is blazing a trail for a heads up approach to cardiac arrest response following incredible outcomes discovered by the Rialto CA Fire Department. Dan and Holly talk with Steve through the newly implemented 10 step checklist and how it has the potential to revolutionize cardiac arrest response. The team segues this conversation to the benefits of checklists on most EMS calls. They discuss how checklists can improve communication prevent missed steps and maintain organization on most scenes. Steve also brings up a common hang up in EMS the yard sale. How many times has a vital piece of equipment been lost in the debris of a chaotic call Most have experienced this and more than once. Steve and Holly mention some tips and tricks to prevent the classic yard sale and maintain equipment organization on scene which can prevent items from being lost helps with the continuity of the call and makes clean up after the call much more manageable. This episode also calls EMS providers to think more critically about the whys of our emergency response. Can you move your department forward by being on top of new research and data Or perhaps be bold enough to add visual aids like checklists and algorithms to our emergency response overcoming the stigma that an experienced provider should not need help remembering critical steps We encourage you to listen to this podcast considering the question How can I advocate for change that may improve patient outcomes in my department