Preconference Sessions Offer Tips

• Jennifer Berry, editor
• 2008 Mar 26

The second day of the 2008 EMS Today Conference & Exposition preconference workshops started at 8 a.m. at the Baltimore Convention Center. Among the sessions were the second day of an ALS core content refresher, a boot camp for EMS supervisors and focuses on medical emergencies and airway techniques.

In a Wednesday morning session on patient assessment, Connie Mattera, RN, MS, TNS, EMT-P, entertained attendees while giving tried-and-true tips on accurately diagnosing and treating patients.

"Sometimes what you think you've got isn't necessarily what you have," Mattera said. One example she gave is that elderly patients with a change in mental status could be suffering from hypothermia. She explained that many elderly people on fixed incomes can’t afford to heat their homes. As a result, they’re cold for extended periods of time. She said providers should always check the temperature of elderly patients with a change in mental status because they might not even know they’re cold.

Providers should assess and reassess, remembering the value of time.

When approaching a patient, she stresses the importance of showing that you care. Introduce yourself and ask your patient how they would like to be called. Never use terms of familiar endearment, such as "honey" or "sweetie." Remove your sunglasses and make eye contact with the patient. Once you have begun to assess the situation, explain to them what you’re doing and never make false promises.

Blind and deaf patients require special attention. Tell a blind patient you are going to touch them, then touch their shoulder before moving to other parts of their body. Often elderly patients are hard of hearing. Don't yell at these patients frequently they have lost the ability to hear high-pitched tones. Instead, face the patient and lower the tone of your voice. 

Offering tips for EMS managers were Bruce Baxter, NREMT-P; Skip Kirkwood, MS, JD, EMT-P; and Jonathan Politis, MPA, NREMT-P. In the Tuesday afternoon discussion, Politis told attendees that good coaches know when to back off. He suggested offering one specific tip instead of overloading the provider with constructive criticism.

Politis compared successful prehospital providers with winning athletes. He said winners attribute their failures to not enough effort, instead of blaming others and shifting responsibility. They also learn from their mistakes, maintain positive attitudes and are willing to fail until they succeed. In that vein, he and Kirkwood said it takes 75 correct repetitions of a skill, such as intubation, to get to a mastery level.

In addition to all-day sessions, Wednesday's schedule offered attendees half-day sessions focusing on obstetrical emergencies and critical-care transport. Evening sessions included ventilation skills for EMTs, trauma assessment, the art of inter-agency relations and three two-hour "super sessions".

Check out more  EMS Today coverage from the conference.