Your Mental Health Is the Most Important
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”—Thomas Edison
They always told me it would happen at 3am, on a brisk night, and it would be a surprise. Boy were they right.
I had been an EMT for 2 years, just switched volunteer ambulance corps for more experience. Went from the agency taking 300 calls a year to and agency taking 1500+ calls a year. Was a busier system and more people to learn from. One person in particular had been an EMT in an urban system for 20+ years and his words stuck with me. “Your first pediatric arrest is gunna be at 3am, it’s gunna be brisk out, and it would come in as a difficulty breathing or something. Always is for everyone.” Now, how accurate could it be he isn’t a soothsayer or something.
Well sure enough 3am on a random Monday morning the tones go off. “Respond to 123 XYZ street for the pediatric respiratory distress.” My volunteer squad allowed people to respond from home. We were a small town for how busy we were. I was sleeping at the building. So I got up slowly got dressed and walked out to the ambulance.
Our radio channel at the time was the same as the police dispatch channel so when they arrived we could hear updates. We hear the first unit say arriving at scene. There was about 5 seconds of silence before I heard one of the most chilling transmissions I have heard to today, “Headquarters the father is reporting they aren’t breathing, have EMS step up, next PD unit in bring me a med bag and an AED.” I stopped, and thought, no there is no way he said that. As if he could hear me the radio keys up, “CPR in progress.”
My partner shows up at the building and off we go. We pull up and head inside. I take as deep a breath as I can. I was not prepared for what was about to happen. My partner took over compressions, I was in charge of airway. About 5 minutes in I looked around and it was just me and my partner. Patrol had went to get our Reeves carrying device and the parents were on the front lawn crying. I looked at my partner, “I don’t know if I can do this.” I will never forget his response, “Pancakes, think of pancakes.”
So we went through the arrest, transported to the hospital. Ultimately the patient ended up dieting. I broke down. All I remember is being in the ambulance bay sitting on the bumper crying my eyes out. My partner comes over and hugs me. I would end up finding out later that my partner never had a pediatric arrest either.
Now as for the pancakes. I talked to him after and I asked him why pancakes. Basically, when he was driving to the call when he thought it was still just a respiratory he was thinking about what he wanted for breakfast after the call and was going to convince me to stop and get pancakes. He said that he just continued to think about the pancakes to get him through the call.
Ok, so you must be asking yourself, “Nick, how does any of this have to deal with my mental health?” Well, I’m happy you asked! I am a big advocate for mental health in EMS. Since I started out as an EMT I was always told, “Just suck it up,” or “You’ll either get over it or live with it.” None of that is the correct answer. They teach you in school BSI, Scene Safety, “Jazz Hands”(saying my medical director for Paramedic School told us all the time. They teach you the order of safety first is yourself if you aren’t safe you can’t help anyone. Next is your partner, then the patient, then the general public.
Well, your mental health is as important as your physical health. If you can’t keep yourself mental fit for duty it is just as bad as if you have a broken ankle. Being stressed out and angry or exhausted and have brain fog isn't good for anyone, especially your patient’s.
We all got into this profession to help others and if we are incapable to help others what are we doing? We need to have our minds ready to go. I am going to hit on some points I feel are the most important below. But, before I do that I need you to remember, if you feel like you need help, it is not a shameful or wrong thing to ask for help. Ask your partner, your supervisor, your boss, a family member. Ask anyone that will listen. Wether its a phone call, text, or in person conversation ask for the help. Remember we all got into this profession to help people, so let’s help our own.
Sleep is your best friend:
Going to work tired and cranky does no one any good. Whether you work day or night shift you need sleep. You also can’t bank on the fact that you will be able to catch a few minutes of sleep in the front seat. You need to think that you are going to go to work your 12 hour shift and end up running nonstop for 12 hours.
I currently work night shift. My schedule is normally leave shift at 7, get home by 7:15, and be asleep no later than 9 o’clock. I normally wake up somewhere between 3:30 and 4:00. I accomplish whatever tasks I need to, make some food, and get ready for work. I personally feel this is the best for me because I get home and do thing I need to do in the morning then get up early enough to get somethings done before work as well as full wake up so I am not driving in tired and cranky. Because when you walk through the door tired and cranky it sets the tone for the shift.
Find a sleep schedule that works for you and stick too it. Don’t deviate and make sure you are getting a good nights sleep.
Eating Right:
Ok, I am not one to comment on this. I was the guy who stopped at McDonald’s or (as I am known for at work) Chik-Fil-A constantly. I got a huge soda to hopefully give me energy, a bunch of food to “give me energy to work,” and then later in the night get a bunch of snacks.
I am actively trying to get better at this and realized that it does a lot for your mental health. Eating less, trying to eat healthier, and taking out or at least cutting down on the soda. I have more energy and feel less brain fog. Physical health is as important as mental health as mental health is important to physical health.
Ask for help:
This is gunna be the longest one. We need to as a whole take this stigma of asking for help is weak and throw it out the window. We are in a profession that is solely designed to help people. Do we call our patients weak for calling 911? I mean if they are having a stroke yes, but overall our patients aren’t weak, so why are we?
Mental health is a huge issue in our field with suicide, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and the list goes on. We need to stand up and realize that taking care of our own thoughts is what saves others. By keeping us in the fight it allows us to help others.
We all see things, hear things, and do things that your average person will never see, hear, or do in their life time. We see death on an almost daily basis. We are with people in the worst times of their life. We leave these patients sometimes having no idea what happens to them down the road. We need to realize that taking care of our self, the first thing they teach you in EMT school, goes beyond the call. This extended into after the call, after your shift, even after you leave this profession if you do. We need to learn to ask each other and ourselves for help.
Let’s wrap it up:
We as EMTs and Paramedics will live everyone’s worst fears almost everyday. We will have to sit and watch death, sickness, injuries, and things you would never imagine. But, we come back day in and day out. It is important that we remember why we got into this field. We want to help people. That is the most important thing to remember. Their is always someone their to help. WE are here to help. We need to help each other. We need to stop letting our brothers and sisters suffer. Spark the conversation, ask your partner how they are feeling after the bad call, be the one to reach out to a supervisor or trusted professional if you are having a rough time handling a call. Most importantly be the change you want to see in your department. Speak to administration about implementing programs for people’s well being. We want to help people so let’s help our own before we end up losing our own.
-The Baby Medic
Resources available to you:
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988, or Chat at 988lifeline.org
Share The Load Fire/ EMS Helpline - 1-888-731-FIRE (3473)
Safe Call Now - 206-459-3020
Disaster Distress Helpline – 1-800-985-5590 or text "TALKWITHUS" to 66746
Crisis Text Line – Text "HOME" or "BADGE" to 741741
