EMT Stress Management Discussion Question

Knowing the causes of stress will help the EMT understand how to handle the various levels of stress that they will encounter.  List 1 of the causes of stress and the ways to handle it. Also respond to 2 other students posts about other ways to handle the stressful situation that they identified.  Use your own experience in dealing with stress.

One of the causes of stress is the scarcity of time. EMTs are expected to report to the medical emergency within minutes. Upon arrival, time is sacred in using the educational knowledge and training to the best of their abilities. There isn’t any time to forget which tool to use or how to use it, ask for a break so you don’t vomit in response to the amount of blood from the patient, or try and remember where the switch is on the machine, for example. I have volunteered for the hospital for four years and participated as an intern for Marian Medical’s Physician Mentorship Program. I remember observing a gastrointestinal surgery and watching the blood squirt into the air and onto the surgeon’s mask. This was a common surgery that he had done several times before and felt prepared, but in this one instance, something went wrong. There wasn’t time to clean up or wash off, there was only time to find the source of bleeding and provide compression, etc. There are ways to prepare for the job; however, sometimes preparation is necessary even for the most common tasks which is important to remember. In times of stress, like when the patient won’t stop bleeding out, or blood comes in contact with your eye, etc., then it’s important to stay calm, assess the situation, and perform accurately and attentively.

                My personal experience in dealing with stress stems from my sister’s Severe Crohn’s Disease. I remember when my sister was in surgery (this one out of the hundreds of others she has had) and hearing the doctor tell my parents we needed to say our goodbyes because her condition was critical. It was at that moment that I understood the responsibility of stress management. I was five years old, wanting to cry, but I knew that I needed to stay calm and be supportive of my parents as it was their daughter that was dying. Selflessness, sincerity, compassion all came along with dealing with stress. I responded to that stress by referring to prayer and remembering my priority here on Earth; to serve God and others.

                Time is precious and therefore makes for stressful situations. It causes EMTs to be better at their jobs by making it a necessity to prepare for the worst and be educated. Ways to deal with stress in these timely circumstances is by preparing, as an EMT, whether it be studying an EMT text book while off-duty or waiting for a call, communicating with other EMTs concerning your emotional suffering/stress, exercising so that time won’t have to delay based off of poor physical health, and/or participating in spirituality whether it be worship, prayer, meditation, confession, etc. as a form of expression and as an outlet.