A difficult aspect of the job is the poor understanding of the public of what we do in EMS, and the poor understanding that our non-EMS friends and family have of what we do

Those of us in EMS can understand each other better, we have seen the same tragedy and struggled with the same difficulties that are so hard to articulate

What does retirement look like from a career paramedic in EMS?

Casey struggles with this, it’s hard to think about not caring for patients anymore. The closer he gets to retirement, the more it looks a little less clear what that looks like exactly

Eddie isn’t planning retirement soon so he can help provide for his kids. He does have retirement investments and fire benefits

Advice for newbies in EMS:

If you are seeing warning signs of burnout, get counseling immediately. Don’t write it off or try to ignore it as normal

Eddie would not have tried to fight the warning signs of PTSD, he would have sought help much sooner

He did struggle with suicidal thoughts for a period of time – counseling was the solution. Sleep deprivation was a major factor in these thoughts for him

He had a breaking point where he felt ready to end his life – a counselor called him back at 2am and got him in quickly to talk and this helped him significantly. And he now feels the best he has mentally – it doesn’t control him anymore

Casey talks about how few make paramedicine a career, it’s a tough job and it has changed over his career, he recommends finding the fun. Learn new things. Self-reflection goes a long way

Recognize when you need to switch to a different place, organization or company as a paramedic

Casey: “I feel bad, because I don’t feel bad”

We all feel different and respond differently to the things we see - you don’t choose the things that affect you

Don’t be afraid to say something to your coworkers if you see something wrong, even though it’s hard and confrontational – this helped me significantly when a partner called me out early in my EMT career

We’ve lost people in EMS through the years, this is devastating. We share life with our partners and get to know them really well

When Eddie was feeling similar thoughts of suicide to our coworkers that committed suicide, it was a huge eye opener for him to see the grief of their loss

Bad calls can haunt you; we have all seen it in others and ourselves

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Full show notes can be found here: Episodes - Practical EMS - Content for EMTs, PAs, Paramedics

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Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn’t represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions.