Sunday, October 21, 2007

So I yelled again.

People never stop amazing me. I know it's human nature to gawk at an accident scene. To stare at it from the car window as you dive past and imagine the carnage that may or may not be unfolding. To be mezmerized my the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles. To watch as the Paramedics, Firefighers and Police Officers run around on scene in seemingly aimless patterns, with equiptment and notepads and oxygen tanks and stretchers. To even watch as a helicopter lands in the middle of the highway blocking traffic. I can only imagine what this looks like from the outside looking in. As opposed to being right smack in the middle of it.

So as we pull up to the scene there is a small truck, roof caved in. Looked to have rolled several times. Firefighters at the side two criticals laying in the grass. Another across the highway at the side of a family of three sitting up in the grass, not bleeding. They will be care for in a few minutes. I need to see the two laying supine bleeding all over the place first. Just as we were about to pull up a man with a Nikon around his neck leaps in front of the ambulance and snaps off a few shots. I look up and see where he came from. A goddamn fucking tour bus had stopped in the middle of my fucking accident scene. So not only did I have 5 patients (two of which who were critical) but I had a bus full of fucking tourists snapping pictures. Oh and ONE COP. Who sends ONE COP to a multi car MVA? So ever the professional, I get out of the truck and begin my triage. I go to the first patient. Severe SOB and pain on inspiration, bilat, yet dimin breath sounds, several head Lacs, crushed hand. Place him on High Flow O2, Got a trauma RN on scene to hold Manual CSpine while I go see my next patient. CAT 2, trauma center criteria. Run into some tourist who goes, "You just gonna leave him with that fireman?"
I give the stank eye and go "You gonna tell me how to do my job? Or you gonna move so I can triage all my patients? MOVE!"
Next patient...Partner's got him...Altered Mental, repeating questions, weird looking pupils, neck/back/chest pain. Also CAT 2. CSpine. High Flow 02. Trauma Center Critera. Move him to unit.
GO across highway to triage family...All CAT3 facial pain 2nd to airbag deploy. Can wait on 2nd unit. Firefighter stays with family until 2nd unit arrives.

Thats the run down. Now I walk back over to where my criticals are. Where now ALL the tourists from the bus are now off the bus and all have their cameras out and snapping pictures. I have now had it. This is not a show. This is real life. This is not entertianment. There are two people laying in the grass actually bleeding, actual blood from a actual car accident and these people are treating as if it's an episode of "Grey's Anatomy" So as I walk up, I start yelling. "ANYONE WHO IS NOT PART OF MY ACCIDENT, BACK THE HELL UP AND GET THE HELL OFF MY ACCIDENT SCENE." I then think to myself I'm gonna have to call a supervisor later. I'm gonna get complaints. But right now I don't give a damn. And I got back to my original patient. He looks up at me and says "You tell 'em girl" Then the man with the nikon that jumped in front of the ambulance as we pulled up tried to get up close to me and my patient. "If you don't get that camera out of here...you see that cop over there...I will have him cofiscate that lovely little memory card from you lovely camera because you breaking all kinds of HIPPA laws right now, BACK OFF!" I was pissed. This guy felt he had the right to barge in on the lives of my injured and bleeding patients... and on mine for that matter. But I could fight him off. My patients could not. They lay there exposed to the world, both physically and emotionally. So I was angry and I expressed it and not just at this one man, but at the whole bus load of people who treated the whole thing as entertainment. So what if I end up with several tourist complaints in my file. They acted more inapproriatly than I did.
And so we load both our critcals in the back of our unit and too off.

Our patients made it to the trauma center alive and in one peice. And I only pissed off a bus load of tourists. Welcome to our fair city.

8 comments:

born_yesterday said...

wow...way to stand up!

AbleDanger said...

Maybe there weren't any other police officers available? Shit happens sometimes...lol. We only initially dispatch one to our collisions, and if they need more when they get there, then they usually call another unit.

painter in hiding said...

Actually it was in a rural area. So it was an extended ETA for more deputies. I,m not failting the deputy. He was doing the best he could to control a whole bus load of people.

Anonymous said...

I can only begin to guess how people like that validate that kind of behavior. Intruding on others in a time of pain is truly sick.
No

Anonymous said...

No fancy words to say, just good job looking out for your patients. Well done!!

painter in hiding said...

Thank you...I am a HUGE patient advocate. I am that medic that will bend the rules a bit if it is the best intrest of my patient. It's gotten me into trouble a few times with my superiors. But to be honest, I dont really care. So what if I pissed off a few travelers. They shouldn;t have been gawking at my patients

AdCy said...

Wow, I am so glad I am not the only female medic that goes off on accident scenes. I found your blog on emergiblogs, and I love it!

Anonymous said...

I can't believe those people! That is so rude! It's like taking video of a total stranger giving birth on the side of the road!