TAKE CARE @t-dope - Tumblr Blog

MY BOYS ARE BACK TOGETHER

One of my old partners got pulled in for an investigation today. The photo is not of him - it’s of a paramedic in California trying to eat something for the first time in nearly ten hours.

My old partner was told that a member of the public took photos of him and his current partner. My buddy was sleeping, and his partner was eating. This member of the public sent the photos with an email that both complained about how “unprofessional” it appeared - and a threat to send the photos to the media.

Thanks to Prop 11 in California, first responders no longer have a right to breaks. AMR lied to the public in a huge way. California was the only state where emergency crews had been granted a legal right to breaks to use the latrine and have a meal. Shifts run a minimum of 12 hours, often 24, and AMR runs their crews into the ground.

My buddy and his partner are in trouble because they were trying to get rest and food while posted on a street corner because we don’t get breaks. This is what AMR tells us to do. Please don’t see something like this and assume that we’re being lazy or not doing our jobs. Don’t take photos or send them to the press. That crew is probably exhausted and overworked.

low-budget-mulan

Not to mention they hold us 911 coverage units over regularly “for just one last transfer call that will be really quick.” When there are plenty of transfer only units posted at hospitals doing nothing at the beginning of their shifts. It also tanks our levels and leaves a lot of the city uncovered for emergency calls.

blitzkriegfritz

The thing is everytime you complain about something like people taking breaks, it’s not that you gain something from It, you just make life worse for other people. How about minding your own damn business?

chiribomb-deactivated20220820

Seems like common sense that people doing a high-stress job that requires a lot of good judgement on matters of life and death should be able to eat and piss when they need to

dxmedstudent

That really sucks, I can’t imagine what anyone would actually gain by not allowing first responders to have breaks, but it seems ultimately unsafe and unfair, as well as unnecessary. It reminds me of when we had something similar in 2014, when certain trusts in the UK banned NHS staff from drinking hot beverages in any visible areas in case people thought they were slacking. Spokespeople at the time said that “Clearly this activity has given the wrong impression to staff and the public that clinic staff are not working as hard as they might be.”, “Members of the public are frustrated by long waiting times during clinics and for appointments and are inflamed by seeing members of staff enjoying hot and cold drinks at the reception desks.” and “Our priority must be to ensure that we are not compromising our high standards by presenting a poor impression to the public and staff who visit our departments.” But the thing is, people drink something on the go precisely because/when they are too busy to eat or take proper breaks. And it’s not always possible to drink fluids in a space which isn’t exposed to patients; not every GP practice or ward has work spaces where staff can work out of sight of patients. And whilst there’s usually some kind of staff room somewhere, if you’re too busy to take a break then having a quick coffee at your desk whilst you type or between patients can make your life a lot less horrific. I feel that if a trust has lots of staff drinking hot drinks on the go in front of patients, that’s the symptom and not the problem; ensure adequate staffing levels so people can take breaks, and ensure there are plenty of spaces close by to their work environments that are out of sight of patients that they can take a break in or grab a quick drink in, and they won’t be drinking in front of patients. But I honestly don’t see why patients should be offended by a cup of tea on someone’s desk or at a reception desk, and I think that attitude arises from a misunderstanding of why people are drinking beverages in front of patients. Most people understand that staff are busy, and in reality having a quick coffee whilst you keep working is the literal opposite of lazing around at work; if you are seeing someone at a workstation, and they don’t even leave it to drink their beverage (which in all honesty is probably growing cold whilst they are working), it’s only construed as lazy if you inherently see inbibing fluid as a lazy activity, or believe that people at work should be working literally 100% of the time with no breaks. And although I try to avoid eating or drinking within eyesight of patients as much as possible; I avoid the hospital canteen wherever possible, to avoid running into them, lest spending my break catching up on news on my phone be misconstrued as ‘doctors being lazy’, I don’t believe encouraging this line of thinking is inherently correct. By bowing to these kinds of complaints rather than addressing the fact that the real issues are understaffing, delays in services or staff not being able to take adequate breaks, we’re encouraging the view that having a drink or taking a break is inherently lazy, and something that should be done with utter secrecy. Like it’s a weird secret. When, really, patients and visitors should be able to understand that staff are entitled to drink something or take a break. And that although things should be kept as professional as possible (and treating patients comes first), hytrating yourself shouldn’t be seen as inherently unprofessional.

ouremssite

Reblogging for the comments.

starwars

Production on The Mandalorian, Star Wars’ first live-action series, has begun!

http://strw.rs/6008D4Puo

starwars

#WednesdayWisdom

fightingforanimals-deactivated2

These are some of them, most were golden retrivers and labradors, but also included german shepherds and other breeds. Sadly most are dead now, while many people forget them and don’t spare them a thought.

As people lay dying, trapped and hurt, a team of nearly 100 loyal and courageous search dogs put their lives on the line to help humans. Without them, many more would not have survived, yet few people consider them.

In such a chaotic, terrifying, hot, acrid-smelling, smokey and loud environment, countless human lives depended on their ability to focus, listen, respond to their handlers, and work tirelessly. Stepping over cracked glass, hot tarmac, through flames and thick smoke, being winched over deep ravines, they battled on to seek out survivors and bring them aid.

They worked around the clock, day and night, searching, sniffing, over and over. Not only did they search, but they comforted - many eyewitnesses speak of how the dogs would stop and sit by newly-recovered victims, giving them a sense of hope and relief, before moving on to look for the next. As the situation became desperate, and the rescue workers and fire teams became utterly distraught at the amount of people who were recovered dead, these dogs brought them comfort, sitting with them on breaks, letting them grieve.

Many of these dogs are old, and have passed away. Let us remember the courage and loyalty they showed at such a horrendous event. They didn’t have a choice, but nonetheless they did what was asked of them and helped save countless lives. Don’t let their bravery be forgotten today either, or their determination to be a ‘good dog’ despite the scary and dangerous environment around them.

southernsassysub-deactivated202

Not all heroes are human. 🇺🇸

king-token

Hero’s one and all and our special gratitude should never leave them out of our thoughts and prayers ever.