EMS Changes You || Harsh Realities of EMS

🚑 EMS peeps, this is for you!

I was recently spending time with family and the topic of death & dying ☠️ came up. I began to share my opinion and related it with something I had seen out in the field. I scanned the room and realized…this is morbid, I probably should stop talking 🫣. It made me think…

Have you changed since your first day on the job? 

I snapped this selfie during my first week at my new, full-time EMS job. To be honest, I hardly recognize this girl (and not just because of the extra 25 lbs I have donned 😂🤦🏼‍♀️). 

I remember that feeling of uneasiness every time the tones dropped. I was new and so worried it would be a call I had never experienced. My mind was always racing with questions like……What if I don’t know what to do? What if I don’t communicate well with patients or partners? What if my treatment plan is lacking? What if a patient doesn’t like me? What if a call really bothers me after I leave work? 

Spoiler alert: I had moments of all of the above and that’s okay.

I am certainly still the girl in the photo, but I have seen changes within myself, big changes. Some of those changes could be expected like developing a somewhat dark sense of humor or realizing how abused & flawed the 911 system really is. I developed a love for caffeine and a need for melatonin. I also grew a little backbone that I don’t believe was there before. I learned how to be professional, but stern in certain situations. 

One thing I did not expect that I would have to learn was situational awareness (yeah, scene safety, I know). Boy oh boy…I learned that one the hard way 👊🏻🦶🏻. Also, I had to learn to Read 👏🏻 The 👏🏻Room👏🏻….not everyone wants to talk about gross calls or cardiac arrest over dinner (especially your family 😂🤦🏼‍♀️). I am also now hyperaware of how close we all are to death and this may not be the healthiest thing to think about over your morning coffee 😉.

Anyway, EMS changes you. You have a front row seat to some of the most amazing, downright miraculous occurrences, but also can be faced with devastating heartbreak. Just try not to lose you or why you went into the field. 

Have you changed since your first day on the job? Tell me how!