Bob Sullivan's Blog (7)

http://emspatientperspective.com/2012/05/01/the-permisson-paradox/

I just learned how much my auto insurance went up after a recent speeding ticket. I'll get a break after I complete a driver improvement course, so my search began for the cheapest, fastest, and easiest path to accomplish this. Some are online, and I'm exercising my finger to click through the slides as fast as possible. I've been driving for 15 years and don't expect my habits to change after completing the program. I just want a paper saying I completed something as quickly as possible.… Continue

I think I'm a good paramedic. I have enough experience to see patterns in clinical presentations, I keep up on literature, and I adjust may care accordingly. I'm also pretty good with patients. I develop a rapport with them, stay calm when things get crazy, and know how to get reluctant patients to go to the hospital.



It wasn't always this way. I used to hate calls that didn't flow like scenarios in school, or when patients didn't read my textbook before calling. At some point… Continue

One of my favorite movies is Office Space. I especially enjoy the scene where the boss attempts to rally the employees by saying, in a monotone voice: "With every decision you make, ask yourself, is this good for the company?"

Patient-centered care is a buzz word right now, but shouldn't that be obvious? Why else would we be…

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Ma’am, you’ve cut your arm very badly. I understand that you don’t want anyone to help you, but someone cares enough about you to call for help. Now you have six people working very hard to take care of you, so please stop fighting with us.…

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Two months ago tomorrow my wife gave birth to an 8lb,9oz bundle of joy we named Henry. I'm a little biased, but he is by far the cutest baby I've ever seen. A month or so before he was born we had to pick a pediatrician. Fortunately my wife and I know many health care workers whose opinions we value, and this made our search easier.



A nurse practitioner recommended the pediatrician she takes her kids to, which is always a good sign. I've also never been on a call at his office, which I… Continue

I'm an animal lover, and last night I read Mark Levin's book Rescuing Sprite. It's about how he became attached to a dog that he adopted, and how agonizing it was to have to put him to sleep. One dog that he adopted was turned over to a shelter because its family just didn't feel like caring for it anymore. It was sweet, gentle, and loving, but had been badly neglected.



So why would this family ever get a dog in the first place? Was it just… Continue