Stay Happy and Safe
Krista consults with the charge nurse at the Dartmouth General, hoping to expedite patient transfers and free up crews. A sign hanging in the nurses' station reads, "stay happy and safe."
Another weather warning pops up.
In the hallway, a paramedic puts down their phone, dropping their head on the back of the chair in frustration. The fatigue of offload wears on them. The grey area of focusing on one single patient but not being able to provide direct care becomes a wearisome cycle. It's a game of hurry up and wait.
The issues that crop up for Krista over a shift are myriad. A lack of Tylenol sends her to the fleet — where the emergency vehicles are maintained — so she can source some from the bags of ambulances awaiting repairs. There are systems issues with one of the trucks that she sends a paramedic in offload delay to address. Shortly afterward, that paramedic’s partner calls to tell her their patient was transferred, and they can now head back out — except her partner is still out dealing with the system issue.
“Of course,” Krista sighs.
From the Dartmouth General, Krista heads to the QEII hospital to repeat the process. In the paramedics' room, colleagues chat and work. When a call comes through, every paramedic subconsciously pauses, tilting their heads slightly to their radios, listening intently. If it's not for them, they resume their conversations seamlessly with no acknowledgement of the momentary delay.
“I don’t think they even notice they do it,” Krista says.
Unwinding
Thomas Whiteman, a Primary Care Paramedic just shy of his one-year work anniversary, is in a lighthearted conversation with his colleagues when we arrive. When he breaks, he discusses how he unwinds from his shifts.