Last month, we celebrated all that was good about EMS during EMS Week. The field care providers, the communication specialists, the air folks — we all play our part in bringing care and compassion to the community when they need it the most.
One part of the chain of survival requires special attention — the bystanders, as shown in this story from the Boston Marathon. We know that in a few very specialized situations, the actions of the first person on the scene can spell the difference between life and death. That’s not being melodramatic, just a simple fact.
The simple act of placing a tourniquet on a badly bleeding wound may appear self-evident, but it really isn’t. It’s the reason why we encourage our community to take basic first aid classes and be good Samaritans when circumstances calls them to the plate.
Their acts indeed makes our work easier — and makes the patient’s outcome that much more successful.
There’s another lesson to be learned here: The fear that the patient must have felt in the moments after the explosion must have been palpable. During those terrible moments, the victim focused on what the bystander said:
“She had heard me screaming for help and she said, ‘My name is Joan from California, and I’m not going to let you go.’ And she stayed with me the whole time,” Brannock recalled.
A simple phrase that carries a powerful message of reassurance and hope: That’s what our patients want to hear. It’s easy enough to incorporate such comfort in your opening phrase to the patient, and can go a long way in creating the trust we need to manage the situation.
If you don’t do it now, give it a try. It might feel awkward but your patient will appreciate hearing it, if even subconsciously.
