Open Airways: Stories from the back of the ambulance
Lessons Learned on the Way
Bruce Nepon
“Probably the first, most important lesson I ever learned was that you can be nice and then rude, but you can’t be rude and then nice.” Click to hear Bruce Nepon and Charlie discuss more strategies for lengthening your professional lifespan.
Bruce Nepon is acting chair of the Allied Health Dept. of Delaware Technical and Community College in Dover, Del.
Open Airways is a project to capture an oral history for the benefit of the EMS Community. EMS responders share some of the most meaningful cases of their careers, sometimes with humor and always with compassion. We hope that they will help us improve your practice and inspire a new generation of caregivers.
This series is produced by FISDAP with the support of EMSResponder.com. Listen to the latest features here and look for the series archive at openairways.net.
To share your most meaningful case and the lesson it taught you, call FISDAP Open Airways at 1.651.314.7424
I have a story to share with my fellow EMS employees. Yesterday i ran a call with a man that was supposedly having a seizure. Upon my arrival as the solo paramedic on scene and found a patient “flopping around” on the floor. When I went to assess the man, he spun himself around and leg swept me down to the ground. As we left our equipment on scene and evacuated to a safe place (outside) the man comes to the doorway as if nothing happened and says “Im OK now but I still need you to check me out” We waited for an officer to arrive before we went back in to check him out. As the scene was secured, I found out this guy is a 2nd degree black belt with bipolarism and post traumatic stress syndrome. The officer transported the man to jail and asked us to press charges. We filed a report with the officer and made our way back to the station so we could fill out an incident and injury report. Today I spoke with the officer that carted this man off to jail and was told that he already made bail and the DA would probably NOT file charges against him due to his psych history. So much for protecting the rights of the good guys. I came to help and was assaulted and now my rights have been violated. I shocks me what the justice system comes down to. So glad I pay my taxes.
It’s really too bad that you had to encounter such a rotten expierience while coming to the call of duty. I too am contemplating entering E.M.S. I already have my certificate but need to take the State Exam. I’ve been reading alot lately about things that seem to take place during active duty, such as the E.M.T. who was recently gunned down while on duty on a call. That just amazes me, then I read your story as well. Hmmm although that will not prohibit me from pursuing this career if I evenually decide to do so I see that there are so many kinds of people you will encounter in this field, expecially those with mental illness!!! I guess unfortunately it’s part of the job. I hope you dont think that I am undermining your feelings, on the contrary!! I just would really like to just thank you for being of service no matter where you are. My great appreciation and respect strongly goes out to you!!! Sincerely Judy Lopez
I’m sorry to hear about your frightening predicament there is a lot to be said about a man calling in his own convulsive seizure attack and I have to wonder why you were the only responder at the scene? Especially! considering that a severe seizure could lead into cardiac arrest, pulmonary edema, hypoxia and so on. You obviously believe that the man does not suffer from seizures but from an appetite to take down emergency responders. Obviously he has got some problems and you want to see him in jail because your rights have been violated perhaps he‘s not the only one with problems. Grow up a little bit, if your in a responsible adult position than act like one. I ‘d hate to see you stub your toe while carrying a patient into the ER. Egotism might be fitting on stage but is a recipe for grave mistakes in the health care system. Find it in your heart to forgive the gentleman and learn from your experience its worth its weight in gold when compared to text book knowledge.