Skills Practice

National Registry prescribes certain steps to take with various skills for the emergency medical technician tests which they have developed.  They list out the points which a student needs to perform to pass their end of course skills evaluations.

 

These steps form the basis of how we perform various skills whether they are traction splints, IV starts, or even ubiquitous patient assessment.  These skills in most states form the basis of whether or not we are allowed to work in EMS, but are they really measuring what is important?  As I have noted in previous articles on skills training, I am both an advocate of skills training and regular practice.

 

Some would argue absolutely…skills practice is a necessary part of the job, without which, success would be all, but impossible.  A few out there might argue skills practice impedes didactic lectures that would help our EMS community better understand the pathophysiology and assessment of Ménière's disease or some other pet topic which they feel requires more discussion.

 

For me though, the biggest skill missing to me is the interpersonal one.

 

I apologize in advance as I am going to be bad here and not even argue on behalf of the patient.  Sorry, I am arguing the interpersonal skills of dealing with co-workers and fellow healthcare employees.  I know, I know, this is barely patient care related and surely has nothing to do with political issues or baseball, but we do a lot of education in our classes, but the class I guess we miss both in EMS education, many work environments, and school for that matter seems to be how to develop the interpersonal skills needed to deal with difficult co-workers.

 

Let’s face it, how many of us enjoy dealing with the rude, insensitive patient who probably drinks too much?  Most of us raised our hand right?  We are willing to do it because that is the job so we put on the smile and play the game to do the right thing by our patient, but when we get back to the station, how many of us still deal with the rude, insensitive person who instead of being our patient is now simply our co-worker?

 

I know I have gone through partners and had both great partners who we could anticipate one another as if we had been married for years.  I have also had partners that despite express communication about whatever did not seem to understand where I was headed or where I wanted to go with things.

 

Now I find myself thinking about how we can add this training into our EMS paradigm.  If it’s the personal touch that is missing, maybe this is where we should concentrate our efforts?