Pragmatic Paramedics

In this episode, the guys sit down with Major Andy Fisher to discuss the practical things that a paramedic might do in all things trauma. Major Fisher has an accomplished career as a Paramedic, Ranger Battalion and Regimental PA, and current medical student.  We talk about best practices for best outcomes with the resources available to us regardless of what level we practice medicine. Andy provides an inside look at medicine from his time as a paramedic, Army Ranger Regimental PA, and now a fourth-year medical student. This conversation is not only educational but also fun. You will enjoy it from start to finish. Oh, and remember Whole Blood, not Normal Saline… Be sure to follow MAJ Fisher on Instagram (@fisherad1) and on Facebook (Saint Fisher Church of EBM) for great content on trauma!  Also check out Pragmatic Paramedics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and sign up for our newsletter at pragmatic paramedics.com. As always, check out the supporters of the show MyMedic, RTIC, BlackWolf Helicopters, and our new supporter Say Again Over! Check out Say Again Over for you morale patch needs and keep an out for the PragMedics line of patches!

**Special Note: We are releasing this week’s episode a few days early to ensure everyone has time to listen and process the heart-wrenching story. This episode is a discussion with the founder of a foundation we are passionate about at PragMedics. David Hughes tells a story about a series of errors that resulted in the death of his son and some of the initiatives to help prevent this type of story from happening again.** In this episode, the guys discuss what can happen when paramedics do not follow protocols, procedures, checklists, and use all of the tools at his or her disposal. David Hughes, Drew Hughes' father, is the guest today and talks about how his son (13) was taken from him and his family due to an unrecognized misplaced endotracheal tube. Please listen in to what David has to say about Drew's untimely death and the story that caused it. Please support the Do It For Drew Foundation by donating, you can donate directly or through our site at PragmaticParamedics.com Thank you for listening.

In this episode, the PragMedics talk with HEMS Paramedic Lane Abshire about CVAS, CRM, and PTSD. The boys are lucky to have special guest host Chris Sharpe around to advise on matters such as resource management and, furthermore, introduce them to Lane, who, with teamwork, was able to get him and his crew out of crisis mid-air on a reasonably straightforward HEMS mission. The conversation starts off CVA but ends with a CRM/PTSD twist. Tune in to hear more about the extraordinary doing very PragMedic things. As always, check out the supporters of the show MyMedic, RTIC, BlackWolf Helicopters, and our new supporter Say Again Over! Check out Say Again Over for you morale patch needs and keep an out for the PragMedics line of patches! A special thanks again to A Medic's Mind for our intro and outro. He is doing great things to help address PTS in first responders!

In this episode, the PragMedics chat with their friend Chris “Razor” Sharpe. Chris is a man who has seen the world and experienced over 30,000 flight hours and has accumulated 6,000 rescues. He is currently a resident of Guatemala and owner of Black Wolf Consultants, a HEMS, SAR, and SPEC Op helicopter company. As mentioned previously, “Razor” is a paramedic and provides the PragMedics with the idea of how vital a checklist can be; in fact, he describes an incident where a checklist could have saved a man's life. Chris is not only all of the things we mentioned but also the recipient of 2019's HAI Safety Award, making him (up until 2020) the safest flight medic on the planet. Thanks for listening and please check out our website and follow us on social media!  As always, check out the supporters of the show MyMedic, RTIC, BlackWolf Helicopters, and LALO!

PragMedics interview a distinguished psychologist very well versed in mental health but, more specifically, high-stress situations and candidate selection within the military's special warfare groups. He has published several peer-reviewed articles on the topic, and we ask him the down and dirty about how stress impacts us as EMS and paramedic professionals. As we all know, stress is something we all confront. However, the question is, are we prepared for it, and what does it take it to manage these situations? George Steffian Ph.D. answers all of these questions during this episode of the Pragmatic Paramedics. Finally, thanks to Matthew Heneghan and my uncle for the new intro and logo. Without their help, we would still be an inorganic podcast. Keep in mind, this is a bare-bones paramedic podcast and is meant to be like chatting in the front of your rig, so being original and using homegrown graphics and music is one of our goals. We are here to support the EMS industry and improve overall professionalism within our ranks. Thank you for listening and supporting us. George Steffian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-steffian-phd-abpp-2b6a75ab Matthew Heneghan (music and intro) – author of A Medics Mind https://www.amazon.com/Medics-Mind-Matthew-Heneghan-ebook/dp/B07XJL3X4S

In this episode, we sit down with Tammie Bullard, the author of the book “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.”  Tammie is a fascinating person, a great writer, and an awesome but also "good" paramedic. Tammie works in Western Australia as a medic. We discuss what we enjoyed most about the book, to include some thoughts on introspection and the BLUF. We also discuss why Tammie chose to write the book and asked her a few questions about terminology and her ideas on being a better medic through the use of her book.  Check Tammie out at her website and follow her on Instagram and Facebook! Australia has been devastated by wildland fires, and we wanted to put out some charities on our site so that if you feel the need to give, you have reputable organizations. As always, thanks for listening, be well and be safe. Here is a list of charities that have been vetted and working with Australians to receive relief from devastation that the brush fires have wrought on this wonderful country and people! https://www.thebushfirefoundation.org/australian-bushfire-appeal/ Animal Disaster Relief https://www.thebushfirefoundation.org/animaldisasterrelief/ Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief & Recovery https://www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-donate Salvation Army Disaster Appeal https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/donate/make-a-donation/donate-online/?appeal=disasterappeal

In this episode, the PragMedics discuss "A 1000 Naked Strangers" with acclaimed author and former paramedic Kevin Hazzard.  We present a multitude of topics in EMS to include some of the calls he took during his career, his thoughts on the EMS profession, and a recent article that illustrates the history of EMS about one of the first paramedic systems in the United States.   Please sit down and give this episode a listen with your favorite cup of coffee or while you drive into work, you won't be disappointed. As always, check out the supporters of the show MyMedic, RTIC, BlackWolf Helicopters, and LALO! Also check out the Field Medics, A Medics Mind, The Good the Bad, and The Ugly Paramedic, and EMS Improv

In this episode, the PragMedics follow-up their interview with Chris Adams of the Field Medics by discussing methodological approaches and other nuanced skills that apply directly to education, training, and understanding how communication affects how paramedics treat patients. As always, thank you to our listeners, our Guest Chris Adams, and many sponsors. We wish you a Happy New Year and hope you continue to listen throughout 2020. Additionally, this episode, we are giving away the Field Medics book and our first swag (stickers) to those who like and share on FB, comments are always preferred but not a requirement. Several names are going to be selected from the lot, and the winners will receive a book and stickers, and the others will receive stickers. As always, check out the supporters of the show MyMedic, RTIC, BlackWolf Helicopters, and LALO!

In this episode of the Being a Better Medic Series, the PragMedics play a blog that Aaron wrote but performed by Matthew Heneghan, the author of A Medics Mind. After listening to the piece, the guys discuss PTS and PTSD as it relates to EMS and provides insight and potential outlets for those living with this. Thanks to the Code Green Campaign for supporting all of us in EMS. And a big thank you to Matt Heneghan for helping produce this show and his efforts to promote change in EMS. If, after listening to this episode, you feel the need to talk reach out to one of these organizations; Code Green Campaign, First Responder Trauma, 911 Buddy Check, or someone you trust. 

On this episode, we welcome Danny Kelly, who is a flight paramedic, but before that, he was a street paramedic. Like many of us decided he wanted to take to the friendly skies to treat the sickest of the sick. A native of Indiana, Danny, and Aaron have several things in common; they are both paramedics and worked at what is now known as Indianapolis EMS.  However, Danny's life changed one early morning during what might be perceived as a routine flight. His story is something we should listen to and learn from. Although his lessons are based on a HEMS safety concept, these constructs can help keep us all safe if applied correctly and consistently. Thanks for listening and we are excited to share this story with you! This episode has a great story and great conversations between medics discussing medic topics! Check out our sponsors, MyMedic, LALO, RTIC and Blackwolf Helicopters, and as always check out our website and blogs at Pragmatic Paramedics!