Death By a Thousand Cuts - One Fire/EMS Agency's Efforts to Build and Support Resilient Providers
Provider mental health and resiliency is an emerging topic in EMS. The role of critical incidents has been extensively studied. As a result, many agencies have systems in place address these events. But, what about the daily drain placed on Providers by the very nature of the job? What are those? And, how can we prepare our personnel to recognize, combat and offset them?
The City of Irving, Texas has implemented a comprehensive program to address just such concerns. The Public Safety Wellness Unit has a multi-faceted approach to resiliency for First Responders. This presentation will outline the steps taken and programs in place geared toward giving First Responders tools to recognize stressors, minimize their impact and know when to ask for help.
Attendees will leave the presentation with a roadmap of how one agency works to address needs at multiple levels. Students will also receive a list of resources and contact information to consider when implementing (or augmenting) their own program.
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of daily stressors on First Responders
Articulate the interrelationship between daily stressors and critical incidents and how they impact First Responders
Implement a Mental Health Wellness and Resiliency Program designed to offset the daily stressors for First Responders and their families.
The City of Irving, Texas has implemented a comprehensive program to address just such concerns. The Public Safety Wellness Unit has a multi-faceted approach to resiliency for First Responders. This presentation will outline the steps taken and programs in place geared toward giving First Responders tools to recognize stressors, minimize their impact and know when to ask for help.
Attendees will leave the presentation with a roadmap of how one agency works to address needs at multiple levels. Students will also receive a list of resources and contact information to consider when implementing (or augmenting) their own program.
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of daily stressors on First Responders
Articulate the interrelationship between daily stressors and critical incidents and how they impact First Responders
Implement a Mental Health Wellness and Resiliency Program designed to offset the daily stressors for First Responders and their families.
Big Lessons from Big Incidents: First Person Accounts Of MCI Fires, Plane Crashes, and Terrorist Incidents
The first few moments set the path for the entire incident. Today, any emergency responder might find themselves first on scene at a mass casualty incident. This session provides eyewitness accounts of major incidents and the lesson learned by the people who were there. Incidents include the crash of Avianca flight 052, the Happy Land Social Club Fire, Hurricane Andrew, 9/11, and more. Students will learn “first due” lessons for large and small-scale mass casualty incidents and apply these principles through case studies and scenarios using the instructor’s personal experiences. This dynamic program covers fundamental aspects of Command and Control as well as Triage, Treatment, and Transportation in a simple down-to-earth way for responders to maintain the forward movement of patients.
Learning Objectives:
-Describe the importance of the role of each first responder at any multi-casualty incident. -Illustrate the core principles of MCI management and a variety of triage and management systems.
-Explain the differences and similarities between large and small-impact MCIs. -Appreciate the importance of maintaining the functions of Incident Command and MCI management in the face of freelancing.
-Demonstrate different methods of application of the core principles of MCI management to differ-ent sizes and structures of EMS and fire service organizations.
Learning Objectives:
-Describe the importance of the role of each first responder at any multi-casualty incident. -Illustrate the core principles of MCI management and a variety of triage and management systems.
-Explain the differences and similarities between large and small-impact MCIs. -Appreciate the importance of maintaining the functions of Incident Command and MCI management in the face of freelancing.
-Demonstrate different methods of application of the core principles of MCI management to differ-ent sizes and structures of EMS and fire service organizations.
Basics of Broselow & Handling Handtevy: Hands-On Rapid Review with Scenarios in Seconds
“What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand." Xunzi (340 - 245 BC). Go beyond the Basics of Broselow and Handling Handtevy in this all hands-on, rapid rotation based review of pediatric emergency care. Team based scenarios will review the key features of various peds “cheat sheets” as well as ways to identify essential equipment, master medications, and more to minimize the terrors of tiny tots and traumas. Remember… “Practice makes perfect” and “Proper planning prevents poor pediatric performance!”
Learning Objectives:
identify appropriate emergency equipment required for patient's condition based upon their age, weight, and/or color zone
calculate appropriate emergency medication doses required for patient's condition based upon their age, weight, and/or color zone
summarize the emergency assessment and resuscitation of children with various medical & traumatic emergencies
Learning Objectives:
identify appropriate emergency equipment required for patient's condition based upon their age, weight, and/or color zone
calculate appropriate emergency medication doses required for patient's condition based upon their age, weight, and/or color zone
summarize the emergency assessment and resuscitation of children with various medical & traumatic emergencies
A Conspiracy! How Hidden Curriculum and Bias May Be Affecting Our EMS Learners
Did you hear, racial minorities and women are less likely to be represented as EMS providers in textbook imagery than white men?
Do you ever feel the standard EMS curriculum is inadequate for topics related to LGBTQ and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color patients? Do you ever insert discussions or topics into courses that you feel are pressing or relevant?
Could the practical scenarios and context we provide our students affect the bias of our learners?2-3 Does that bias transfer to their patients?4
Come explore how the topics we include and omit in our courses may be affecting our learners’ beliefs and what you can do to mitigate this phenomenon in your classroom.
Learning Objectives:
• be able to define and describe bias in education.
• be able to identify areas of potential bias in their educational setting.
• establish multiple bias-centered action items for their teaching practice.
Do you ever feel the standard EMS curriculum is inadequate for topics related to LGBTQ and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color patients? Do you ever insert discussions or topics into courses that you feel are pressing or relevant?
Could the practical scenarios and context we provide our students affect the bias of our learners?2-3 Does that bias transfer to their patients?4
Come explore how the topics we include and omit in our courses may be affecting our learners’ beliefs and what you can do to mitigate this phenomenon in your classroom.
Learning Objectives:
• be able to define and describe bias in education.
• be able to identify areas of potential bias in their educational setting.
• establish multiple bias-centered action items for their teaching practice.
We Can't Punish Our Way to Better Quality
Historically, organizations have followed the "name, blame, and train" model of quality improvement, and yet, we continue to be plagued by substandard patient outcomes. Our investigations have focused on our people rather than the systems in which they operate, and our people became the broken part that needed to be fixed. Resilient systems are built to withstand inevitable human error, not to prevent it or punish for it. In this discussion, we will use real case examples to understand why a systems-based approach is better for the people we lead and the patients that we care for.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participants will be able to describe why punishment for simple human error is counterproductive to quality improvement.
Upon completion, the participants will understand several ways in which system factors contribute to human errors.
Upon completion, the participants will be able to describe how system resilience in patient safety relies on expecting rather than preventing human error.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participants will be able to describe why punishment for simple human error is counterproductive to quality improvement.
Upon completion, the participants will understand several ways in which system factors contribute to human errors.
Upon completion, the participants will be able to describe how system resilience in patient safety relies on expecting rather than preventing human error.
Triaging & Treating Tiny Traumas: Smoke, Sounds, Scenarios, & No Table-Tops!
Terrifyingly, pediatric disasters/mass casualty incidents (MCIs) can and do occur far more often than we realize. Being prepared to care for multiple critically injured patients is extremely difficult to practice with our teams on a regular basis. This pediatric MCI training course will take your triage training for tiny traumas to the level your pediatric patients deserve.
Learning Objectives:
demonstrate correct MCI color triage category selection for patients of various ages
demonstrate correct selection of equipment, medications and resources to treat critically ill or injured children of various ages
summarize the emergency assessment and resuscitation of children with various traumatic emergencies
Learning Objectives:
demonstrate correct MCI color triage category selection for patients of various ages
demonstrate correct selection of equipment, medications and resources to treat critically ill or injured children of various ages
summarize the emergency assessment and resuscitation of children with various traumatic emergencies
Telemedicine in Rural EMS: The Future is Now
Telemedicine in the emergency medical setting is nothing new. It has been attempted before in some large and modern urban settings. These attempts have had limited success and only a few organizations have continued to use telemedicine in a limited role. The Covid 19 virus and the modifications to the way traditional medicine and access to medical care that have come from it, have reintroduced the telemedical concept. This revitalized look at telemedicine has tremendous potential impact for rural healthcare. Physicians and prehospital providers are more accepting of this method of patient contact and consultation. This lecture will explore the advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine in the rural setting. We will discuss the application of telemedicine in EMS and what modifications are needed to traditional EMS models for telemedicine to become a permanent feature in rural EMS. Topics of hardware and software will be discussed, along with expanded scope protocols for providers, and HIPPA regulations along with how they affect telemedicine. The presentation will conclude with telemedical success stories and actual case studies of telemedicine being used in the rural setting.
Learning Objectives:
Describe advantages and limitations to telemedicine in the rural enviroment.
Conduct evaluation of efficacy of telemedicine in rural EMS.
Define telemedicine and the potential uses in current rural systems.
Learning Objectives:
Describe advantages and limitations to telemedicine in the rural enviroment.
Conduct evaluation of efficacy of telemedicine in rural EMS.
Define telemedicine and the potential uses in current rural systems.
Poisoned Apples: How to Manage Toxic Employees
Shiny on the outside, not so nice on the inside. Toxic personnel has the potential to devastate an agency. They hurt morale, sabotage attempts at change, and can be notoriously difficult to get rid of. This is especially true if they are high performers, popular, or deeply ingrained in the pre-existing culture. They are also highly contagious -- the longer they go unaddressed, the more personnel they can pull to them. This presentation will look at different types of problem employees, how to recognize them and why they happen in the first place. Is it just who they are, is it the result of stress or burnout, or is it a reflection of the leadership? When it comes to the health of your agency, it's crucial to recognize them early, discover the root cause, and address them in a fair and equitable manner. We will discuss tips on writing effective briefs that address behavior, using evaluations effectively, and how to structure improvement plans or to apply discipline appropriately.
**This topic ties in with recruitment/retention and speaks to agency culture as well. This is good for incoming managers.**
Learning Objectives:
Describe toxic behavior in the workplace.
Identify strategies to curtail negative interpersonal behavior.
Evaluate underlying causes for toxic behavior.
**This topic ties in with recruitment/retention and speaks to agency culture as well. This is good for incoming managers.**
Learning Objectives:
Describe toxic behavior in the workplace.
Identify strategies to curtail negative interpersonal behavior.
Evaluate underlying causes for toxic behavior.
Teleflex Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Procedural Cadaver Lab (11AM)
So you have are a new leader in your organization or you have a new leader in your organization and you want to ensure success in the new role but your not sure how to achieve greatness, make sure you check all 10 boxes for leadership success. This session will go into 10 key points for new leaders to ensure they succeed in the roles. From mentor-ship to leadership resources, from creating a written road map to writing an incident report, this course will go into what you need and where to find it! This class is for the new leader and for those who manage new leaders so that together you can create a leadership team that achieve great things together!
Mistake or Murder: What can EMS Learn from the Vanderbilt Case?
We all make mistakes, right? What if your mistake results in the death of a patient? Could you or should you be held criminally liable? These tough questions were brought to the forefront with the verdict in the Vanderbilt Case. We will discuss the details of this case involving a nurse who gave the wrong medication resulting in the death of a patient. The case rocked the nursing world, but there are important lessons here for EMS as well. You will leave the course with an understanding of general Just Culture and safety principals to help guide your practice and protect you if human error occurs. We will define and discuss how to identify unhealthy norms in your system helping to prevent errors from happening which will improve overall patient safety and field provider security and wellness.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to: Understand basic safety culture concepts
Upon completion, participant will be able to: Identify system issues which can lead to safety errors
Upon completion, participant will be able to: Implement best practices for medication safety
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to: Understand basic safety culture concepts
Upon completion, participant will be able to: Identify system issues which can lead to safety errors
Upon completion, participant will be able to: Implement best practices for medication safety
How Technology & Data Can Help Prevent Injuries in First Responders
In the U.S., more than 1 million firefighters who work tirelessly keeping our communities safe. Firefighting is one of the most physically demanding occupations in our country, requiring these professionals to maintain a high level of fitness for more than 20 years before being eligible for retirement. To illustrate this point, 44 percent of all firefighters suffer sprains or strains while on duty (Paete et al J Occ Med Tox 2007). Firefighters have the highest injury rates of all U.S. occupations with 8.5 injuries per 100 full-time-equivalent (FTE) workers (Reichard et al Am J Ind Med 2010).
The movement patterns that put physically active personnel at risk for preventable MSK injuries can be assessed in baseline physicals (Nessler et al Cur Rev Musculoskelet Med 2017) to enable institutions to develop better programming based on those individual variances. During this presentation, Dr. Nessler will present the latest research on musculoskeletal injuries in firefighters and how, by leveraging technology and mass data, we can develop much more comprehensive programs to truly impact musculoskeletal injuries.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will have a good understanding of all the latest research related to musculoskeletal injuries in first responders
Participants will gain an appreciation for all the intrinsic factors that increase risk for musculoskeletal injuries
Participants will understand how mass data can be leveraged to create a more comprehensive program to address the complexity of musculoskeletal injuries
The movement patterns that put physically active personnel at risk for preventable MSK injuries can be assessed in baseline physicals (Nessler et al Cur Rev Musculoskelet Med 2017) to enable institutions to develop better programming based on those individual variances. During this presentation, Dr. Nessler will present the latest research on musculoskeletal injuries in firefighters and how, by leveraging technology and mass data, we can develop much more comprehensive programs to truly impact musculoskeletal injuries.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will have a good understanding of all the latest research related to musculoskeletal injuries in first responders
Participants will gain an appreciation for all the intrinsic factors that increase risk for musculoskeletal injuries
Participants will understand how mass data can be leveraged to create a more comprehensive program to address the complexity of musculoskeletal injuries
How Do I Defend You?
It’s just another call. Fill in the blanks and submit the report. No big deal until 2 years later when you get noticed you are being sued in civil court. Dr. Lindsey has served as an expert witness for more than 30 cases involving EMS. This session will give you give you firsthand knowledge of how a civil case happens and what you can expect. Find out how to can help an expert witness defend your case or better yet avoid the pitfalls that put you in the position in the first place!
Learning Objectives:
Identify those situations that can cause legal action against you as a EMS provider.
Discuss ways to prevent you from getting sued.
Discussed what to do when legal action happens against you.
Learning Objectives:
Identify those situations that can cause legal action against you as a EMS provider.
Discuss ways to prevent you from getting sued.
Discussed what to do when legal action happens against you.
Four Questions: Improving your Precepting and Mentorship Practice
In this presentation, attendees will learn how to improve their practice for teaching prehospital clinicians while providing patient care. Attendees will learn about educational theory and how to apply it to prehospital care with students. Attendees will learn about how to develop an informal lesson plan for student ride times and how to use your ride times as an opportunity to develop well-rounded clinicians, future partners, and employees or future employees. Furthermore, attendees will have the opportunity to develop their own set of “Four questions” to ask of themselves and their students.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to apply best practices from current adult learning theory to your preceptorship practice.
Upon completion, participant will be able to understand the link between preceptorship and mentorship with improved employee satisfaction and patient outcomes.
Upon completion, participant will be able to develop their own informal lesson plans and four questions for precepting students while on prehospital rotations.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to apply best practices from current adult learning theory to your preceptorship practice.
Upon completion, participant will be able to understand the link between preceptorship and mentorship with improved employee satisfaction and patient outcomes.
Upon completion, participant will be able to develop their own informal lesson plans and four questions for precepting students while on prehospital rotations.
Drugs for Bugs
Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It is a life-threatening medical emergency. Sepsis happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Infections that lead to sepsis most often start in the lung, urinary tract, skin, or gastrointestinal tract. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death. PCFR has developed a way to recognize sepsis in the field with a 95% admission rate, Early recognition has lowered mortality from the national average of 33% to 16%. With the addition of antibiotics in the field the mortality has dropped to 7%. This session will show you what specific type of patients will benefit most from the administration in the field.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize the septic patient
How to recognize patients in Septic Shock
Treatment for Septic Shock patients
Learning Objectives:
Recognize the septic patient
How to recognize patients in Septic Shock
Treatment for Septic Shock patients
Bridging the Gap - Ops and Admin Working Together
Using case studies from the Philadelphia Fire Department, this presentation will explore the synergy achieved by a close working relationship between operations and administration in an EMS system. We will explore the process by which a disconnected relationship between these task groups presents a barrier to success and quality improvement in a large EMS system. Operation Allies Welcome can be characterized as a months-long MCI in which Philadelphia EMS assisted with medical care for 29,713 refugees on over 300 flights. This operation required "all hands on deck" and was only successful through strong inter- and intra-department collaboration. This strengthened relationship within PFD EMS led to an innovate overdose tracking system which utilizes administrative data and real-time feedback from operations officers to identify overdose spikes and offer immediate harm reduction services in small target areas within the city. We are together stronger than the sum of our parts.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants will be able to analyze the current disconnect that often exists between administration and operations in EMS, and the impact it has on our EMS systems.
Upon completion, participants will be able to evaluate the effect of bridging this gap through a specific and data-driven case study arising from PFD’s overdose response initiative and tracker development.
Upon completion, participants will be able to improve their own EMS system's collaboration between operations and administration from a goal-oriented mindset.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participants will be able to analyze the current disconnect that often exists between administration and operations in EMS, and the impact it has on our EMS systems.
Upon completion, participants will be able to evaluate the effect of bridging this gap through a specific and data-driven case study arising from PFD’s overdose response initiative and tracker development.
Upon completion, participants will be able to improve their own EMS system's collaboration between operations and administration from a goal-oriented mindset.
Blinded by Bias: A Cautionary Critical-care Case Study
This is the case of how bias delayed a critical diagnosis in a "frequent flyer" leading to his rapid clinical deterioration. We'll discuss anchoring, confirmation, and omission biases as they relate to our assessment and management of patients. As we get past the biases, the case study will unfold and learners will be faced with a strange presentation and a scary diagnosis. Learners will walk away with a challenge to confront their personal biases and the latest in critical resuscitation knowledge for this condition.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participant will be able to define several types of bias and demonstrate techniques to avoid medical errors in the face of bias
Upon completion, the participant will be able to list uncommon symptoms of aortic dissection
Upon completion, the participant will be able to describe management therapies for patients with critical aortic dissection
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, the participant will be able to define several types of bias and demonstrate techniques to avoid medical errors in the face of bias
Upon completion, the participant will be able to list uncommon symptoms of aortic dissection
Upon completion, the participant will be able to describe management therapies for patients with critical aortic dissection
Are you with me? Managing EMS Student bias to Improve Health Equity
Understanding how bias develops in all of us can lead to the possibility of managing student perceptions as they prepare for an EMS career. Introducing topics of stereotype and racism is a difficult but necessary challenge in the EMS classroom, and we'll discuss how this can be accomplished to the benefit of patient care.
Learning Objectives:
Explain how and why bias is considered an inherent human trait.
Discuss how managing bias through reflection and action can lead to improved learning outcomes.
Identify at least two learning activities that can be used in the classroom to surface bias.
Learning Objectives:
Explain how and why bias is considered an inherent human trait.
Discuss how managing bias through reflection and action can lead to improved learning outcomes.
Identify at least two learning activities that can be used in the classroom to surface bias.
6th Annual International EMS Roundup
Our presenters and International friends return for their highly rated examination of the state of the planet's EMS. Using many international attendees, In the session, we will extract current practices and initiatives and exchange information and ideas that create further interaction, study, and knowledge exchange. As with previous years, the curiosity of the audience of other nations offers a unique forum to learn and be inspired.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the models of International EMS
Develop an appreciation of the clinical delivery of EMS in other nations
understand the funding models of EMS from US fully paid model to the UK - Free at the point of delivery model
Learning Objectives:
Understand the models of International EMS
Develop an appreciation of the clinical delivery of EMS in other nations
understand the funding models of EMS from US fully paid model to the UK - Free at the point of delivery model
Managing School Bus Incidents
School Bus Incidents occur daily in the U.S., On average 480,000 school buses, transport ~25 million students. School buses are the most regulated vehicle on the highway. School Buses are designed safe with roll over and crush protection, bright yellow for visibility, flashing red & amber lights, cross mirrors and red flashing stop signs. Newer buses are equipped with video surveillance cameras, inside and outside to record incidents. With all of these safety features, Managing School Bus Incidents have proven to be a challenge for Fire/EMS.
According to the National Safety Council, crash data shows that between 2007 – 2019, there has been 1,401 people killed and 274,000 people injured in school bus related crashes. 70% of the deaths occurred in the other vehicles, 17% pedestrians, 6% school bus passengers, 4% bus drivers and 3% cyclists.
Using a unique power point presentation, we will also discuss school bus designs, types of injuries, triage, treatment, transport, tracking and reunification and how to manage a school bus incident using the Incident Command System
The most important take away will be the importance of having a school bus incident plan and conducting practice drills.
According to the National Safety Council, crash data shows that between 2007 – 2019, there has been 1,401 people killed and 274,000 people injured in school bus related crashes. 70% of the deaths occurred in the other vehicles, 17% pedestrians, 6% school bus passengers, 4% bus drivers and 3% cyclists.
Using a unique power point presentation, we will also discuss school bus designs, types of injuries, triage, treatment, transport, tracking and reunification and how to manage a school bus incident using the Incident Command System
The most important take away will be the importance of having a school bus incident plan and conducting practice drills.
The Art & Science of Moulage Realism
So you have are a new leader in your organization or you have a new leader in your organization and you want to ensure success in the new role but your not sure how to achieve greatness, make sure you check all 10 boxes for leadership success. This session will go into 10 key points for new leaders to ensure they succeed in the roles. From mentor-ship to leadership resources, from creating a written road map to writing an incident report, this course will go into what you need and where to find it! This class is for the new leader and for those who manage new leaders so that together you can create a leadership team that achieve great things together!