Paramedics shadowing BGH docs

SANDPOINT — Bonner County EMS paramedics are immersing themselves in a unique opportunity.

Since April, paramedics have been spending time in Bonner General Health’s emergency department, working side-by-side with BGH ED physicians.

While in the ED, the paramedics have been observing assessments, helping with patient care, and assisting with advanced procedures. Normally, the paramedics are assigned to either an ambulance or quick-response sport utility vehicle and their patient care stops when care is transferred to the BGH ED staff. In this setting, the medics learn more advanced assessment practices, get a chance to review and practice seldom-used skills, and collaborate with ED physicians on patient diagnoses and long-term treatment plans.

The professional skill set a BCEMS paramedic must maintain is daunting. As well as delivering “routine” trauma and medical care and assessment, paramedics are responsible for:

• Electrocardiogram acquisition and interpretation

• Administration of 40 emergency medications

• Pain management

• Needle chest decompression

• Intravenous cannulation and fluid therapy

• Surgical cricothyrotomy

• Endotracheal Intubation

BCEMS paramedics each average more than 100 hours per year of continuing education through daily shift training, monthly competency assessment, company trainings and case reviews and nationally-recognized topics such as advanced cardiac life support, neonatal resuscitation programs and trauma combat casualty care.

During paramedic school, students are required to complete a minimum number of patient assessments before being able to finish their education and become certified. This is required because classroom education and practice on simulated patients has limitations. Delivering treatment to an actual patient who comes with no programmed responses or emotions adds a layer of complexity that goes beyond the medicine. Being able to spend time in the ED, seeing patients with the doctors, and assisting with procedures allows BCEMS paramedics to see a wider variety of patients and interact with the ED staff. This has the added benefit of having both the paramedics and the hospital staff working together more closely which creates better working relationships and inevitably makes patient care and transfer more seamless and streamlined during an emergency.

“This type of collaborative effort between BCEMS and the Emergency Department staff at Bonner General Health will have tremendous benefits for everyone in our community,” BCEMS Chief Bob Bussey said. “We are very grateful to Dr. Ken Gramyk and all the BGH ED physicians for their enthusiastic support and hard work to make this program a success.”

The clinical rotation program will continue throughout the year and will be expanded to include BCEMS Advanced EMTs in the future.