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Over the weekend we had an opportunity to unwind and do some things that we don’t normally take the time to do. This included a movie – the first for us in some time. Up is a wonderful film put out by Pixar that chronicles the adventures of an old man, Carl Fredrickson, who has lost his beloved wife Ellie and all of their dreams. In a desperate bid to do his lost love right, he embarks for South America to fulfill the dream that that they shared through a long and wonderful marriage. There’s a bit too much detail to go through to tell the whole story, so I recommend you pry loose of the money and see the film. But why blog about this in the Kansas EMS Transition blog?
The reason is that the point to the movie is the same as the point to the transition. To honor the past we are best off to look to the future. Carl muddles his way along until he comes to realize the point is not to dwell in what was. Rather, the point is to embrace what will be. I may have packaged this all too neatly into a couple of paragraphs, but the point stands. As our scope of practice changes,we are best off to embrace the new so that we can serve our patients as best as possible. We tend to view the scope as being about what we can or cannot do. In reality, the scope isn’t targeted so much to us as it is to the patients that we serve. Items have been added and removed for the benefit of patients, not us. In that reality lies the true target of the transition project. We should be looking to the future so that our patients receive the best possible care.
Let the adventure continue . . .
Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”
The rules of the game are changing and the future is not only unfamiliar, but feels unpredictable. What has worked in the past may or may not work in the future. What can we do when we feel overwhelmed?
In my experience, the one thing I do is try to step away from the immediate challenge and remember what I care about most. As a member of a community served by EMS and as I interact with EMS providers across the state, I experience EMS providers as people who are committed to providing the best health care possible for their communities. They deliver medical care to vehicle accident victims or a heart attack sufferer. They are also the people who hold someone’s hand on the way to the hospital or tuck a panicked spouse into the front seat for the ride into the ER. Their care and compassion make a difference that outlasts the ambulance ride.
Remembering the EMS calling and mission cannot change the challenges ahead, but telling stories about the immediate impact, shared values, commitment to the community, and long-term positive effect EMS providers have in the community can change the equation. When we start telling stories about what works and what we can build on, we begin to believe that we can do it and that it matters that we can do it.
…. and we’re right!
Angst ['an(k)st/]
A feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity <i.e., “ems transition angst”>
As the surveys start to come in I find myself going to my favorite section of the survey: the comment section. While numbers tell us a data breakdown, the comments tell our story. And the story that is beginning to appear is one that has angst; an understandable part of any change story, written all over it. “How far will I have to drive?” “How many hours will this take?” “If they are going to do that, they need the same training I had!” “They don’t understand how hard it is out here.” All comments that have appeared in one form or another.
I believe that in order to process change appropriately, we need to get a feeling for our own internal angst and come to understand its value. The survey tool is designed to bring out these concerns. The course development process is designed to account for them and define the course tools that address them. The value of angst is that it helps bring clarity to what we need to do.
The most important thing that Kansas EMS can do at this point in time is to participate in the curriculum development process. By giving feedback, by assessing where you are at personally, by staying engaged in the process of change, all of us can succeed in completing the transition to a new story of practice.
We are, after all, Kansas EMS.
