Crisis recourse management is the human or non technical factors that provide effective or ineffective teamwork especially in a high risk situation. 1-4 These techniques can include but are not limited to effective communication, environmental awareness, and workload distribution. 1-4 Professional competency standards …show more content…
On the way to the scene we discussed that the patient could be in pain, and what medication and dosages could be used to minimise her pain, we discussed what kind of questions we might ask as to the mechanism of the event, and what other factors may be seen on scene. It was important to have an understanding of what might be found on scene, while keeping an open mind, and not having pre expectations.
On arrival the patient was outside still on the cold bitchumem where she had fallen. It was very obvious that the patient had done major damage to her arm. Her capillary refill of over 5 seconds, there was no palatable radial pulse and no sensation distal to the damage. On examination the patients vitals were all within normal range, however it was clear that the patient had the potential to deteriorate, and that the arm would need to be repositioned in order to increase circulation to the distal end of the arm.
Some of main ethical issues that became present during this case were time criticality to reposition the arm, the patient care and pain management. The arm needed to be repositioned before the patient was moved, however adequate pain relief must first be administered. There was an area of how soon to reposition the arm to ensure adequate circulation, and how soon to transport the patient, over ensuring the patient was comfortable and as the pain free as …show more content…
1-4 The team communicated effectively ensuring we worked quickly and effectively, and that the any information gained was relayed to the first officer. 1-4 Having a well trained ICP provided us with faster treatment stratagies and a definitive routine on scene. Our communication levels, patient treatment and the ICPs leadership ensured that the patient had the highest level of care that we as a team were capable of giving.
Although this case was not a major crisis that involved multiple patients or crews, quick and effective teamwork was necessary. The teams professional competency standards were high during this case as the ICP took on the role of the leader, and the jobs that I was assigned, I was comfortable and confident in. 5-7
It was clear that the key crisis resource management strategies in this case were good communication skills, leadership and early, effective management. As it turned out, the patient had not only dislocated the elbow and broken the radial head, but also had torn the radial artery and without the fast and effective treatment the patient could have had a very different outcome. This case taught me that no matter how good you are as a paramedic, you can only do so much in a short amount of time. By having a team working towards a common goal, and if a good dynamic is maintained on scene, errors can be minimised and higher quality treatment