ENT Basic: Chapter 2 - Workforce Safety and Wellness
Introduction
- Instructor: Sean Holt, RC Health Services
- Focus: Understanding workforce safety and wellness in emergency medical services (EMS)
Key Concepts
- Recognition of hazards to health, safety, and well-being
- Personal neglect
- Environmental and human-made threats
- Mental and physical stress
- Interconnection between EMT and patient emotional well-being, especially in high-stress rescues
Health, Wellness, and Resilience
- Complex interaction between physical, mental, and emotional connections
- Eustress: Positive stress response (increased focus and energy)
- Distress: Negative stress response
- Wellness: Active pursuit of good health
- Resilience: Coping with and recovering from distress
Practices to Increase Resilience
- Healthy diet
- 7-9 hours of sleep daily
- Positive relationships with family, friends, colleagues
- Daily exercise and mindfulness
Stress Management Strategies
- Minimize/eliminate stressors
- Change partners/work environment
- Focus on high-quality care
- Limit caffeine, alcohol, tobacco
Nutrition and Exercise
- Eat regular, well-balanced meals
- Limit sugar, fats, sodium, alcohol
- Drink adequate water
- Regular exercise: 30 mins, 5 days a week
Importance of Sleep
- Adults should sleep 7-9 hours/night
- Sleep deprivation leads to errors and long-term health consequences
- Combat fatigue with adequate sleep, naps, and physical activity
Disease Prevention
- Focus on medical care and prevention
- Stop smoking, vaping, using tobacco
- Manage alcohol and drug use
Infectious and Communicable Diseases
- Prevent with immunizations, protective techniques, hand washing
- Pathogen: Microorganism causing disease
- Contamination: Presence of infectious organisms
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Mask, eyewear, gloves, gown
- Proper hand hygiene crucial
- Use of PPE to prevent exposure
Immunizations
- Hepatitis B, Influenza, MMR, Varicella, Tdap
- Annual tuberculosis skin test
Scene Safety
- Importance of marking scenes and using PPE
- Hazards: Hazardous materials, electricity, fire, vehicle crashes
- Avoid entering dangerous scenes
Coping with Critically Ill Patients
- Communicate clearly and honestly
- Respect patient dignity
Death and Dying
- Grieving process: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
- EMT's role in supporting family members
Stress and Burnout in EMS
- Causes: Dangerous situations, emotional demands, unpredictability
- Symptoms: Fatigue, headaches, irritability
Violence and Safety in the Workplace
- Training in self-defense, de-escalation
- Awareness of potential violence
Cultural Diversity and Harassment
- Work with diverse backgrounds
- Address sexual harassment promptly
Substance Abuse and Prevention
- Report and address substance use issues
- Employee assistance programs
Review Questions
- Communicable disease spread person-to-person
- Hand washing as key disease prevention
- Blood exposure in eyes as direct contact
- Standard precautions to prevent germ contact
- Stress response: Alarm, Reaction/Resistance, Recovery
- PTSD: Re-experiencing events and over-response
- Nutrition as body's fuel
- Grieving stage: Anger results in blame
- Placards for buildings and vehicles
- Structural fire hazards: Smoke, oxygen deficiency, high temperatures, toxic gases, collapse
This concludes the notes on Chapter 2. Always prioritize safety and wellness in the workforce. Thank you, Sean Holt.