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I’ve only followed this topic on the periphery - but is this really just about the use of Ketamine? Or are we missing a bigger point? A 
... https://twitter.com/emsworldofcl/status/1337727653160374273
... https://twitter.com/emsworldofcl/status/1337727653160374273
Something I have spent a bit of time pondering is: the enormous power and discretion EMS has when it comes to restraining (physically or chemically) patients. It’s pretty mind blowing when you think about. But what training and education are providers given on this topic?
According to the National EMT-Basic curriculum: not much. Also, language?
Key words should stand out here “develop... awareness” of “behavioral emergencies”. “Restraining the combative patient”... so you’re telling me, we are training people to be aware of a psychological emergency and we must act to restrain first? This is an epic failure.
When we get to the paramedic level - things get interesting. Theoretically, paramedic education is suppose to cover Medical/Legal and Ethics aspects of EMS. But do we ACTUALLY talk about and understand concepts like “consent”, “ethical principles and moral frameworks”?
How do you even begin to assess and examine “competency” in these areas? These are deep and complex topics that are diluted, to the point it is almost unethical. Why is it unethical? Because we “restrain” people all the time... and getting this wrong one time, is an epic failure.
We effectively strip patients of their basic human rights because we “perceive” they are combative, or as NHTSA would describe them, “disturbed”, so we restrain them. Reflecting this makes me uncomfortable - I’m quite positive I made decisions like this recklessly in my career.
So what do paramedics learn in psychology? Supposed complex breadth and depth of the following:
This looks like a whole undergraduate pathway in psychologic pathologies to me? But we distill this into a week of “lectures” and somehow we are suppose emerge with an intricate understanding of the whole DSM-5. Wut!?
So this really turned into a thread... because I think we’re missing the mark here on the “ketamine fiasco”. It isn’t about ketamine. It’s about a failure to recognize our education and training short falls, the appreciation for scope and breadth of power, and most importantly...
The injustices we knowingly and unknowingly commit. Thank you for coming to my Ted-Thread.
