Julie Smith is a 47-year-old Gainesville native resident. She is a high school math teacher, is married to her college sweet heart, Rex, and is the mother of four children. She is middle class, African American, and a devout Methodist. She suffers from osteoporosis, a disease that causes the bone to become weak and brittle. (1) Julie has also faced anxiety from time to time.
On a calm Thursday night, Julie Smith is rushed to the emergency room. She was in the middle of an argument with Rex about what they should do about their rebel teenage son. He had just gotten caught trying to steal a television from their neighbor’s house while they were on vacation. This was not the first time they’ve had issues with their son getting into mischief. So Julie and Rex were in the middle of this argument when, suddenly, Julie collapsed and hit her head on the granite counter top as she came down.
The first medical professionals to arrive are the paramedics. They rush in the door to see Julie lying on the floor, with blood on her head, and her husband performing CPR. The paramedics take over CPR and use and AED to get her heart to start beating again. The paramedics then put her on the ambulance, and drive to the hospital with the husband on board. During this ride, the paramedics get the medical history and any other pertinent information from the husband. The paramedic’s job is crucial to helping Julie live. They are needed to do whatever in their power to keep the patient alive and maintain them as stable as possible until they arrive at the hospital. They also take initial assessments, observe the scene, get the patient’s history, and state possible issues the patient may have. (2) The health care providers count on the paramedics to gi...
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...tored Julie’s breathing. The neurologist needed a lab technician to perform the scans needed to see if Julie had suffered any brain trauma. The orthopedist needed the cardiologist in the surgery to monitor Julie’s heart and the anesthesiologist to keep Julie unconscious during the surgery. The different coordination combinations can go on and on; the point to this is that providing care is not only the ER physician’s responsibility. He or she could not do that alone. A team of effective health professionals is needed to provide the care necessary to keep Julie alive. Without the effective help and coordination of all these health care professionals, Julie may have not walked out of that hospital.
Works Cited
1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/osteoporosis/basics/definition/con-20019924
2. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/paramedic_job_description.htm
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Williams, B, Brown, T & Onsman, A 2012, ‘From stretcher-bearer to paramedic: The Australian paramedics’ move towards professionalisation’, Australian Journal of Paramedicine, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 8, viewed 12 May 2014, < http://ro.ecu.edu.au/jephc/vol7/iss4/8/>
Question Quote "I doubt that these experiences are unique to the hospitals or the medical school at which I have thus far trained. I expect that they pervade health care systems throughout the country. I give credit to my medical school for teaching me to be critical of the culture of medicine, apply interdisciplinary perspectives to clinical quandaries, and reflect on my experiences." (Brooks KC. 2015.)
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hospital staff to ensure patient has the best possible outcome, setting up plan for patient care and