EMS1.com | The Social Medic

The Scheduling Trilogy

August 2, 2016 by Dave Konig

I’ve mentioned previously that scheduling has always been a big part of my function within EMS. I authored a series of articles at EMS1.com that touched on the topic quite a bit. Here is the list in the order I think they should be read to make the most out of the information:

How many hours make a paramedic or EMT shift?

Frequent Flyers Comic "The Never Ending Shift" by Lenwood Brown — **Frequent Flyers Comic** “*The Never Ending Shift*” by **Lenwood Brown**

The length of shifts for EMS agencies varies widely across the United States. It is important for both the system and the provider that the shift length be appropriate.

Too many hours can potentially lead to fatigue-caused errors. Too few hours scheduled can result in system overload and a delay in service… read the whole article at EMS1.com

EMS scheduling software: 9 must-have features

In today’s technology-driven climate, online scheduling has gone from becoming a luxury to a necessity for any EMS agency serious about being efficient.

With many different platforms for online scheduling to choose from, here are nine features that every EMS agency should make sure that they have to maximize on the experience… read the whole article at EMS1.com

Scheduling EMS personnel: 5 best practices for paramedic chiefs and HR managers

The shift schedule for EMS personnel is one of the most important, vital and often overlooked aspects of EMS operations. It determines an agency’s ability to effectively provide service, it sets call receiver and dispatcher expectations of resources available to respond and it has a direct impact on the morale of providers.

In order to make the most out of your agency’s schedule to benefit the organization, the patients it serves and the providers, here are five best practices for scheduling EMS personnel… read the whole article at EMS1.com

The Stinger

The hardest part about improving on how your are handling your scheduling isn’t reading the articles above, listening to *GASP* your crews, or compiling the data for both a historic and predictive view of your run volume so that you can make the adjustments needed for the coverage.

The hardest part is actually making the change. The second hardest part is then sticking with it for at least 3-6 months to see how it will ACTUALLY work out. Seriously, that is going to be the hardest part because we are often so ingrained in how we do things and fear change SO much that we unknowingly inflict hardship on others and our organization.

Do not accept that things have to be done a certain way because that’s the way they have always been done. We should not slow down and impede progress for the well-being of tradition.

On Scheduling EMS Personnel

May 2, 2016 by Dave Konig

A very large portion of my career has been spent on the operational side of the industry. The one aspect that I have had continuous involvement in during that time has been scheduling. Whether it was a legal pad with hand drawn boxes, an Excel spreadsheet, off the shelf native employee management software, a customized database tied into the archaic dispatch system on a company intranet, or the cloud based scheduling system, I’ve used them all.

Regardless of the medium utilized there have been certain practices that over the years have made the task a bit easier for everyone involved. This is an excerpt from Scheduling EMS personnel: 5 best practices for paramedic chiefs and HR managers:

The shift schedule for EMS personnel is one of the most important, vital and often overlooked aspects of EMS operations. It determines an agency’s ability to effectively provide service, it sets call receiver and dispatcher expectations of resources available to respond and it has a direct impact on the morale of providers.

In order to make the most out of your agency’s schedule to benefit the organization, the patients it serves and the providers, here are five best practices for scheduling EMS personnel.

It’s about working smarter, not harder. Read the 5 best scheduling practices for paramedic chiefs and HR managers on EMS1.com to bring your scheduling to the next level.

9 Must Have Features For EMS Online Scheduling Software

April 12, 2016 by Dave Konig

Scheduling personnel is a vital aspect for every EMS agency. Along with EMS systems, scheduling has evolved from legal pads inter-crossed with hand drawn lines, to Excel spreadsheets, and now to online scheduling systems in the cloud of the internet. Here is an excerpt from my new column titled EMS scheduling software: 9 must-have features:

In today’s technology-driven climate, online scheduling has gone from becoming a luxury to a necessity for any EMS agency serious about being efficient.

With many different platforms for online scheduling to choose from, here are nine features that every EMS agency should make sure that they have to maximize on the experience.

1. Mobile ready
According to the Pew Research Center, 64 percent of American adults own a smartphone. Chances are your providers access their schedules primarily from a mobile device. Trying to use a non-responsive web page on a mobile device can be clumsy at best and downright unusable at worst. Make sure that the online scheduling system provides mobile optimized access — a responsive design — for both providers and managers.

Read the full article EMS scheduling software: 9 must-have features over at EMS1.com.

UK Medics Criticized For Smiling

September 19, 2012 by Dave Konig

So there’s an article on EMS1.com about ‘Smiling medics’ under fire for ambulance crash photos. While it’s important to understand that there was no patient onboard, no one was seriously hurt or injured, and service wasn’t impacted there were STILL repercussions from the accident.

Namely that they were seen smiling and taking photos with the overturned ambulance.

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said the behavior of the staff did not impact on the treatment of any patients.

“However, the way in which our staff behavior is perceived is of course extremely important and we will be reminding those involved that some people may view these actions as unprofessional.”
–‘Smiling medics’ under fire for ambulance crash photos

When I read stories like this, I am reminded that there will always be critics. I am reminded that journalists need to generate stories. I am reminded that the public needs to be educated on what we actually do.

Most of all, I am reminded that 9/10ths of perception is reality. The remaining 1/10th is, of course, the truth.

Guess which one matters most? Hopefully the numbers tipped you off to the answer.

The article on EMS1.com is sourced from this article in the Daily Mail which has photos of the medics taking photos, presumably by a passer by.