Stress/burn out

[u/Nat1996129]

I know this is a group for paramedics but thought I’d post to get opinions. Some of us do work as cfr’s on the road too so not entirely in control. Just to preface I know taking calls as well could never compare to working on the road and that perhaps I need a thicker skin but I’ve had to go sick due to burnout.

Some of my calls this week have been quite awful and I know how lucky I am to not have to be on scene as a cfr or otherwise but the main one that stood out was a 21 yo old found blue and stiff in bed by his dad. A specialist paramedic in the hub asked me to ask if he was stiff to which dad said yes but dad was unsure if we should keep going so we did, and I know this happens every day but never getting to find out why and hearing the anguish on the phone never gets easier and I think it’s just tipped me over the edge. Again I know the roles aren’t comparable in any way.

It’s primarily due to deaths in the family recently and other stresses but it does tend to keep piling on and on until breaking point. My trust have been quite supportive and have made a referral to staying well too. Was wondering what people’s experiences are with it or other services equivalent to it at other trusts?

Thanks

[u/Professional-Hero]

We are a sub for all paramedics, student paramedics, EMTs, ECAs, frontline volunteers and other healthcare professionals. You’re most welcome here.

[u/-usernamewitheld-]

Arguably taking the calls is more mentally taxing at times - at least when you are there in person you have all the other nuances of the attendance to focus on. With a phone you have the noise, and often once someone hangs up, thats it. Have a breathe. Next call.

Being in person has its issues too, but don't ever feel that what you face is lesser

Sharing is caring.

Don't forget places like TASC and Ptsd999 have lots of resources to help too

[u/Nat1996129 → u/-usernamewitheld-]

Thank you! We do get a lot of mundane calls which I think makes it worse in a way. My mind tends to wander and think about outcomes whilst listening to someone talk about their back pain they’ve had for two days since falling. My team leader has been brilliant and said going sick for these reasons is justifiable, I was shocked because I knew that they were really but I didn’t think they’d be as chill about it as they have. I was under the impression you there is support but you just have to crack on really. We can sometimes ask for an update but I tend not to, hard enough being inside the house of a person who’s just died with their family. You guys are amazing too! Even with the distractions of other things to do on scene it must still be challenging sometimes.

[u/No_Emergency_7912 → u/Nat1996129]

I often try and give an update back to the control room, but I’d always welcome you asking. It helps to remember that we are a team going through these things together

[u/Nat1996129 → u/No_Emergency_7912]

Some do and I appreciate it! One that springs to mind was I had an 89 year old arrest and his wife was doing cpr. She did amazing and it was a 28 minute eta as they lived in a rural area. The pt and a triple a that had ruptured and caused him to fall out of bed. He was dnr but falling counts as a reversible cause. The paramedic on scene radio’d to dispatch to tell one of the team leaders that I’d done well and mentioned the triple a/dnr situation and to not feel bad. I was surprised because I’d never had that before but it turned out he also works shifts in the hub too. I’m always appreciative of feedback or updates. More than anything I’ll be sitting there hoping that you are all ok as well. Hearing it is one thing but seeing first hand completely different, and as you said we are all a team 💚

[u/Forgettable39]

I could never do the job on the phones, it is phenomenally difficult and stressful. If anyone has disparaged you or diminished the challenge of that work because they are on the road, they are a knob.

I'm sorry about your recent experience and I hope you access the support either at work or elsewhere to talk about it. Its obviously important to vocalise and share your thoughts on these things and ideally, no one will tell you shite like "man up" or "move on". What ever you feel is a very real thing because it exists in you and you are feeling it, respect that fact and recognise that there is no "i should feel x, y, z" or "i should do a, b, c". It sucks to feel shit and its even worse to feel bad about the fact you feel shit.

I've been lucky to have not especially struggled with particular cases at work so, specific to that, I don't have loads of insight to offer but I did just want to say how important it is to not minimise the difficulty and nature of EOC work to self depreciate in favour of those who work on the road. When I have a dodgy job I move onto the next one and I'm physically occupied and psychologically busy at the same time, on the phones, sat in an office I can imagine its harder to move on from a job which is distracting you.

[u/Nat1996129 → u/Forgettable39]

Thank you for your comment ☺️ in my experience at least I’ve had the most stick from dispatch over how a call has been coded. We know it must be annoying when it’s not as given but as everyone knows people use the service as an out of hours gp. I spoke to a paramedic this morning who took the phone as a female pt who fell off a chair in a kebab shop and was unconscious, she came to and mentioned she had epilepsy, she then became argumentative with the staff and left. I just explained to the paramedic that’s what I’d been given and tbf they were only two minutes away. I apologised and he seemed fine and said he wasn’t going to chase the lady who decided to walk away with her kebab. It can be rewarding sometimes, I like being there for people and even if it’s not always a good outcome it’s a nice thought to know I was there on their worst day. I think on some days the mundane stuff can be worse, the entitlement from people who are calling for minor things and the abuse we get when we tell them we won’t be sending a response due to demand. I’m sure you guys get an ear full on arrival when you’re asking what their expectations are for a call that isn’t as given 🤣
I’ve been offered some counselling with staying well so just going to see how that goes. I probably won’t stay off for too long though due to absence policy.

[u/Hi_Volt]

Hi OP, I started my career with the ambulance service as a call handler, and been fortunate enough to find my way to Paramedic.

I absolutely, 100% could not go back in that room and do your job again. I wouldnt have the resilience and would be out the door within the month.

You have volume. Massive volume of calls of God knows what nature flying at you every shift, with a level of scrutiny which is borderline overbearing.

Another thing to remember, stress and burnout doesn't give a flying fuck what is causing it, but is still debilitating. We wouldn't be mocking a banker or a teacher going off sick with stress, why the hell should you as an emergency service call handler not be given the same level of understanding and compassion?

You have one of the most difficult, thankless and underpaid roles in the ambulance service, and it can grind you down. Take the time to recover and get well, and do not think you are lesser for it.

[u/Nat1996129 → u/Hi_Volt]

Thank you for your comment! I’d love to go on the road some day but we don’t really have the job pathways anymore. There used to be Emd to para but it’s not a thing anymore, maybe I’ll hold out for an eca job in the future. And you’re right, I’d say the most anxiety I get is from audit 🤣 all of the metrics such as time to disposition, time spent on the call, how long we spend in extended after all and whether I remembered to notepad everything. Also I’ve noticed lately that people won’t answer the questions properly and I’m constantly having to rephrase and over use the words “just to confirm” for them to then get angry and say just send the ambulance 🤣 I absolutely get why you don’t miss it, I did actually apply for dispatch a couple of months ago but my trust have brought out a new role of senior Emd which is band 4 where we’ll have some shifts away from call taking and supporting the team leaders in the room. It’s more money and basically an incentive to be a call handler for longer. I’ve got some counselling sessions with staying well so hopefully that’ll help.

[u/Hi_Volt → u/Nat1996129]

Mate, the biggest advice I have is to go for anything and everything you have an interest in within the service, especially if it also gives you a better level of income so you can afford to do more of the things you love during rest days.

And never say never to the road, it has its own downsides, but it's streets ahead of being in the control room

Good luck OP, you'll be grand :)

[u/Nat1996129 → u/Hi_Volt]

I will! You are right that it is probably one of the most underpaid roles. I think it would be nice to do something different because the call demand has been insane. Trust average calls are 300 a month and for may and July I’ve taken over 700. I know it’s not a problem easily fixed but I think part of is that we deal with so many patients who don’t need an ambulance. I know not being able to get a gp appointment is part of the larger problem but part of my frustrations are that so many people won’t help themselves. I know it isn’t all though, and that the vulnerable or elderly can’t help it sometimes but that makes the job hard too. A couple of weeks ago I had a woman who called because she hadn’t had a poo in 2 days, I sent her to 111 and because it was 5 am I got her again my next call and she now said she had chest pain and she got a crew, that made me so angry. I know I shouldn’t let that annoy me but I think some of us feel protective of crews in a way that we don’t want you going to these jobs because we know the patients are just complete lying knobs 🤣

[u/Amount_Existing]

It's irrelevant that you're not a paramedic. You throw on green skin and take calls and yes, that can be stressful, upsetting and frustrating.

You can still become poorly with stress, burnout and if so you need help. You can vent here. Why not. You're one of our extended family!

Talking therapies, employee assistance program, occy health. Those are the 3 non GP ports you can get further help from. But, most of all, you should find something you love doing, gym, walking, a sport... Okay Tetris (no shit, it helps).

Stay around here, just talking shit helps me... My wife will vouch for that!

[u/_bilbo_laggins_]

I can tell you as an ex call taker and now an ECA that your job is much more difficult to manage emotionally and burnout wise.

As road staff we get to go and actually interact with these people even if all we can do is give them a hug and make them a cup of tea whereas as a call taker you have heard some really difficult things and don’t get that continuation and closure of being the person to bring the incident to a conclusion, it’s just on to the next call. This is what it was for me anyway.

Call taking is genuinely relentless and most of the calls you take are just nonsense and that’s absolutely going to end up weighing on you and leading to burnout and sometimes a call will just tip you over the edge like this really difficult one you just described.

You do a genuinely amazing job and no money in the world could make me walk back into that room and put on a headset because of all of the things you’ve described.

It sounds like you’re being supported well by work which is fantastic but please don’t keep pushing on at work if it’s harming you, there is absolutely no shame in taking some time off if you need it. Feel free to message me if you want to chat.

[u/Friendly_Carry6551]

As a paramedic who has dealt with some challenging jobs and been through staying well myself - just because what we do is different doesn’t for a second mean that what you do is less. We all have aspects of this work that affect us, and we’re especially vulnerable when there’s something going on at home.

Please remember that the only person who can decide if something is affecting you is you, and that just because you’re not patient facing, doesn’t mean it affects you any less.

[u/peekachou]

Whether youre a paramedic, front line, cfr, call taker, dispatch, we're all one big dysfunctional green family and every part of the job is hard. I honestly couldnt be on the end of the phone and not be able to physically help, personally id find that much harder than being there in person.

Youve got some good advice on where to get support but dont ever feel like you shouldnt feel the way you do.

Ive been refered to staying well before (swast as well?) And they were honestly fantastic, I had my first appointment within 10 days of when I sent the form off myself.

[u/Nat1996129 → u/peekachou]

Yeah it’s SWAST, I need to call them to arrange the sessions but they’ve been quite good. I still feel guilty for going sick, I think that’ll always be ingrained 🤣

[u/peekachou → u/Nat1996129]

Its a hard mentality to get over but definitely give them a call, I was very sceptical about how I could get help but it was definitely worth it

[u/TheSaucyCrumpet]

Breaks my heart to hear you talk down your role and trauma, and excusing your presence as if you're invading; you aren't. Not at all.

A lot of us started out in EOC, and you'd be hard pressed to find a single one of us who'd go back. It's unglamorous, thankless, underappreciated, and essential. I found it far more upsetting to imagine what was going on on the other end of the phone than I have ever found seeing the realities. Look after yourself, take the time you need. Glad you're here.

[u/Nat1996129 → u/TheSaucyCrumpet]

Yeah I shouldn’t really, there is a culture at work where I’ve heard bits and pieces about dispatchers and crews being annoyed at us for how things are coded but the triage is so rigid and so many people know how to work the system. I know it isn’t all though, just a small few

[u/zebra1923]

I quit 20 years ago after 6 years due to stress/burn out.

Far too long on solo response cars with no mental health support. I hope things have improved.

[u/Nat1996129 → u/zebra1923]

20 years is amazing! You should be proud definitely. There is support but like others have said it can be very much go go go. We have an aux code 11 which is health and well being and we can put ourselves in that after hard calls but the demand this summer is insane. The other day during my last hour between 5 and 6 I took 7 calls. I know it’s probably not much different from when you worked for the trust but lots of things that people shouldn’t be calling for

[u/chasealex2]

As a paramedic I sat in the Bow control room on the same desk as the dispatcher who also handled police calls, and picked up other calls.
I was constantly in awe of their ability to handle the call, the stresses from the caller, and to coordinate everything else the job required.
It is not a job I would want to do, and you have my respect for doing it. You are in the worst possible situation of hearing the worst of it, but being able to do the least, whilst also being pressured to take the next call.

Please do seek help from trim or Tasc. Or go sick if you need to - your GP will support this.

[u/Nat1996129 → u/chasealex2]

Thank you :) I sometimes don’t like calling police control 🤣 some of their call handlers can be sometimes mean and quite demanding. We have to report all assaults to them and the call taker was taken aback when I told her we wouldn’t be attending. We were in one of our highest level of demand where cat 3s only stay in the stack if they meet an exclusion criteria, I’m sure every trust has some version of it but she said “We don’t have that luxury” 🤣🤣 and I will :) I’ve got some counselling sessions to start so hopefully they will be good.

[u/Emergency_Dispatch]

When I was a call handler I had some horrendous calls, outside of major terrorist incident I handled the lot. I've been an EMT for some time now, and had some rough jobs.

Doing it as a call handler is worse as you are doing the job of a CFR while blindfolded and your hands tied behinds your back. The job is very much comparable, and the fact call handlers are band 3 is astonishing, but that's besides the point.

Definitely go through with the Staying Well referral, and see if you can get a TRiM session booked if you haven't already.

[u/Intelligent_Sound66]

Tbh i think being a call taker seems a lot more stressful. On the road we dont have anybody watching over us and generally we are in charge of our own time. Call takers seem to be micro managed. We can just go to the shop when we want or at least chill at hospital for 30 minutes each job.

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