Humor in EMS
One thing you definitely need when you work in EMS is a great sense of humor. Most humor in this profession is completely inappropriate and dark, but in a funny way. Sometimes, it's the humor that helps you get through your shift. There are a bunch of unwritten rules that we follow everyday. Some of them are completely inappropriate and hilarious! For instance, Rule #3-If you drop a baby, fake a seizure. #7-All bleeding stops eventually. One of my favorites is rule #15-If it's wet, sticky and not yours, don't touch it! Without a good sense of humor, you will be burned out in no time.
It's also fun to joke with each other. Pointing out that one time where you made a huge blunder and everyone in the county heard about it within a few short hours. You messed up big on the radio, now you are the butt of everyone's joke and even writing it on the white boards in the local hospitals EMS room. Joking about the most ridiculous calls you have ever been on. And sometimes just to make fun of each other. If you can't laugh at yourself, laugh at somebody else! I am a big believer that humor can make any situation better, but there is a proper time and place for it.
Of course it's always fun to play pranks on fellow crew members. My partner Jackie and I got permission from management to prank another one of our crews after they left for the night. We filled balloons and shoved them wherever they would fit. We wrote on dozens of sticky notes and placed them everywhere in the cab of the ambulance. We even put glitter ontop of the mirrors on both of the visors. It was fantastic! The look on their faces when they saw their truck the next day was priceless! They knew it was all in good fun and really enjoyed it. We're still waiting on the payback.
There is an endless amout of humor at the expense of EMS. Most of it is pretty funny. From being called an ambulance driver to death fighters. The one thing that really matters is when you get a emergency call, the game face goes on and it's go time. We are professionals, even though sometimes we don't act like it. We know what we need to do in order to get the job done. We do not get enough credit for the job we do. I'm hoping someday that changes.
It's also fun to joke with each other. Pointing out that one time where you made a huge blunder and everyone in the county heard about it within a few short hours. You messed up big on the radio, now you are the butt of everyone's joke and even writing it on the white boards in the local hospitals EMS room. Joking about the most ridiculous calls you have ever been on. And sometimes just to make fun of each other. If you can't laugh at yourself, laugh at somebody else! I am a big believer that humor can make any situation better, but there is a proper time and place for it.
Of course it's always fun to play pranks on fellow crew members. My partner Jackie and I got permission from management to prank another one of our crews after they left for the night. We filled balloons and shoved them wherever they would fit. We wrote on dozens of sticky notes and placed them everywhere in the cab of the ambulance. We even put glitter ontop of the mirrors on both of the visors. It was fantastic! The look on their faces when they saw their truck the next day was priceless! They knew it was all in good fun and really enjoyed it. We're still waiting on the payback.
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