Paramedic Sophie

11/27/2025

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Trauma Center Roof Tops!

Thankful to know you, learn from you, and be friends with you!

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving to all, especially those on shift today!

11/26/2025

This book bridges the gap between classroom confidence and real-world chaos.

Lessons, reflections, real stories, and the hard truths no one warns you about.
Become the medic you were meant to be.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve been carrying more weight than you let on. Maybe you feel lost because you just started, or you’ve been the one everyone leans on. Maybe you’ve been pushing through one more shift, one more student question, one more problem at work… t...

11/26/2025

Here’s what I tell the people I mentor:

You don’t get better with kids by being fearless.
You get better by being prepared, supported, and taught—one experience at a time. Your confidence comes from repetition, knowledge, and having someone beside you who keeps the scene calm even when the stakes feel sky-high.

A good mentor doesn’t just show you what to do with a sick child.
They show you how to think.

They teach you to slow your breath so you can hear the tiny details: a quiet cry, a retraction, a change in tone.
They remind you that kids crash fast but respond fast too.
They walk you through dosing until math becomes muscle memory, not panic.
They teach you that sick vs. not sick is the first vitals sign.
They help you build a pediatric lens—not fear, but focus.

And they don’t shame you for the nerves.
They normalize them.
They say, “You’re human. This is hard. But you are capable.”
Because confidence in pediatrics isn’t born from perfection.
It’s built from support.

The tough mentors—the ones who belittle or say, “It’s just a kid, you’ll figure it out”—they don’t produce stronger medics.
They produce quieter ones.
And nothing in pediatrics should be quiet except your mind in the moment you need to act.

So here’s the guidance I wish every new provider received:
• Have Access to your dosing routes and options before the call ever drops. You don’t need it memorized.
• Trust your gut—kids are honest; if they look bad, they are bad.
• Keep the parents close, not away. They give you more information than a monitor ever could.
• Small victories matter. A warmed blanket, bubbles, a calm voice—these aren’t minor, they’re essential.

Most of all:
You don’t have to be fearless to be good at pediatrics.
You just need someone willing to teach you the way they wish someone taught them.

And one day, you’ll be that person for someone else—the steady voice, the calm presence, the mentor who turns fear into focus.

11/26/2025

In EMS, You’ll learn from every provider you work with.
Some will show you who to become.

Some will show you who to avoid becoming.
Both are teachers — but only one builds this profession.

Comment MENTOR for the link to my Mentorship Workbook! And Comment DIARY for Free exclusives sent straight to your inbox!

Master Your Medics

11/26/2025

In EMS, you will meet two kinds of role models.

😇 The first one is the gift — the FTO, preceptor, or senior medic who shows you what “good” looks like.
They teach with patience.
They correct without crushing you.
They slow the scene, explain the why, and build your confidence one shift at a time.
They set the standard of who you want to become.

These role models shape your growth with intention.
They make EMS feel possible.

👿 But then… you meet the other kind.
The provider who cuts corners.
The one who mocks questions.
The one who treats new people like competition instead of future partners.
They show you everything you don’t want to carry into your own practice.

And as frustrating as those experiences are, they teach you too.
They solidify the kind of medic you refuse to be.

Both role models matter.
Both leave a mark.
But only one builds the profession.

⭐️ That’s why excellent FTOs and strong EMS programs matter more than people realize.
They don’t just teach skills — they teach identity, presence, and professionalism.
They create the next generation of medics who learn, lead, and last.
Without them, culture drifts.
With them, culture rises.

📠The truth is this:
A good role model builds your practice.
A bad one builds your boundaries.
But an excellent FTO builds your future.

✨If you’re ready to grow, reflect, and build the foundation that lasts in EMS…
comment MENTOR and I’ll send you the workbook link.

11/25/2025

If you needed that reminder today, you’re not alone.
EMS is hard, but growth is possible on every shift.
Keep learning. Keep asking. Keep becoming. 💙

Comment MENTOR if you want the link to my workbook.

11/25/2025

5 Leadership Behaviors Every EMS Provider Should Practice

1. Lead with clarity, not volume.
Short sentences. Calm tone. Clear direction. Your voice becomes the anchor of the scene.

2. Slow the scene down.
Leadership isn’t rushing — it’s creating control. A steady provider steadies the room.

3. Protect your partner.
Watch their body language, support them when they’re overwhelmed, and communicate with intention.

4. Choose your words wisely.
Correct without crushing. Teach without tearing down. Professionalism is leadership.

5. Own the space without overpowering it.
Guide. Delegate. Invite input. Leaders elevate everyone around them.

Leadership in EMS isn’t about rank —
it’s about presence.

It’s the way you show up on scene.
The way you communicate under pressure.
The way you protect your partner, slow the chaos, and steady the room.

Real leadership looks like:
• short, clear communication
• slowing the scene instead of rushing it
• checking in on your partner
• correcting without condescending
• creating space for others to contribute
• choosing professionalism even on the hard calls

Leadership is built shift by shift,
conversation by conversation,
moment by moment.

If you’re working on being calmer, clearer, more supportive, and more intentional…

You’re already leading.

Save this for the next shift you need it — and share it with someone who leads with presence, not rank. 💙

11/24/2025

Leadership in EMS isn’t about rank.
It’s about presence.
Comment ‘Mentor’ for the Link to my Workbook!

It’s the medic who stays calm when everyone else is losing their footing.
It’s the EMT who speaks up when something feels wrong.
It’s the partner who communicates clearly, even in chaos.
It’s the provider who treats people—patients, partners, firefighters, nurses—with respect, even on the worst days.

Leadership isn’t assigned.
It’s earned in the quiet moments on scene…
In the way you talk to families…
In the way you listen to your partner…
In the way you show up when no one is watching.

11/24/2025

Here’s why it matters:

⭐ Breathing changes first.
The body adjusts RR within seconds to:
• blow off CO₂
• maintain pH
• support perfusion
• increase oxygen delivery
• compensate for shock or metabolic stress

⭐ Tachypnea is an early warning sign.
A “slightly fast” RR can point to:
• early shock
• sepsis
• metabolic acidosis
• PE
• silent hypoxia
• respiratory fatigue
• worsening heart failure

⭐ Patterns matter more than the number.
Look for:
• shallow rapid breathing → fatigue
• Kussmaul → acidosis
• Cheyne-Stokes → CHF/neuro
• irregular respirations → brain involvement

⭐ Trend it.
16 → 22 → 28 is not “stable.”
That’s a patient quietly losing their ability to compensate.

⭐ Save this for your next shift — and start watching RR like it’s the crystal ball it is.

11/23/2025

We all need someone to show us the ropes. Here’s a few things I wish I learned sooner!

11/23/2025

You don’t “arrive” in EMS.

You grow into it — quietly, steadily, beautifully.

If this resonates, you’re already becoming the provider you hoped you’d be.