Grief & Loss

[elm]

Hello everyone,
Currently writing an assignment for my paramedic degree on Grief and Loss - in particular how it affects paramedics.
Now, there are two ways of viewing this IMHO:
1) paramedics dealing with patients who are experiencing grief & loss (example SIDS)
2) paramedics dealing with their own feelings of grief and loss if they or someone close to them have ever lost anybody.

Some of the criteria regarding the assignment is The prevalence and presentation of the problem in the broader community, The prevalence and presentation of the problems to Paramedical Officers,
How Paramedical Officers might handle these problems, both operationally (eg at the site of illness or injury) and more broadly (eg possibility of referral for further assistance) and How the harm might be minimised in the broader community.

Any help, suggestions, comments war stories etc. more than appreciated!

[Rick Russotti]

I would like to put you in contact with a friend of mine, Dan McGuire, FAAETS, CATSM, of CISM Perspectives. He is the guy I go to with all my questions...contact him via his web site at http://www.cismperspectives.com/index.html

Best of luck!
Rick Russotti
Mitigation Journal podcast
www.mitigationjounrnal. libsyn.com

[elm]

Beauty - cheers for the link Rick!

[Jamie Davis, the Podmedic]

John Bignell wrote an article recently about this over at EMSLive.com. Check out his article here.

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[elm]

Thanks for the Help guys.
Handed my assignment in last week, depending how it got marked I might share it :-)

Cheers again
Flo

[Rick Russotti]

Best of luck...I hope you decide to share your paper!
Rick

[Medic 1]

Hi
Well I have lost two good friends in the job. One guy committed suicide whilst covering my shift whilst in the Middle East, Just plugged him self into the Anaesthetic Machine a few hours after I shook hands with him and ended it all, I was the one to break it to his mother [as I was his best mate]........that was bloody tough and it took me a very long time to get over it [if I have].
The other guy was shot and I couldn't save him...........took a few years off from the job after that!

Initially I used ETOH+++, and still do, but also found a loving wife and a great deal of understanding............and also I have a family. My 5 yr old was my savior from the booze!!

Jerry, Perth, WA

[elm]

Hello everyone,
Cheers again for the answer, directions and insight you guys have given me.
My essay was marked with 75%, and I've decided to post it up on EMS Live:
http://www.emslive.com/articles/72/1/Grief--Loss/Page1.html
Any comments, even critical, are always welcome.

[debby]

This is very matter of concern to help the people to come out from the grief of any loss as it affects directly to their mental conditions. So the solution are to give them regular mental relief by communication, medicine and entertainment to divert the minds from regular thinking of loss sympathy words . .