Taking on the class

[Terra]

Ok, seeing as what I am I have been asked to talk to my class about tg'ism. My teacher and I agree that I will probably not be the last trans that this class of emt students will come across. As unpleasent the feelings about doing this are, I do feel sorta obligated to do this. Plus I have three friends who will and have already stuck up for me. Oh, and this was my idea to begin with.

So here it is, what do you think it is important for a emergency medical provider to know when dealing with you in an emergency situation?

[Melissa]

To treat the person as they identify regardless of how they look.  I had the police do this to me one time when I was still presenting as male and my name wasn't legally female and that felt really good.  I would say that is the most important thing.  Also the person may be on HRT.

Melissa

[LostInTime]

An EMT should be able to gather the following information, if possible:

name
medications
past diagnosis
ongoing medical issues
name of gp
name of endoc
emergency contact (if you have a cell phone, put your emergency contact as the first one on your speed dial, if you have not set 911 to that position.  Sometimes police and others have used info on cell phones to gather information on a patient who was unable to communicate)

Oh and I prefer not to be left bleeding to death in the streets while the EMTs make jokes about my being transsexual (yes, this has happened before).  Some common courtesy can go a long way.  If possible they should be taught about those who are part of the gender variant and what separates one from another.  Some understanding can lead to much tolerance and even acceptance.

Good luck with the class.    I am doing a lecture soon and have done a one in the past but they are on a more research/sociological studies than what you are doing but if you want to pose any questions, feel free to PM me or email me at LostInTime@susans.org.

[Refugee]

Ok, speaking as a working Paramedic I can tell you from our side of things that most of our care is without regard to the gender or apparent gender of the patient.  Honesty is your best policy.

Having said that, EMS is still very much manland.  There is also an overabundance of GLBTs working in the field now, and with most of the oldtimers retireing, you're about as likely to get someone completely indifferent.

The medical information we need is limited to your past medical history, medications and allergies.  Oh and we do need your legal name, that's a billing issue.  Me, personally, I would refer to you in the gender you're presenting in as well I as discreetly as possible explain your situation to the ER and if your name was Steve but you preferred Alice, I would try to make that known as well.

Most of the EMTs and Medics I work with tend to follow the same belief, but then again I work in a big city.

[Ricki]

I agree with everyones statements above i talk on and off to the ems guys at the hospital, they seem okay and i would think pretty much professional regardless of the incident,..Now the jokes they may tell back at the break room are another story but then again we would not be there to hear them anyway.....
the only thing i see missing is a fresh hot cup of coffee they could give me while tending to my wounds and injecting me with various dirty reused needles and that  sort!, hehe
Ricki
sorry also wanted to add that HIPPA has become a very integral part of the medical community and that if professionals abuse the information they are given they can be easily and justifiably terminated.  like if i heard a nurse actually use a patient name or talk about them or their family and I turned them in there is literally a no tolerance policy she would be terminated more than likely.

[Terra]

Welll....that was interesting. I think I would have gotten a better reaction out of the class if I had offered a pop quiz with a cash prize.

Seriously, I'm not sure how they took it, but I tried my best to give an objective presintation. I talked about how if the discovery is made how it is very important to be discreet. Along with with reactions they could expect from their patients.

I tried to touch on all that you had suggested, but i'm not sure if any of it took. TIme will tell and all that. But thank you all for your responses, it helped me prepare myself for the challenge.

[Refugee]

Welll....that was interesting. I think I would have gotten a better reaction out of the class if I had offered a pop quiz with a cash prize.

Seriously, I'm not sure how they took it, but I tried my best to give an objective presintation. I talked about how if the discovery is made how it is very important to be discreet. Along with with reactions they could expect from their patients.

I tried to touch on all that you had suggested, but i'm not sure if any of it took. TIme will tell and all that. But thank you all for your responses, it helped me prepare myself for the challenge.

My training officer told me on more then one occasion they had no idea until they got to the hospital and then "only the nurse knew for sure".  As a general rule, unless there's obvious blood I won't cut away anyone's underwear.  Considering that its not what we're looking for, in the case of MtFs, if it wasn't blatently obvious I'm not even sure I'd notice.  Oh and rest assured, if you find yourself on the business end of a pair of trauma shears its usually in the back of the rig with the doors closed and just me and my partner.

[Ricki]

cool ref.. I think i would still be pleading for huge amounts of some form of mind numbing narcotic to just calgon me away from such a scary situation..Please tell me if i was your trans sister you'd be gentle... hehe
Funny though we, all of us face that odd uneventful day every day we just walk out our door...
Grin...
So Elissa what happened when you did the class can you give more details?
Im curious now were there questions???  Maybe giving away milky way bars or something would of revved them up? lol
Ricki

[Refugee]

cool ref.. I think i would still be pleading for huge amounts of some form of mind numbing narcotic to just calgon me away from such a scary situation..Please tell me if i was your trans sister you'd be gentle... hehe

I leave it this way I've seen far more bizarre things in EMS, as have my co-workers, to be put off by something that mundane.  As scary as it will be for you, just remember its not the most bizarre thing we've ever seen and odds are we're indifferent about it.

[Ricki]

Ref.. you make a good point i guess there's more gruesome things and worse things than seeing a guy in your ambulance with a stuffed bra on?
WeHeeeeeeeeeeeeee
either way i hope it's never me!
Safe trips to you when out "there"
Ricki