A First Responder Kind of Christmas

It may be holiday season for many,
but in the world of a first responder,
through busy, crazy, intense shifts
our minds will try not to wander,

to our families, those we care for most,
but whom we’ll likely see the least,
whilst we tend to patient emergencies,
due to trauma, illness, famine and feast.

The demand is almost as high as the stress,
amongst a relentless barrage of calls.
Seasonal tension building up into fights,
too much alcohol resulting in brawls.

Domestic violence on a saddening scale,
illicit substances out of control,
people killing each other over this drug or that,
then themselves when the hit takes its toll.

The medical calls for those at death’s door,
in cardiac or respiratory arrest,
as their families bring fun to a screeching halt,
drowning in the sadness we all so detest.

Vehicle trauma caused by “one for the road”
or impatience to get to holiday destinations, 
only to find that those few festive beers,
and the rushing, kills someone’s relations.

The isolated patients who place a call,
with a fabricated emergency reason,
simply to have someone show up and care,
because their loneliness peaks in this season.

The long term ill whose ailments don’t disappear,
just because the holidays have arrived,
so they wait too long despite urgent needs,
and of our attention they will be deprived.

A mental health patient who just can’t go on,
or for whom overwhelm drives them to despair,
so in desperation, with nowhere else to turn,
they call upon those who 24/7 are there.

No matter the emergency, or who the patient may be,
the factor that may risk appearing faded,
is that we signed up to deliver great care,
not be thoughtless, complacent or jaded.

So when we’re tired mid-shift and everything aches,
from lifting bodies, equipment and bags,
are we kind, at the level we’d like our families to receive,
or is this where our care factor lags?

With breaks non-existent and fatigue setting in,
are we short tempered, and less empathetic,
when the easiest option to soothe others and ourselves,
may be to listen and be sympathetic.

Some of life's inner turmoil and deepest discomfort,
can be caused by our own action or inaction.
We all know that feeling of instant regret,
when our eye rolls, or words, cause poor reaction. 

The worst consequence we face is our conscience,
when it reminds us long after the call
that despite signing up to make a difference,
we broke trust and caused the worst damage of all.

Nobody’s perfect and we cannot expect,
that we’re infallible to our human reactions, 
but hands on hearts, can we honestly say,
that we’re proud of all our patient interactions?

Throughout calls and pressure where do we stand,
at the caring, kind, good end of the scale?
Or across the bad, into the ugly divide,
where we take shortcuts and care less, so we fail?

Happy holidays first responders and all support staff,
we may be absent from families and home,
as we turn up for work, be it day shift or night,
one thing remains...we’re not in this alone.

Let’s be safe in our endeavours to fulfil our roles,
care for ourselves just as we care for others,
soothe our souls through simple kindness to patients,
bystanders and work sisters and brothers.

First published on GBU Paramedic Blogger site 24th December 2019