Looking For Touchdowns

I heard it said once that in EMS we are the special teams of the medical world.

For the uninitiated, special teams in football are the kick off and punt return people. It’s not their job to score points, their job is to get the quarterback into the best possible position to score points… cuz that’s THEIR Job (that’s right sparky new medics, you are not the play caller. Sorry). Sure, sometimes a punt gets returned all the way down field for some points but that’s what happens when opportunity meets preparation (that’s also a definition of luck).

What that wise sage forgot to say though, is that every medic out there that’s worth their salt is always looking for a touchdown. We aren’t content with the game on inches that our profession demands we play. That feels like doing the bare minimum, and if we wanted to do the bare minimum we wouldn’t be here.

Our patients deserve someone who is looking for a touchdown. Even if we know we can’t get it. Even if we know we will likely get knocked back for a loss, we should always be looking for a small opening to exploit, anything to get down field. It’s hard to keep being content with a couple yards at a time though.

I would like to say I know a way to accept calling for a fair catch when the end zone is just yards away. I don’t though. The trick, I think, is to always keep looking for the touchdown. You’ll find it eventually. And it will keep you coming back.