Paramedic Sophie

01/01/2026

Just because it’s normal doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

🪦EMS normalized being exhausted.
Sleep deprivation ≠ dedication.

🪦EMS normalized being talked down to.
“Thick skin” shouldn’t mean disrespect is acceptable.

🪦EMS normalized burning people out
and calling it part of the job.
Loving this work shouldn’t cost your health —
mental or physical.

🪦 EMS normalized saying,
“This is just how it is.”
But culture isn’t fixed.
It’s repeated behavior.

🪦EMS also normalized not asking for help.
Silence isn’t strength.
It’s survival mode.

Normal is not the same as healthy.
Tradition is not the same as right.

Read that again.

If you’ve ever felt like wanting better made you “weak,”
this is your reminder: it doesn’t.
It makes you aware.
Culture doesn’t change all at once.
It changes every time someone chooses
to lead, teach, speak, or show up differently.

🖤

Comment MENTOR to get the link to my workbook.

01/01/2026

surprise… last minute… just for fun.

01/01/2026

See you there 🩵🚑

🚑🔥 READY. SET. ENGAGE. 🔥🚑

The MAEMSC Pre-Conference Airway Olympics is approaching— and registration is OPEN!

Think you’ve got what it takes to dominate the airway? 🫁💪
Test your skills & sharpen your lifesaving techniques in a fast-paced, high-energy competition designed for EMS professionals who thrive under pressure.

🏆 Bragging rights
🤝 Networking with top EMS talent
🧠 Hands-on airway mastery

🔗 Register now and claim your place on the airway podium.

Tag your partner, your crew, and your toughest competition 👇

12/31/2025

🩵need another adventure 🩵
Have any Canadian recommendations??

12/31/2025

Mark your calendars on January 7th, 4-8pm for an Advanced 12-Lead and Advanced Cardiac Resuscitation Fundamentals Class at Scottsville Fire Department Station 2. All agencies and provider levels are invited to attend.

Advanced 12-Lead and Cardiac Resuscitation Fundamentals

Developed and taught by Eric Bauer of FlightBridgeED, Advanced 12-Lead and Cardiac Resuscitation Fundamentals is an immersive, evidence-based course designed to bridge the gap between traditional ECG interpretation and advanced cardiac resuscitation strategy.
Built specifically for ALS and critical care paramedics, this course integrates electrophysiology, hemodynamics, and advanced 12-lead interpretation with the latest resuscitation science and clinical application.

Through interactive discussion and real-world case integration, learners move beyond simple rhythm recognition to understand the “why” behind the waveform — connecting ECG findings to underlying pathophysiology, perfusion dynamics, and clinical decision-making.

12/31/2025

There are things medic school doesn’t tell you.

Not because they don’t matter
but because they can’t be taught in a classroom.

🚑 You will feel behind after graduation.
You’ll wonder why everyone else seems faster, calmer, more confident.
That feeling doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It means you’re finally seeing how big this job really is.

🚑 Confidence and competence are not the same thing.
A certification doesn’t create confidence—
repetition does.
Reflection does.
Time in the uncomfortable middle does.

🚑 You are not a clinical robot.
You will miss things.
Every good medic has.
What matters is not the miss—it’s what you do next.
Do you learn?
Do you ask?
Do you grow?

🚑 Protocols are the floor, not the ceiling.
They keep patients safe, but they don’t replace judgment.
Learn the why.
Call for help when you need it.
Strong medics don’t work alone—they work connected.

🚑 And fear?
Fear doesn’t mean you’re incapable.
If you’re scared, it usually means you care.
That’s not a weakness.
That’s the raw material of a great clinician.

Medic school teaches medicine.
Experience teaches judgment.
Mentorship teaches resilience.

That’s how you survive.
That’s how you stay kind.
That’s how you last long enough to become the medic someone else needs.

If you’re early in your career and wondering if you’re cut out for this—
you are.

If you want guidance, reflection prompts, and real-world mentorship for the spaces school doesn’t cover, comment MENTOR below and I’ll send you the link to The Next Shift workbook.

You’re not behind.
You’re right on time.

12/29/2025

Some of the most harmful trauma in EMS doesn’t come from calls—it comes from leadership.

Bullying isn’t “old school.”
Silence isn’t neutral.
And cruelty isn’t competence.

Moral injury grows when leaders harm and others look away.

Be kind. Speak kindly.
Stop protecting bullies just because they’ve been around longer.

12/28/2025

Flight Paramedic
✨ TRINKETS ✨

12/27/2025

Every call. Every patient. These three things make care smoother—for everyone involved.

1️⃣ Who you are & what your role is

Even if it feels obvious to you, it’s not obvious to them.
A simple introduction grounds the interaction and builds trust immediately.

When a patient knows who you are and why you’re there, their anxiety drops before you ever touch a piece of equipment.

⸻

2️⃣ What you’re doing & why

Silence creates fear.
Narration creates calm.

You don’t need a lecture—just clarity.
Explaining why you’re doing something helps patients feel involved instead of acted upon.
Understanding reduces anxiety and resistance.

⸻

3️⃣ What to expect next

Uncertainty is often worse than pain.

Giving patients a roadmap—even a short one—restores a sense of control in a moment where they feel powerless.
Predictability = reassurance.

⸻

The Big Picture

These are simple things.
They sound like no-brainers.

But when your brain is focused on learning a new role, managing protocols, or just surviving the shift, these are often the first things to slip.

That’s normal.
And it’s why practice makes it easier.

If you’re early in your EMS career—or mentoring someone who is—this is the stuff that matters just as much as the medicine.

📘 For the link to my EMS mentorship workbook, comment MENTOR.

12/26/2025

When people ask how to prepare for medic school, they usually expect a reading list.

Here’s the truth:
📚 Most people don’t struggle in medic school because they didn’t read enough.
They struggle because they prepared the wrong way.

Here are 3 of my top tips for medic school preparation—the kind that actually matter.

⸻

Tip #1: Master EMT Fundamentals

Not review. Master.

Strong medics are built on strong basics:
• EMT/AEMT skills
• Airway fundamentals
• Solid patient assessments
• BLS medications and indications

Paramedic school doesn’t replace these—it builds on them.
If your foundation is shaky, everything on top feels overwhelming.

Strong EMTs become strong medics.

⸻

Tip #2: Prepare Your LIFE, Not Just Your Brain

Medic school is a stress marathon, not a sprint.

Before day one, take an honest look at:
• Your sleep schedule
• Meals and hydration
• Your support system
• Boundaries with work
• Planned downtime (yes, planned)

Burnout doesn’t magically start after school.
It starts when we ignore these basics while telling ourselves we’ll “fix it later.”

You don’t rise to the level of motivation—you fall to the level of preparation.

⸻

Tip #3: Train Your Thinking, Not Your Memory

Medic school isn’t about memorizing facts—it’s about clinical reasoning.

Start practicing now:
• Ask: “What’s killing my patient first?”
• Think: sick vs not sick
• Connect: cause → effect → intervention
• Say the why out loud

Protocols change. Medicine evolves.
Critical thinking lasts.

Critical thinking beats memorization every time.

⸻

If you’re heading into medic school—or already in it—this is the mindset that helps you learn, lead, and last in EMS.

If you want the link to my EMS Mentorship Workbook,
comment MENTOR and I’ll send it your way.

You’ve got this.
And you don’t have to figure it out alone. 🚑💙

12/25/2025

🎄🚑 To the ones running calls today and the ones catching their breath off shift—Merry Christmas. Both matter.

12/24/2025

Burnout in EMS isn’t a badge you earn with time.
It’s an occupational hazard of the ambulance—and ignoring it doesn’t make us stronger, it makes us lose good EMTs and paramedics sooner.

I don’t speak just for myself.
I speak for the EMS providers who love patient care but are struggling in silence.

This isn’t weakness.
This is EMS advocacy.