Cite this post as:
Mike Lauria. Enhancing Human Performance in Resuscitation Part 1: Going With The “Flow”. EMCrit Blog. Published on December 20, 2014. Accessed on January 20th 2025. Available at [https://emcrit.org/emcrit/flow/ ].
Financial Disclosures:
The course director, Dr. Scott D. Weingart MD FCCM, reports no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. This episode’s speaker(s) report no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies unless listed above.
CME Review
Original Release: December 20, 2014
Date of Most Recent Review: Jul 1, 2024
Termination Date: Jul 1, 2027
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You draw out a great point. Unfortunately, I think so many providers especially in EMS would write this off as rubbish. I find that these type of philosophical thoughts are not common among many in EMS. It seems they lean more towards the tangible and raw concepts. I fondly liken EMS to the wild west of medicine. I think that will change one day, but it could be a long way down the road. Ironically, EMS has the greatest sphere of influence on most SCA victims. Like many of the world’s problems, the solution lies in education. Hopefully we will… Read more »
Hey Andrew, Thanks for reading and commenting! I do agree that these philosophical thoughts are less common. I also agree that you need to connect concepts like this to very real, tangible techniques, actions, or procedures that will generate legitimate improvements that individuals can feel or see. First, this is only part one. This was sort of a general, very nebulous introduction to the concept. There is more to come and specifically how you can navigate the stress, chaos, and “fog of resuscitation” to generate flow both inside and outside of the hospital. After all, I can’t spoil the punch… Read more »
I definitely agree that EMS tend to be more open to change than in-hospital providers. Our perspectives on how readily EMS absorb information could be cultural based. Several of the counties in our area are very rural and backwoods. That’s not to say they wouldn’t be open to change, but it often times takes a lot more coddling and hand-holding to lead them to connecting the dots.
It’s definitely a challenge, and the challenges are different all over the country. That’s why I love education for the same reason I love medicine…it’s a constantly evolving challenge.
Mike, in your experience, has it been tougher for you to achieve a flow state in the military setting, or in the civilian world? Whichever it is, any thoughts on why?
Hey Bill, I think it was a little bit more difficult in the military. The added stress of hostile forces to factors such as environmental dangers, patient deterioration, etc. makes the challenge and stress somewhat more pronounced. Some of the stimuli (explosions, etc.) are more intense and it easier to get distracted and jarred out of a flow track. However, once you are operating with a solid team and you get “in the zone”, the sense of flow is more intense. But, in my opinion, the added stress of combat situations makes you all the better at controlling your physiology… Read more »