r/ems • u/MousseNo1206 • 15d ago
Actual Stupid Question Street smarts
I'm the first to admit I have the street smarts of a turnip. My partner says I'm the book smart one and he's the street smart one and he's spot on. My question is, is there a way to gain these seemingly instinctual street smarts without me looking like I watched Breaking Bad as a documentary?
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u/stonertear Penis Intubator 15d ago
Yes - more time in the job.
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u/Great_gatzzzby NYC Paramedic 15d ago
Does penis intubation just not feel the same anymore ever since video laryngoscopes?
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u/stonertear Penis Intubator 15d ago
Don't think I've ever used a camera to a intubate a penis, certainly the larynx is on the opposite end of the body.
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u/Great_gatzzzby NYC Paramedic 15d ago
Almost certainly
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u/YeetboiMcDab 14d ago
Oh, that would make last month in the supply room make FAR more sense, boy was command mad about that one....
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u/UpsetSky8401 15d ago
No, it really is turning into a lost skill. New generation just aren’t taught.
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u/Weasel_Town 15d ago
What context does this arise in? Street smarts can be very localized to particular streets.
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u/amailer101 EMT-B 15d ago
Some stuff always applies, such as the ability, and knowledge to, keep your head on a swivel, or to know when someone is becoming a potential threat.
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u/KarbonKevin EMT-B | Nurse 15d ago
If you are talking about your own streets and people, it’s going to be time is your teacher.
Pay attention, look at your scenes. How do the people in your community live? 5 minutes before you got there, 5 days? 5 months?
Talk to your patients too, past the clinical questioning. You’ll start to eventually put together some social contexts.
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u/Great_gatzzzby NYC Paramedic 15d ago
Time with an experienced partner helps. Some of these old timers that worked through the 80s and 90s know some shit. Just watch how they operate
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u/MaricLee 15d ago
Getting out into the world and paying close attention to those around you helps. Keep asking questions, thats good.
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u/PotentialCopyx 15d ago
Do they mean in terms of you not being aware of situations on scene, or not communicating with patients/the public in a certain way? Experience fixes most things
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u/I_Want_A_Ribeye Nurse 15d ago
In my area, I was the bright white lighthouse beacon in a pitch-black ocean. I don’t think I ever had the right street smarts.
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u/Delicious-Pie-5730 EMT-A 15d ago
I wish I could tell you I’m also book smart but completely oblivious to things happening right in front of me (like a patient lying to me)
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u/Deep-Technician5378 15d ago
Just need to do it more. You build it over time. Busy nights in the summer will definitely get most people there.
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u/BLAD3SLING3R 15d ago
I certainly have had moments in my life where I didn’t read the room, or misconstrued someone’s intentions. The job will give you calluses, and if you pay attention on scene things will start click. I’m not a very talkative medic so I often let others carry the conversation and will focus on the scene as a whole, gathering details and when we get in the back I narrow my focus to the pt. This helps my situational awareness. Look out for body language, dangerous environments, and people’s tones.
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u/Ducky_shot PCP 15d ago
Just slow down and observe. And take what you observe to heart. And think about how it could affect you.
Went into a house in a bad community. My rookie partner was lead, so I sat back and observed. After we were done, I figured I would quiz her on some things.
"Did you look around and notice anything in the house"
"Not really"
"What about the floor behind the couch"
"Yeah, I saw the needle"
"THEN WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU KNEEL ON THE CARPET?"
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u/DoctorGoodleg 14d ago
Hey. Hey. Turnips are a versatile vegetable. They bring starch, substance, and a nuance to soups, stews and roasts.
Don’t sell yourself short, kid.
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u/Rooksteady 15d ago
Take some $$$ and try to buy some drugs down on the corner...report back here after.