NASHVILLE, TN – 26-year-old paramedic Josh Langhorn is looking forward to his upcoming Friday night shift. One of the highlights of Josh’s shift involves performing life-saving procedures in austere and dynamic environments and racing the patient to the hospital where he can once again get no credit for saving another life.
“I really enjoy that warm special feeling you have after saving a person’s life and transferring them on, to get zero credit,” said Langhorn. “Most of the time we get chastised for placing only an 18-gauge IV or intubating the trachea 1 cm too deep. If I can get out of the trauma bay with no feedback or zero credit, I am thrilled!”
Josh feels good knowing that the hospital team will take full credit for saving the patient’s life. “I am just glad that somebody is taking credit. It makes my day knowing that my actions won’t go unnoticed, even if it isn’t me that gets any credit.”
Josh and other paramedics particularly enjoys rolling into the trauma bay and hearing the trauma surgeon or emergency medicine doctor dramatically yell, “Move outta the way, I have a life to save here!”
Sometimes when he gives vecuronium to help secure the airway, the physician will say, “How the hell am I supposed to do a neuro exam now?” Josh only smiles. “They noticed me!”
Josh went on to describe another incident. “One time I did a cric and placed two 16-gauge IVs in a trauma patient who was extracted from a wrecked car in the pitch black while it was raining. The anesthesiologist on duty back at the temperature controlled, well-lit, and cozy hospital, hooked up my tube to his machine and he didn’t say a word. It was glorious!”
There are several times Josh and his crew do get full credit from the hospital staff, and it usually involves patients that end up dying in the hospital. “Yeah, typically the hospital will say that we didn’t do something right and that is why the patient died. At least they acknowledge our existence, and I am okay with that.”
Later that week the trauma team was out to out to lunch and Josh paid the entire bill. When Nurse Shannon asked “What do I owe?” Dr. Suby, a trauma surgeon who was sitting next to Josh, responded, “Don’t worry, WE got this.”
“Oh, Thanks Dr. Suby, you’re the best.”
“I know.”
