Name: Josie Cunningham
Occupation: Team leader and EMD
Years of dispatch/emergency service experience: 22 years
Agency Name: Groupe Alerte Santé Inc.
Location/Country: Montérégie, Québec, Canada
Service Area (square miles/kilometers): 5,464 mi2/14,152 km2
1. How long have you been working with the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System™ and ProQA®?
I have been working with AMPDS™ since 2002. At that time, I was a single mom with a young boy. I had to find a job that was stable with good working conditions. The fact that it was eight-hour shifts made it easier to find a babysitter for my son. I already knew about emergency dispatch from hearing stories from my relatives. My plan was to pursue my studies in nursing school when my son was older, but I fell in love with the job and my colleagues. That was almost 22 years ago!
2. What do you like most about ProQA?
What I like most about the Protocol and ProQA is the way it’s been built. It's a defined standard of practice, and it's harder to go wrong when making choices in the Protocol. All this greatly helps the EMD find the Determinant Code that best represents the situation described by the caller.
3. Can you think of a specific example when ProQA helped you? Tell us about an experience, a memory, or an anecdote.
In my opinion, Protocol 24: Pregnancy/Childbirth/Miscarriage is the most difficult and easiest Protocol at the same time. These are very intense situations where every directive is important. As they are rarer, we are less likely to be confronted with a number of childbirth events. Whether we have a lot of medical background or not, we can count on the assistance of the Protocol to ensure that everything goes smoothly and that this becomes a significant and positive call in our career.
4. What do non-users need to know about the AMPDS and/or ProQA?
Those who don't use the Protocol don't always understand why so many questions are asked. However, all Key Questions are important since they help convey relevant patient information to the paramedic and guide the EMD in choosing the care and instructions that are best for the patient.
5. Do you have any recommendations for other users?
I recommend that other users take the time to practice using ProQA. There's a ton of useful and relevant information in the Additional Information sections of the AMPDS. This information helps us to better understand the application of the Protocol and allows us to make better choices for our patients. Taking the time to review these application rules and pieces of information enhances my understanding of the Protocol, and I believe it will do so for other users.
