Working EMS as a supervisor

While I am a supervisor as one of the owners of a BLS provider, I am usually a "hands on" supervisor. I am not the type to stand back and not have direct patient contact. Unfortunately, with my triceps tendon injury, and my arm in the brace at a 45 degree angle, there isn't a lot I can do, EMS-wise, except to supervise. So, I've decided to turn lemons into lemonade, and hone my supervisory skills during this time.

While I did assess one patient who has diabetes with a minor hypoglycemia issue, he self-treated while we watched him. But if he had gone to the ground, I knew I would not have been able to drop him in a controlled manner, to avoid injuring him and myself. Thankfully, the two EMTs I was supervising were right there as well and would have been in a capacity to care for this patient. After that, I stepped back and let them handle all the patient care for the duration of the shift. I need to really work on being only a supervisor for the next several weeks. And keep my hands in my pockets. :-)

On the injury front, the brace has done wonders to stop the spasms in my triceps muscle. I do have a fair amount of upper arm soreness, but I think that is due to sleeping positions and from holding my arm in a protective posture (which I am correcting and learning to relax while walking and sitting). And the soreness is in the biceps muscle, which is uninjured. The brace slips a little, so I need to re-adjust it occasionally, but it is infinitely more comfortable than a cast. The pain is down to a level that I hardly notice it any longer. Except when I bonked it a bit last night. I am going back to the gym today, but to work on my cycle time (stationary bike only - I am absolutely not allowed on my MTB), and work on lower body and core strengthening.