EMS 20/20 is podcast hosted by two experienced Paramedics. Spencer Oliver and Christopher Pfingsten discuss real calls run by real responders and pull out the lessons you won't find in a text book. This podcast is aimed at Paramedic students, seasoned Paramedics looking to refresh, or any one interested in a deeper dive into pre-hospital health care.
Spencer Oliver, Christopher M Pfingsten
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The EMS 20/20 podcast is an exceptional podcast that I cannot recommend highly enough. From the very first episode, I was hooked and have been spamming my friends and colleagues with some of my favorite episodes. Even though I am not in the human medical care field, I found that the hosts do an incredible job of informing and entertaining a broad range of listeners. They offer solid information, great resources, and present it all in a super fun and engaging way. The hosts are humble and relatable, making it easy for anyone to enjoy this podcast.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is how educational it is. As a newish ER nurse who has never worked in prehospital care, listening to this show has given me a profound understanding and respect for the things paramedics and EMTs have to deal with on a daily basis. The hosts break down calls and explain medical concepts in a way that is easy to understand, even for someone who isn't in the EMS field. It has truly expanded my knowledge and helped me become a better nurse.
Another great aspect of this podcast is the entertainment value. The hosts have amazing chemistry and their banter throughout each episode keeps me engaged from start to finish. They inject humor into their discussions while still maintaining professionalism, which makes for an enjoyable listening experience. Additionally, they often dive deep into topics touched upon in previous episodes, providing valuable insights that help me reflect on my own experiences in EMS.
If I had to point out one potential downside to this podcast, it would be that some episodes may be more relevant or interesting to those already working in the EMS field or studying to become EMTs or paramedics. However, as someone who is not directly involved in EMS, I still find immense value in listening to these episodes. The hosts do a great job of explaining terms and concepts so that even someone without prior medical knowledge can understand and appreciate them.
In conclusion, The EMS 20/20 podcast is an amazing podcast that offers a unique blend of education and entertainment. Whether you are a seasoned EMS provider, a nursing student, or even just someone interested in learning more about the field, this podcast has something for everyone. The hosts' expertise, humor, and ability to break down complex topics make it a must-listen. I am grateful for the valuable insights and knowledge I have gained from listening to this podcast, and I eagerly await each new episode.
On today's episode Spencer and Chris exam a broken system and some broken... Calcium Channels? A sweetly named crew takes on an overdose! Do they succeed? Listen and find out!
Is it an overdose? Is it trauma? Is it... something else entirely unhinged? Yes. Listen and find out what the guys have to deal with in today's exciting and surprising episode!
Chris gives Spencer a maze with no end... or a maze with too many endings? Can Spencer pull his patient out of jeopardy and save the day? Or will he miss a vital intervention that leads to a dead end?
Is this EKG even for the right patient? A wild call with everything from pediatric to... significant OLMC considerations causes the guys to call in some backup... this time in the form of Dr. Michael Lauria! Can the team find some useful lessons with a little help? Listen and find out!
Chris is given the mother of all scenarios where a pediatric patients takes... well, all the medications. PLUS! We introduce the coveted DICE ROLL to spice things up! Just because Chris asks for it doesn't mean he'll get it! Luck of the draw is at play in this week's episode. VOTE ON INSTAGRAM!
A discharge home for a patient is difficult for all the wrong reasons. Chris... defends the bad guy? Nuance is key as Chris and Spence discuss the wrong time and place in this week's episode.
SPENCER is back in the hotseat! Is it trauma? Is it childbirth? Is it both? Is it a code? Vote now on our Instagram and let Spencer know how you feel!
Is this a case of a LETHAL distracting injury? Can there ever be such a thing? Is an amped up responder with a "just-go" mentality in the right? Listen and find out!
Chris is in the hotseat and his patient is in respiratory distress and making alllll the sounds. How does Chris hold up to this onslaught of respiratory trouble? Vote on our Instagram at @ems2020podcast!
Chest pain? Check. Sus ECG? Check. STEMI? Not check. A very tired Chris and a nerded out Spencer (12-leads... go figure) give MAXIMUM effort in today's call with a curious conclusion.
Can Spencer handle the heat? Or really... can his patient? How does Spencer do when faced with a "tough" frat bro who has a fever that just won't quit? Vote now on our Instagram!
...of bodily fluid. The guys set sail on an adventure to see what they can find on a particularly... sticky... call. Also... IT ENDS WITH A SONG!
Spencer puts Chris in the hotseat with an... anxiety call? Does Chris wind up being a big rockstar or will he never make it as a wise man? Check out @ems2020show on Instagram and VOTE!
Oh no... apathy strikes again in this week's episode as two cars attempt to occupy the same space in traffic. An ALS fly car responds to sort out the chaos... do they achieve this goal? Listen and find out!
Spencer winds his mind around a call where a patient is heroically pulled from a fire! But they are, unfortunately, lacking a pulse. How does Spencer stack up? Check our IG to vote!
Chris and Spence try and figure out what's real and what's not on a call where an altered man wounds up getting taken to the way wrong place. The result? Not good. Not good at all.
Spencer fires off a devious pediatric call where Chris is forced to weight something versus nothing! Vote on Chris' performance on Instagram!
**WARNING this episode deals with the topic of suicide** Clinical Toxicologist and host of The Poison Lab Dr. Ryan Feldman is BACK! The thruple review a call where the patient intentionally ingests Sodium Nitrate and an EMS crew struggles to keep up with the patients rapid decline. What, if anything, can they do? Listen and find out!
The Special Editions are back! We kick it off with an absolute doozy of a breathing problem and lungs that are so... clear? Listen and see if Spencer suffocates or if his performance is a breath of fresh air.
Attention Players: A crew heads to a traffic accident with multiple patients and is assigned to care for a 3.517892 year old child with a leg injury... or ARE THEY?
The guys get so emo when an outpatient clinic panics and... helps? Is this a case of a sick patient or patient made sick? Listen and find out!
In a bid to clench the win, Chris navigates a chest pain call from the Master Your Medics 100 Patient Scenarios Book! Can he put up a strong enough performance and force Spencer to enjoy Dutch Bros? Or will he be dining on Salmon Bisque? VOTE ON INSTAGRAM! THEIR FATES ARE IN YOUR HANDS!
A trauma call with a complicated patient and a ship that desperately needs a captain. Does the crew get it together or is it the end of the world as we know it?
WE FINALLY KNOW THE PUNISHMENT FOR THE LOSER! Also, Spencer is given a complex stroke call that needs an airway! Does he recognize it? Does he act appropriately? Let us know how you think he did below!
A car split hot dog style... a medic that is rude and disengaged... a massive med error... what isn't there to love about this week's episode?! Tune and find out just how wild things get in this week's episode!
Join Chris, Spencer AND SPECIAL GUEST **ERIC BAUER** as the team sift through a transfer that has all the bells and whistles: an intubation, a med error, a crew conflict... this one has it all!
Spencer and Chris dive into an ALOC call that was perhaps inappropriately placed into the hands of an AEMT. Is this a case of call turfing, or a misguided educational opportunity? Listen and find out!
We're back for another Master Your Medics Special Edition! Spencer tosses Chris a hot hot potato and Chris... well Chris tries. Does he need a thermometer or a calculator? Find out!
Which is the best food product to cover a burn patient in? Spoiler: none. Join the guys as we learn from burn unit RN Erin Horrax that math sucks, patient advocacy is great, and pain meds are pretty darn cool too.
First rule about EMS 20/20... talk about it, constantly. Second rule... judge Spencer on our Instagram! Does he nail this code 99 call? Does he leave a lot to be desired? Check out the poll on IG @ems2020show!
Spence, Chris, and the host of Nine One One Nonsense SAMANTHA BRAWLEY take on a critical care transport that was cold from the get go. The fish truly rots from the head as a doctor sends a patient on the wrong medication and leaves a crew with no alternatives...
In this weeks MASTER YOUR MEDICS SPECIAL EDITION, Spencer throws Chris a call that requires both clinical prowess and bedside expertise as Spencer hopes to even the odds. VOTE ON OUR INSTA!
Let's go to the mall... today! ASHLYNN O'DELL joins the guys once again to go through everyone's favorite call: an uncomplicated refusal with absolutely nothing worry about whatsoever...
CHECK OUT OUR INSTA AND VOTE! Spencer is dealt a HARD airway call by a cruel Chris! Listen and see how he does and vote to let us know how you feel!!
Spencer brings a call that is totally just anxiety. Honestly, no need to listen to the episode this week, nothing is wrong with the patient. Not at all. Move along. Sign this Refusal to Listen. Maybe have a friend listen if you really think you need it.
As payback, Spencer gives Chris a pediatric airway call. Will Chris choke? Head to @ems2020show on Instagram and vote for Chris' score!
The SpO2 climbs while the patient declines? What?! A fed up patient and Paramedic who, if they only could, would swap places with just about anyone on this week's call!
In today's Master Your Medics Special, Chris throws Spencer a pediatric breathing difficulty to see if he pulls ahead or falls behind in the currently 1-1 match between the the hosts!
Is less more? Is more less? When a patient's mental baseline is uncertain, how much EMS is too much EMS? Listen and find out to see if the guys can right the speeding bus before thing blow up!
Master Your Medics has sponsored today's episode where Spencer tests Chris with an altered LOC call. Does Chris get the shakes or does he tie up the score?
Wow. Spencer tries to outright murder Chris with a litany of system issues and leaving equipment behind as a Paramedic gets assaulted and an EMT gets abandoned. Listen now and see if Chris survives this week's episode!
For the first time ever, Chris and Spencer will be squaring off to see who can pass the test the best as the guys test one another using the 100 Patient Scenarios book by Master Your Medics! In this episode, Chris serves up a trauma call to see if Spencer can manage. Check out the masteryourmedics.com bookstore and get a copy of the 100 Patient Scenarios Book today!
Chris becomes numb to crews leaving kits out in the rig... but no worries! His senses are revitalized as apathy encroaches upon an unsuspecting intern and things go from bad to worse to bullshit! Let's see what the guys think in this week's episode!
What happens when you have talented medics at a standby event... with no operation plan? Frustration and a little hilarity is what happens, and Spencer and Chris are here again to break it all down. PLUS! Are we going back to weekly content??? Maybe...
Can you fall from a bridge onto a steel barge and survive? Maybe. Chris and Spence go on an adventure where vehicles are commandeered and daring rescues are made in one of the most atypical calls we've had in quite some time!
EMS can be dangerous. Though incidents that truly threaten the lives of responding crews are not common, his leadership responds and supports those on the front lines matters.
Chris and Spencer need a little help from an expert. Enter Dr. Ryan Feldman, Clinical Toxicologist and host of The Poison Lab Podcast! A patient takes everything they can get their hands on, but of all the pills... which one is the worst? Find out on this weeks episode!
"Stop shocking me!!" Is the quote of the day when listening to this episode! Spencer and Chris delve into a fall patient then ends up being just a little bit more than a band-aid. Can the crew follow the instructions and build a great call out of loose parts?
N is for neuro symptoms, S is for stroke, and U is for uncaring agency that needs a reality check. What do you do when a responding agency is responding angrily? Listen and find out!
So what do you do when the nearest "appropriate" hospital is actually the lair of the Shredder? Do you pass it up or go by the book? Listen to this week's episode and see if the Turtles go rogue or following the teachings of Master Splinter.
When is it ever really as easy at it seems? Take a helluva dive with the guys as they figure out what was missed as a vaping patient complains about their arm.
Well now here's a fun one: what happens when a fall patient who just needs a hand up suddenly becomes an altered patient? Find out in this week's totally copyright infringement free episode!
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