The care delivered by emergency medical system (EMS) personnel makes intuitive sense in that it is similar to emergency department care—only sooner. The author of this article found that, in fact, quite of few differences exist in these systems of care! This article describes the experience of an ex-home care nurse who chose to use her skills as a volunteer with the community ambulance company. Differences in standards of practice and roles of the EMS versus a nurse are discussed, along with the process for resolving conflicting practice principles.
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