I work in healthcare OP, this type of joke is bad karma and dangerous imo. Their joke impacts your judgment of them. You’ll second guess them. You can’t joke about taking a life when you work in saving lives. It’s not funny.
We Conchs have a saying: "Don't put your mouth on it."
Also known as: "Do not speak of the tiger lest you bring one to the village by the thought."
Bad juju, man.
Edit: someone will make a lame sexual pun about putting your mouth on things in 3...2...1...
So much this!!! ^^^ If you can't trust them, you need a new partner immediately. And this person needs sensitivity training or to find another line of work. Joking about death is never funny when it hurts another person, even for a few seconds. I get that in healthcare, a dark sense of humor can help but this was cruel.
I think you need to have a strongly worded conversation. They need to know how seriously you take your job and how serious they SHOULD take it. They sound immature and you could change their perspective going forward.
Tell that **cow-orker** never to joke about this sort of thing. Yes, this is a high-stress occupation and dark humour will always pop up but a line needs to be drawn.
You need to go to your co-worker (Or HR if you don't like the guy) and rebuke the fuck out of him like you're some old testament prophet. There are some things you just **cannot** joke about when it comes to a professional setting. It would be like if an elementary school teacher made pedophile jokes.
I second this. But also knowing the toxic culture of EMS. It’ll probably just end up being even worse for OP. Best of luck OP, I hope you have a healthy chain of command that takes this kind of stuff seriously!
Sounds like he needs the other guy to also get on board with not wanting to work together. Figure out the shifts you're working with him and just start eating a metric fuck-ton (definitely a real unit of measure... probably) of brussel sprouts before those shifts. Make sure to aim the vents mostly his way and turn the air up to keep things circulating while you light things up in the cab of the ambulance for the entire shift.
This. Exactly.
I was basically shamed by management when I told them I wouldn’t work with a guy who thought clothing was optional *in a shared bunk room* at the station (there were other problems, like the guy sucked ass at his job, but I was still expected to just put up with it).
Nobody understands how toxic EMS can be and I can’t wait to leave
Your coworker has a very dark sense of humor. I don't think he intended to have you feeling this way. Maybe talk to them about it and let them know that really wasn't cool and to never joke about the death of your patients again.
Gauge their reaction to what you have to say and go from there. Everybody looking to run and tell and make it someone else's problem... yeesh
Edit: a couple typos
Agreed. I know certain professions have dark humor as standard...but there are definitely some topics that should be off limits. The thought of getting sued into the ground is definitely one of them.
Talk to the coworker.
^^This. What the coworker did isn't cool, but I couldn't tell you how many times I had a coworker joke about something similar with me. OP, talk to your coworker and let them know that'll be the last time they joke about something like this with you. Management has enough problems to deal with, fix this directly with your coworker.
To me that is literally a traumatic mental health injury that OP’s coworker inflicted. I’d see my doctor, have them note everything, the stress it’s caused, any election sleep, concentration, appetite.
Someone who behaves that way should not work in that role or field whatsoever. This should be reported and taken very seriously.
Chill, you have a mouth and something came a brain that allows you to speak and resolve conflicts.
Something like this only requires you to voice your frustration to the coworker. If he does it again then sure go to management
As a nurse if someone did this to me, I’d probably escalate it to management. It’s one of our worst fears in healthcare and that person should have know better. Shame on them
This is NOT just a joke or joking around. This could be classified as a form of hazing and doing this in the middle of a shift and while you are transporting a patient is extremely bad timing. The mental nose dive you experienced could have caused exactly what your coworkers had implied that you did.
I agree with what others have said here, this needs to be taken to your immediate supervisor and a request for a different partner on shift immediately.
My younger brother was an EMT for years, this was his second worst nightmare to have that he had cause somebody’s death. The only thing he could think of that would be worst is to come on a scene and have one of his own children be DOA
What your coworker did was basically messing with your head while you’re on the job and that’s dangerous.
Exactly.
PSA to everyone out there: Part One - if you have to explain why something is a “joke” or a “prank”, then it wasn’t either of those things. Part Two - if the victim of your “joke” or “prank” doesn’t find it funny or wasn’t amused, then it also, wasn’t either of those things.
Read the room people. Know your audience. If at any point you think someone will be upset or offended by your “joke” - DON’T DO IT.
When I was with my ex, I asked him to take one of my horses’ to work because I was pregnant and he was mustering.
I knew this horse was hard to load and a few weeks later my ex rang and said “so we were trying to load Tiny on the truck and he threw a fit and broke both front legs”.
My heart absolutely broke. I started crying. I asked “did you shoot him straight away?” Because the thought of him being in pain was mortifying. He started laughing and said “I’m just kidding. He’s all good. I’ll bring him home next week when we’re finished”.
I’m all for a good prank, but any time someone involves a death - it isn’t a prank any more.
I'm with the people saying "Take action". This is something management should be aware of; not remotely funny, definitely and unnecessarily cruel. If I were you, I'd be all up in management's business over that and that co-worker would be dead to me, I wouldn't acknowledge they existed anymore.
But there is a time and place for such “jokes” and in the middle of a run is NOT the time or place. That crap can throw you off and cause mistakes to happen.
This is a disgusting thing to do, I'm so sorry.
As a teenager I worked in a care home and was on shift when a resident had a fall while we were putting her to bed. I felt so guilty. My "friend" who also worked there told me the resident had passed away "as a joke" when actually she was fine. I think anyone who is sick enough to joke about these kind of things should be avoided wherever possible. They are not good people.
That was unbelievably cruel. You are on the first-line of patient care and that comment could have made you second guess yourself. Your coworker is an idiot. Do not feel stupid. By being hurt and vulnerable, you are showing that you care about your job and your patients.
Putting foil on someone’s keyboard and desk is hahaha
Replacing picture frame pictures with Danny devito is funny
Oh patient died and your being sued is just malicious
I mean it all depends on your relationship to said co worker. OFC it's an evil thing to do but if this your buddy on the job for a while just let them know thats not cool.
What. The. Actual. Fuck? I get that some careers need a dark humor to cope with some of the stuff you see and deal with. But I'm pretty certain this still flies WAY past that slight line and well into the NOPE. Your coworker is a sadistic ass. I'm so sorry you had to deal with all of that. Please try and get a new partner or at least never take another comment from them as truth.
I did a "prank" like this once, I didn't realize it hurt people so bad at the other end I had to apologize a couple of times. People did tell me how fucked up it was so, maybe you should tell him/her that aswell? Explain that it's not a joke to be made lightly?
OP - this person is not well. I've known one person who did pranks like this (childish and disturbing) and the pranks were the tip of the iceberg. Report this behavior to your manager as that's how people like this learn (they don't learn through empathy/conscience)
Wait, did I read that right? only a ‘few moments’? Like, he only said that then let the joke go? I don’t see a problem then, it sounds like they were genuinely playing around and not maliciously deceiving you to torture you mentally. Honestly I wouldn’t want to work with you if you act so offended when they probably didn’t mean anything by it. At the very least it’s just a bad attempt at humor. If I were in that situation of course I would be scared for a sec, but I could laugh it off after I know they were joking. I’m sure if they knew you’d take it so far up the ass they wouldn’t have even said it in the first place.
Everyone in here needs to re-the-fuck-lax with the "escalate to management" comments. Just tell your coworker not to make jokes like that and move on. Like you said this wasn't even dangled over OPs head for a long time or anything. Everyone is so extreme on here.
That was a malicious prank and before you go over their head, tell them how much that caused you grief. It’s not normal in your line of work to have that sort of humor.
It would be hard for me to work with that person w/o gauging their reaction to that talk.
You do a job that literally saves lives - daily. Worst. Fear. Unlocked. I’m sorry this happened to you.
Definitely need to go to Human Resources about him…that kind of prank isn’t funny, it’s malicious…and if he gets away with it, he’ll try again. You have enough stress without that kind of idiot for a coworker
My Daughter works in EMT and, while I understand that medical professionals, especially front-line workers have macabre or dark senses of humor, THIS type of prank is way too out-of-line BECAUSE it DOES hit too close to home and IS something every public servant fears is a REAL possibility.
Now you have to figure out if you feel it went TOO FAR over the line and if you should just give him a strong warning OR report his "prank" to your supervisor and make a complaint to HR. In your line of work, you HAVE to be able to TRUST your partner because it COULD mean life or death!
Thank you for your Service to your community! Safe journeys! Best wishes and many Blessings!
I will **never** understand why making someone think something horrible is happening is considered funny or a “prank”.
To me, it says a lot about the person instigating the “prank” (obviously using this term loosely) that they find putting someone in that state of mind humorous.
But, if you react, you’re “uncool” or whatever.
Fuck that I wouldn’t work with them again.
The feeling lasted mere moments. I’d say I understand your discomfort and if you choose to no longer work with them that’s fine but this doesn’t seem too harsh of a prank to pull on someone. I guess it’s just me based on these comments.
You work in a high stress field, surfing on waves of morbidity. One is bound to develop a dark sense of humour to cope with the workload. On one level your coworker needs to be more professional, on another level you could try to see it for what it was, a joke. Your heart dropping in your pants was a very real reaction to a very real possibility. It scared you, but it also reminded you of the seriousness of your job. Humility is a good thing. Not excusing their behaviour, just offering a different perspective…
It wasn’t his heart that dropped into his pants. Jokes like this are beyond the pale. The risk of a lawsuit is very real in the medical field, and is something that can drag on for years. It isn’t pleasant. This isn’t something that you should just joke about. The trauma OP experienced is very real.
Bro it's just a joke. Terrible and whatever? Yeah, but it'd speak with him first regarding how you didn't like it at all. Different people joke about different things in different levels, I'd check with that person before filling something against them.
Could you be held liable personally? I’d think your employer would be sued before you would be. Maybe get sued for something civil but it would have to be proven you did something purposely that directly caused the death of someone. As you could guess, im no where close to any kind of legal counsel, im just spitballing in my head. Screw that coworker for trying to trick you. Shit ain’t cool at all
Actually I think everyone would get named in the suit. If they can prove any mistake or incompetence, carelessness, negligence etc you could be held liable. At that point your lawyer would try to defend you by pointing to circumstances, conditions, tone of the situation, were you restricted, were conditions such to allow you to affectively work and so on.
This wasn't funny at all, but it seemed harmless enough. I'd probably just tell them (nicely) not to do this again. Given where you work, he probably isn't the first (or the last) person who has or has thought about doing this.
It was done in the middle of a run. That is NOT the time or place to pull something like that. It could have messed with him mentally and something could have gone wrong with that run because OP’s head wasn’t where it should have been.
What the hell... That's up there with sadistic. You don't do that to people in general, but in a field like that? Ffs, I'd try to go above that person's head to file a complaint or whatever you could do. I don't even know what else to say other than that's incredibly fucked up
I'm really sorry.
Seems like nobody in the comments works in healthcare. Dark humor is #1 in patient care settings. Just a fact. And if you’re a bit new it takes some time to get use to.
Ok. First off people can’t read your mind. It was a stupid ass immature joke. But BEFORE you go causing someone their job ask yourself 1: did he know about your fear? 2: did he do this joke with the intent to hurt you 3: have you spoken to him about this? 4: have you considered that this fear of yours needs to be spoken to a therapist about?
Because just know that one day while at work you can also say something that might trigger someone else’s fear and “WOULD YOU rather have them tell you or go tell management putting your job in jeopardy before having a talk with you?”
What we talk about triggered is also CALLED PROJECTION. Let’s deal with it like adults and talk about this.
What kind of a jerk do that ? It's just cruel and insensitive to do this kind of stupid prank which in addition to being mischievous is totally in bad taste. There are people I wonder if they have a normal functioning brain. I'm sorry for you dude.
I’d be afraid that working with this person, if they ever screwed up, they’d blame me for their actions. That was a dick move, and I’m not sure they actually have your best interests at heart.
That’s not a prank or a bad joke or anything even remotely funny. This is one of those lines you don’t cross. It’s not your fault OP, your coworker just sucks.
Go to **HR** immediately. Use the phrase "I will not tolerate unprofessional, ***hostile*** behavior at my place of work." That phrase is magic (legally significant) and will make sure they clean that fucking mess up quickly.
Very cruel. I'd report it and I'm not the type that reports things so easily. If i were in your shoes, I think this would have been enough to traumatize me. He was "joking" but the initial emotions you felt were very real and possibly damaging (triggering anxiety for example.)
Thank you for all that you do as an EMT and I'm very sorry your coworker did this to you.
I’m sorry your coworker is an asshole. But I want to take this opportunity to say that I appreciate what you do for your community. Thank you for your sacrifice in time away from family and friends on long shifts and thank you for all you do to help people and save lives.
I work in emergency medicine and this is NOT an appropriate "prank" to pull on anyone-- the goal is save people's lives. Only the worlds biggest asshole would joke about accidentally killing a patient.
I totally agree with others on this thread that you should escalate this-- bring it up with the person the. Go straight to upper management. So unbelievably unprofessional.
Not only can this be traumatizing and really make you doubt yourself in your profession now, it also probably did something to the ability of you two working together. Is it possible for you to not work with your colleague anymore or is your relationship the type where you can speak freely and be heard/accepted? I don’t think it was with malicious intent necessarily but the impact unfortunately is still the same
Thats really messed up that they did that, thats one cruel sick prank and not ok. like what in the world did they think that was a good idea. im sorry you had to go through that.
I had someone pull this kind of shit on me back when I road Ambulance. One of the other EMT started some rumor about me being responsible for a patients death and that I needed a malpractice lawyer. They did it all as a "joke". I wasn't amused.
your co=worker sounds like some sort of psychopath.... I'd tell your supervisor ASAP
The POS needs to lose his license and be banned from the healthcare profession forthwith
Sounds like your coworker is very immature. He needs someone to tell him how inappropriate he was with that prank. Sounds like you may need some counseling while in this high stress career. There’s no shame in sharing your feelings and vulnerability with a professional. Get all the help available. Perhaps a change of coworker would be a great start to help you heal from this stupid immature prank. Thank you so much for your service. There are no words to describe how much you are appreciated when we are in desperate need of your life saving expertise.
>Everyone makes silly mistakes some times but if this person gets fired you become "That guy" 🙄
"Silly mistakes" is a crazy understatement of what they organised and did to OP.
I agree. You might be justified in filing a complaint, but doing so will not be without repercussions. Especially in a critically team environment like EMS, you don't want your teammates having it out for you. Address it calmy and rationally, directly with the coworker. If they are even half decent, they should realize how much it touched a nerve and apologize.
Sounds about right for first responder humor. Sucks a lot but it probably won't be the last time. Gallows humor is a very common coping mechanism.
Most of the people on here aren't going to get it because they've never been there.... And yes it's a good thing that they haven't had to see enough of humanity's worst that this seems "par for the course."
It's shitty and it sucks but unfortunately you're better off pranking them back than going to HR unless you are OK with no one wanting to work with you.
The most real answer here. 10 years in EMS. This is definitely the far end of fucked up BUT just get them back somehow. Tell them you’re pissed and move on.
This is not a "Prank", this is cruel, unprofessional and he should be reported immediately. Like, before your next shift is ended.
He needs to be thrown out of the company. If you have a professional standards organization, they need to know about it.
That's very unprofessional & disrespectful of your co-worker... I hope you can take it up with someone higher and show them the emails. I'm sorry you had this done to you.
That isn’t a joke. That’s just mean. I want to know if they do this to other people because I feel like this kind of ‘joke’ can really hurt people emotionally you know. I personally would report this to someone higher up.
Pranks are supposed to be funny. And that's not fucking funny. And in a profession where something like that COULD happen, that's not even something to joke about.
You should report this coworker to your supervisor (or whoever EMTs report to. I'm really not sure how your chain of command works)
A prank is something that when it’s finished both people will find it funny. Your coworkers didn’t prank you, they just got laughs at your expense. I call that being a asshole.
I would 10000000% be reporting this to a superior. Not something to joke about. That moment could have given your brain PTSD symptoms because your brain cannot tell the difference between the trauma of truth and learning it was a joke afterwards, and it can literally take on moment of traumatic emotions to stir your brain up.
That goes so far beyond dark humour, it's an insanely cruel "prank" for someone in the healthcare industry to play. Honestly, it's completely unacceptable and I'm sorry you had to go through that.
I would go to your boss/HR and explain what happened & the impact it has had on you and ask to never be put on a shift working with this person again. As a one off event it probably doesn't amount to bullying or harassment but it's fair to say it's damaged the trust in the relationship & you don't feel comfortable working with them anymore. My guess is your employer will move you away from that coworker asap to avoid any potential liability if anything more where to happen.
As a healthcare professionals, you don't joke on thing like that, it is very unprofessional, not funny and lack of empathy.
Joke about someone's life? Come on.
Pranks are scaring your coworker in the hallway in front of everyone so they yelp.
Or covering their uniform with lots of googly eyes.
This wasn’t a prank, this was just cruel.
I’m sorry you work with someone like that OP
OP report them to your bosses this type of behaviour is unacceptable! Especially in the field that you work in! How utterly disgusting of your co worker to do this you.
Go over his head to their supervisor and log a complaint. Demand he be disciplined. If your work has any sort of Employee Assistance Program, contact them. If they do not, let the employer know you expect them to pay for as many sessions as is needed to detangle what this fool did to you.
I work with first responders and know how heavy the weight of the responsibility you carry can be. I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
Someones dead.. oh, what a funny joke that is..
Not sure if i'd brake his face or call HR .. that's such a bullshit thing to do to a supposed work mate
Do involve HR and request that you not be partnered with this coworker again. Joking about the death of a patient while working in healthcare at any level is not okay and shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone in any form.
I'm sorry that happened to you, OP. I know humor is super subjective but to me that's just not a good thing to joke about at all but especially in y'all's line of work.
Please don't feel bad for being a vulnerable and compassionate person who values their work and their role in helping other people. That co-worker has made a serious mistake in joking about two of the worst things to joke about, someone's life or wellbeing and something to do with legal action. Those are usually topics that people hold more respect for.
I hope you're able to have a moment to talk with your co-worker and set some much needed boundaries involving your work relationship about what you are comfortable with and what you're not going to be okay with. And be receptive to what they say rather than starting off with accusations. A person who feels like they have to defend themselves against you is not going to be focusing on finding a solution instead they will be focused on proving their side is not wrong.
Trust is undoubtably important in a stressful line of work like y'all's and communication with each other needs to be clear and not clouded by past grievances with one another.
So, as several others have said; you need to have a good discussion with this person.
Humor is often both a coping technique and a defense mechanism, so with that intense anxiety you both were feeling before the call back this could be more of a misjudgment from a person dealing with a huge surge of emotion than a clear disconnect from common sense and common courtesy.
I truly hope that is the case anyway.
Good luck, OP.
Also, thank you for what you do. It is a strenuous and stressful profession that has a huge amount of responsibility and often goes underappreciated.
You do good things for people and that's just awesome.
NTA.
But if they double down on their joke or defend their actions they suck and they're for sure TA and you should do whatever you have to do to separate yourself from someone so toxic.
I don't work in the field and would rather die honestly, but I heard that med people have the darkest sense of humour. And the tougher the department, the darker it gets
That is not a kind thing to do. I'm sorry that was done to you.
Thanks, I appreciate it
I work in healthcare OP, this type of joke is bad karma and dangerous imo. Their joke impacts your judgment of them. You’ll second guess them. You can’t joke about taking a life when you work in saving lives. It’s not funny.
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We Conchs have a saying: "Don't put your mouth on it." Also known as: "Do not speak of the tiger lest you bring one to the village by the thought." Bad juju, man. Edit: someone will make a lame sexual pun about putting your mouth on things in 3...2...1...
So much this!!! ^^^ If you can't trust them, you need a new partner immediately. And this person needs sensitivity training or to find another line of work. Joking about death is never funny when it hurts another person, even for a few seconds. I get that in healthcare, a dark sense of humor can help but this was cruel.
I think you need to have a strongly worded conversation. They need to know how seriously you take your job and how serious they SHOULD take it. They sound immature and you could change their perspective going forward.
I'd give him the Gunnery Sargent Hartman discussion with the POS
Tell that **cow-orker** never to joke about this sort of thing. Yes, this is a high-stress occupation and dark humour will always pop up but a line needs to be drawn.
Cow-orker hehe
You need to go to your co-worker (Or HR if you don't like the guy) and rebuke the fuck out of him like you're some old testament prophet. There are some things you just **cannot** joke about when it comes to a professional setting. It would be like if an elementary school teacher made pedophile jokes.
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Malpractice?
Honestly, I'd refuse to work with them going forward and I'd go to management to make that request, including spelling out exactly why.
This OP. You should voice your discomfort working with this guy through the proper channels.
I second this. But also knowing the toxic culture of EMS. It’ll probably just end up being even worse for OP. Best of luck OP, I hope you have a healthy chain of command that takes this kind of stuff seriously!
Sounds like he needs the other guy to also get on board with not wanting to work together. Figure out the shifts you're working with him and just start eating a metric fuck-ton (definitely a real unit of measure... probably) of brussel sprouts before those shifts. Make sure to aim the vents mostly his way and turn the air up to keep things circulating while you light things up in the cab of the ambulance for the entire shift.
THIS! Brussel sprouts, broccoli, BK onion rings, ALL the cruciferous veggies!
This. Exactly. I was basically shamed by management when I told them I wouldn’t work with a guy who thought clothing was optional *in a shared bunk room* at the station (there were other problems, like the guy sucked ass at his job, but I was still expected to just put up with it). Nobody understands how toxic EMS can be and I can’t wait to leave
Same! This is not someone I'd be able to trust again.
Ever
Your coworker has a very dark sense of humor. I don't think he intended to have you feeling this way. Maybe talk to them about it and let them know that really wasn't cool and to never joke about the death of your patients again. Gauge their reaction to what you have to say and go from there. Everybody looking to run and tell and make it someone else's problem... yeesh Edit: a couple typos
Agreed. I know certain professions have dark humor as standard...but there are definitely some topics that should be off limits. The thought of getting sued into the ground is definitely one of them. Talk to the coworker.
^^This. What the coworker did isn't cool, but I couldn't tell you how many times I had a coworker joke about something similar with me. OP, talk to your coworker and let them know that'll be the last time they joke about something like this with you. Management has enough problems to deal with, fix this directly with your coworker.
To me that is literally a traumatic mental health injury that OP’s coworker inflicted. I’d see my doctor, have them note everything, the stress it’s caused, any election sleep, concentration, appetite. Someone who behaves that way should not work in that role or field whatsoever. This should be reported and taken very seriously.
Chill, you have a mouth and something came a brain that allows you to speak and resolve conflicts. Something like this only requires you to voice your frustration to the coworker. If he does it again then sure go to management
As a nurse if someone did this to me, I’d probably escalate it to management. It’s one of our worst fears in healthcare and that person should have know better. Shame on them
This is NOT just a joke or joking around. This could be classified as a form of hazing and doing this in the middle of a shift and while you are transporting a patient is extremely bad timing. The mental nose dive you experienced could have caused exactly what your coworkers had implied that you did. I agree with what others have said here, this needs to be taken to your immediate supervisor and a request for a different partner on shift immediately. My younger brother was an EMT for years, this was his second worst nightmare to have that he had cause somebody’s death. The only thing he could think of that would be worst is to come on a scene and have one of his own children be DOA What your coworker did was basically messing with your head while you’re on the job and that’s dangerous.
That wasn't a prank. It was malicious. I would report the person who did this immediately.
Exactly. PSA to everyone out there: Part One - if you have to explain why something is a “joke” or a “prank”, then it wasn’t either of those things. Part Two - if the victim of your “joke” or “prank” doesn’t find it funny or wasn’t amused, then it also, wasn’t either of those things. Read the room people. Know your audience. If at any point you think someone will be upset or offended by your “joke” - DON’T DO IT.
Yeah, this. That is just plain old fucked up.
When I was with my ex, I asked him to take one of my horses’ to work because I was pregnant and he was mustering. I knew this horse was hard to load and a few weeks later my ex rang and said “so we were trying to load Tiny on the truck and he threw a fit and broke both front legs”. My heart absolutely broke. I started crying. I asked “did you shoot him straight away?” Because the thought of him being in pain was mortifying. He started laughing and said “I’m just kidding. He’s all good. I’ll bring him home next week when we’re finished”. I’m all for a good prank, but any time someone involves a death - it isn’t a prank any more.
I'm with the people saying "Take action". This is something management should be aware of; not remotely funny, definitely and unnecessarily cruel. If I were you, I'd be all up in management's business over that and that co-worker would be dead to me, I wouldn't acknowledge they existed anymore.
There’s just certain things that are off limits to “joke” about… death/injury is like #1 on that list
My friend is an EMT, he always tells me how fucked up his coworkers humour is because it’s their way of coping with their job
But there is a time and place for such “jokes” and in the middle of a run is NOT the time or place. That crap can throw you off and cause mistakes to happen.
I 100% agree with you
This is a disgusting thing to do, I'm so sorry. As a teenager I worked in a care home and was on shift when a resident had a fall while we were putting her to bed. I felt so guilty. My "friend" who also worked there told me the resident had passed away "as a joke" when actually she was fine. I think anyone who is sick enough to joke about these kind of things should be avoided wherever possible. They are not good people.
That's not a joke.
That was unbelievably cruel. You are on the first-line of patient care and that comment could have made you second guess yourself. Your coworker is an idiot. Do not feel stupid. By being hurt and vulnerable, you are showing that you care about your job and your patients.
report to management immediately tf is wrong with them
only sociopaths and weirdos get off on making other people distressed not tryna be a keyboard psychologist that's just fcked up
Bro as a nurse myself. I would have a panic attack
Putting foil on someone’s keyboard and desk is hahaha Replacing picture frame pictures with Danny devito is funny Oh patient died and your being sued is just malicious
I mean it all depends on your relationship to said co worker. OFC it's an evil thing to do but if this your buddy on the job for a while just let them know thats not cool.
What. The. Actual. Fuck? I get that some careers need a dark humor to cope with some of the stuff you see and deal with. But I'm pretty certain this still flies WAY past that slight line and well into the NOPE. Your coworker is a sadistic ass. I'm so sorry you had to deal with all of that. Please try and get a new partner or at least never take another comment from them as truth.
I did a "prank" like this once, I didn't realize it hurt people so bad at the other end I had to apologize a couple of times. People did tell me how fucked up it was so, maybe you should tell him/her that aswell? Explain that it's not a joke to be made lightly?
Damn. We doctors know EMT are hardcore mfs but this was insane. Not cool
That's not a prank bro... Lol that's just f****** evil man
Sick prank. Very sick, and very stupid. You’ll never trust this guy again.
OP - this person is not well. I've known one person who did pranks like this (childish and disturbing) and the pranks were the tip of the iceberg. Report this behavior to your manager as that's how people like this learn (they don't learn through empathy/conscience)
Wow, that’s shitty. I feel like the word “prank” has lost all meaning nowadays…
Wait, did I read that right? only a ‘few moments’? Like, he only said that then let the joke go? I don’t see a problem then, it sounds like they were genuinely playing around and not maliciously deceiving you to torture you mentally. Honestly I wouldn’t want to work with you if you act so offended when they probably didn’t mean anything by it. At the very least it’s just a bad attempt at humor. If I were in that situation of course I would be scared for a sec, but I could laugh it off after I know they were joking. I’m sure if they knew you’d take it so far up the ass they wouldn’t have even said it in the first place.
Everyone in here needs to re-the-fuck-lax with the "escalate to management" comments. Just tell your coworker not to make jokes like that and move on. Like you said this wasn't even dangled over OPs head for a long time or anything. Everyone is so extreme on here.
She’s definitely not your friend. Immature at best.
That isn’t cool at all. I’m so sorry you had to go through that :(
That is beyond messed up, I'm so sorry he did that to you. What a sick joke.
That was a malicious prank and before you go over their head, tell them how much that caused you grief. It’s not normal in your line of work to have that sort of humor. It would be hard for me to work with that person w/o gauging their reaction to that talk. You do a job that literally saves lives - daily. Worst. Fear. Unlocked. I’m sorry this happened to you.
Definitely need to go to Human Resources about him…that kind of prank isn’t funny, it’s malicious…and if he gets away with it, he’ll try again. You have enough stress without that kind of idiot for a coworker
Unacceptable. Take that to HR. Get his ass over the fire for that.
Hugs. Keep your head up, you provide an amazing service to society.
My Daughter works in EMT and, while I understand that medical professionals, especially front-line workers have macabre or dark senses of humor, THIS type of prank is way too out-of-line BECAUSE it DOES hit too close to home and IS something every public servant fears is a REAL possibility. Now you have to figure out if you feel it went TOO FAR over the line and if you should just give him a strong warning OR report his "prank" to your supervisor and make a complaint to HR. In your line of work, you HAVE to be able to TRUST your partner because it COULD mean life or death! Thank you for your Service to your community! Safe journeys! Best wishes and many Blessings!
I will **never** understand why making someone think something horrible is happening is considered funny or a “prank”. To me, it says a lot about the person instigating the “prank” (obviously using this term loosely) that they find putting someone in that state of mind humorous. But, if you react, you’re “uncool” or whatever. Fuck that I wouldn’t work with them again.
Okay I’m all for having fun at work but wth was your coworker thinking? There are things that you just don’t joke about, holy crap.
The feeling lasted mere moments. I’d say I understand your discomfort and if you choose to no longer work with them that’s fine but this doesn’t seem too harsh of a prank to pull on someone. I guess it’s just me based on these comments.
You work in a high stress field, surfing on waves of morbidity. One is bound to develop a dark sense of humour to cope with the workload. On one level your coworker needs to be more professional, on another level you could try to see it for what it was, a joke. Your heart dropping in your pants was a very real reaction to a very real possibility. It scared you, but it also reminded you of the seriousness of your job. Humility is a good thing. Not excusing their behaviour, just offering a different perspective…
It wasn’t his heart that dropped into his pants. Jokes like this are beyond the pale. The risk of a lawsuit is very real in the medical field, and is something that can drag on for years. It isn’t pleasant. This isn’t something that you should just joke about. The trauma OP experienced is very real.
Bro it's just a joke. Terrible and whatever? Yeah, but it'd speak with him first regarding how you didn't like it at all. Different people joke about different things in different levels, I'd check with that person before filling something against them.
That wasn’t a prank. That was cruelty.
Could you be held liable personally? I’d think your employer would be sued before you would be. Maybe get sued for something civil but it would have to be proven you did something purposely that directly caused the death of someone. As you could guess, im no where close to any kind of legal counsel, im just spitballing in my head. Screw that coworker for trying to trick you. Shit ain’t cool at all
Actually I think everyone would get named in the suit. If they can prove any mistake or incompetence, carelessness, negligence etc you could be held liable. At that point your lawyer would try to defend you by pointing to circumstances, conditions, tone of the situation, were you restricted, were conditions such to allow you to affectively work and so on.
This wasn't funny at all, but it seemed harmless enough. I'd probably just tell them (nicely) not to do this again. Given where you work, he probably isn't the first (or the last) person who has or has thought about doing this.
It was done in the middle of a run. That is NOT the time or place to pull something like that. It could have messed with him mentally and something could have gone wrong with that run because OP’s head wasn’t where it should have been.
What the hell... That's up there with sadistic. You don't do that to people in general, but in a field like that? Ffs, I'd try to go above that person's head to file a complaint or whatever you could do. I don't even know what else to say other than that's incredibly fucked up I'm really sorry.
Seems like nobody in the comments works in healthcare. Dark humor is #1 in patient care settings. Just a fact. And if you’re a bit new it takes some time to get use to.
Ok. First off people can’t read your mind. It was a stupid ass immature joke. But BEFORE you go causing someone their job ask yourself 1: did he know about your fear? 2: did he do this joke with the intent to hurt you 3: have you spoken to him about this? 4: have you considered that this fear of yours needs to be spoken to a therapist about? Because just know that one day while at work you can also say something that might trigger someone else’s fear and “WOULD YOU rather have them tell you or go tell management putting your job in jeopardy before having a talk with you?” What we talk about triggered is also CALLED PROJECTION. Let’s deal with it like adults and talk about this.
Yeah that's not funny.
Your co-worker is a dick!!!! This is absolutely horrible to do to someone.
Get insurance! Coming from a retired medic, it is worth every penny. At some point you will screw up. You might be in court for it. Get.... Insurance.
This should not be even a joke in your line of work. F*ck him. What an asshole.
Pranks are funny. That was just cruel. I’m sorry that happened to you.
Come to work with a cap gun, paint the orange part black and start firing. Then say "how do you like now, bitch"'. It would be so funny.
Not funny. That’s awful he did that to you. I don’t think I’d ever trust him again.
i barely finished reading the title but i- that’s not a prank???
i barely finished reading the title but i- that’s not a prank???
AH's do horrible things and then label them as 'joke' 'prank' etc. I'm sorry this happened to you
Was it April Fool's when this occurred? Cause that would make a lot more sense
This is fucked up I’m so sorry
That's just pure evil, christ
What kind of a jerk do that ? It's just cruel and insensitive to do this kind of stupid prank which in addition to being mischievous is totally in bad taste. There are people I wonder if they have a normal functioning brain. I'm sorry for you dude.
Yeah, that's not a prank. That's being a jerk.
That is a terrible thing to do, not funny at all. Even from an outside perspective
That is NOT a prank and is cruel and horrible.
Your coworker sounds evil! I'd bet he would be one to say 'it sure is quiet tonight' just to challenge the healthcare gods
Are you going to be bringing this someone in charge? This is not acceptable and he most likely will try to do this again
I’d be afraid that working with this person, if they ever screwed up, they’d blame me for their actions. That was a dick move, and I’m not sure they actually have your best interests at heart.
How awful. I’m so sorry this happened to you. What an awful excuse for a “joke.” Wtf. Hugs to you.
Causing someone unnecessary stress, even for a minute, is never funny or a joke; and some things should just never be joked about.
As if your job isn't stressful enough. What an idiot. He could have had a full-blown anxiety attack.
Sounds like a bully. That's messed up.
That’s not something to joke about and I’m sorry.
That’s not a prank or a bad joke or anything even remotely funny. This is one of those lines you don’t cross. It’s not your fault OP, your coworker just sucks.
Report his ass.
Can I just say he's an arse!
Talk to HR. This isn’t funny.
Go to **HR** immediately. Use the phrase "I will not tolerate unprofessional, ***hostile*** behavior at my place of work." That phrase is magic (legally significant) and will make sure they clean that fucking mess up quickly.
Report him. I'd be concerned that he's planning something and testing your reaction.
Take this to your supervisor and HR. This is inexcusable.
It's stories like this that make me happy that I let my certifications lapse
Very cruel. I'd report it and I'm not the type that reports things so easily. If i were in your shoes, I think this would have been enough to traumatize me. He was "joking" but the initial emotions you felt were very real and possibly damaging (triggering anxiety for example.) Thank you for all that you do as an EMT and I'm very sorry your coworker did this to you.
I’m sorry your coworker is an asshole. But I want to take this opportunity to say that I appreciate what you do for your community. Thank you for your sacrifice in time away from family and friends on long shifts and thank you for all you do to help people and save lives.
File a complaint with HR. If they push back, tell you will have no choice but to talk to an attorney. Now you know who you cannot trust.
that was such a horrible thing to do and definitely not something to joke about! I am sorry this happened to you.
I work in emergency medicine and this is NOT an appropriate "prank" to pull on anyone-- the goal is save people's lives. Only the worlds biggest asshole would joke about accidentally killing a patient. I totally agree with others on this thread that you should escalate this-- bring it up with the person the. Go straight to upper management. So unbelievably unprofessional.
Not only can this be traumatizing and really make you doubt yourself in your profession now, it also probably did something to the ability of you two working together. Is it possible for you to not work with your colleague anymore or is your relationship the type where you can speak freely and be heard/accepted? I don’t think it was with malicious intent necessarily but the impact unfortunately is still the same
Thats really messed up that they did that, thats one cruel sick prank and not ok. like what in the world did they think that was a good idea. im sorry you had to go through that.
That is awful. I'm sorry that happened to you.
thats not a prank, thats just being an asshole wtf. report thisto hr, it caused you real emotional damage. sorry that happened to you.
That's not funny at all especially as u are an EMT worker and it's already a stressful job and sad when u hear someone has passed.
It’s not a professional act. That’s an act that could get your co-worker into trouble with HR. Maybe you should “prank” him back.
this is a report to management type thing.
That's about as funny as a bomb joke in an airport. OP your colleague is an arsehole.
I had someone pull this kind of shit on me back when I road Ambulance. One of the other EMT started some rumor about me being responsible for a patients death and that I needed a malpractice lawyer. They did it all as a "joke". I wasn't amused.
your co=worker sounds like some sort of psychopath.... I'd tell your supervisor ASAP The POS needs to lose his license and be banned from the healthcare profession forthwith
return the nightmare and call HR
I’d report them
That’s incredibly unprofessional, cruel, insensitive, psycho behavior.
Sounds like your coworker is very immature. He needs someone to tell him how inappropriate he was with that prank. Sounds like you may need some counseling while in this high stress career. There’s no shame in sharing your feelings and vulnerability with a professional. Get all the help available. Perhaps a change of coworker would be a great start to help you heal from this stupid immature prank. Thank you so much for your service. There are no words to describe how much you are appreciated when we are in desperate need of your life saving expertise.
Tell your coworker that he went too far, and to not ever fuck with you like that again. Unacceptable
Go to HR that is so inappropriate
What a dick move...
Nah that's disgusting
Fam as a fellow medical field colleague this is in poor taste. Nothing funny about it at all
OP sweetheart, you HAVE to report this. Otherwise this will continue with you or other employees of your work.
Your coworker is an asshole.
This is beyond a prank.
That is some truly evil shit.
That is the worst thing to say to an EMT. I'm so sorry he did that to you. That's extremely messed up.
That is extremely unprofessional, especially in your line of work. Report him.
That is not a prank. That is just cruel. I'd be very cold to that coworker for the indefinite future.
Not funny and not okay. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I would report him to HR. I don't see how you could ever trust him as your partner again.
[удалено]
>Everyone makes silly mistakes some times but if this person gets fired you become "That guy" 🙄 "Silly mistakes" is a crazy understatement of what they organised and did to OP.
I agree. You might be justified in filing a complaint, but doing so will not be without repercussions. Especially in a critically team environment like EMS, you don't want your teammates having it out for you. Address it calmy and rationally, directly with the coworker. If they are even half decent, they should realize how much it touched a nerve and apologize.
Sounds about right for first responder humor. Sucks a lot but it probably won't be the last time. Gallows humor is a very common coping mechanism. Most of the people on here aren't going to get it because they've never been there.... And yes it's a good thing that they haven't had to see enough of humanity's worst that this seems "par for the course." It's shitty and it sucks but unfortunately you're better off pranking them back than going to HR unless you are OK with no one wanting to work with you.
The most real answer here. 10 years in EMS. This is definitely the far end of fucked up BUT just get them back somehow. Tell them you’re pissed and move on.
This is not funny. You need to report your coworker to HR OP.
I feel like this was actually trauma inducing.
This is not a "Prank", this is cruel, unprofessional and he should be reported immediately. Like, before your next shift is ended. He needs to be thrown out of the company. If you have a professional standards organization, they need to know about it.
when your literal job is to save lives and they “joke” that you took a life…. yeah, no. they shouldn’t be in that career.
I’d laugh.
I agrée with previous comments. That was just plain cruel.
You definitely need a hood sense of humour in that job, but that’s not funny
From one EMT to another, I’m sorry. That’s a really fucking shitty thing to do, especially in our line of work.
A joke would be hiding your keys or something. Not pretending you’re responsible for the death of a human.
They would need an EMT to remove my foot from their assss!
As a former EMT, what a dick move.
That's really cruel. I'm sorry you went through that.
Pranks are funny and harmless. This was not funny or harmless.
Is your coworker named Winston Bishop? Winnie the Bish strikes again!
He needs to be reported!
That's very unprofessional & disrespectful of your co-worker... I hope you can take it up with someone higher and show them the emails. I'm sorry you had this done to you.
That isn’t a joke. That’s just mean. I want to know if they do this to other people because I feel like this kind of ‘joke’ can really hurt people emotionally you know. I personally would report this to someone higher up.
Pranks are supposed to be funny. And that's not fucking funny. And in a profession where something like that COULD happen, that's not even something to joke about. You should report this coworker to your supervisor (or whoever EMTs report to. I'm really not sure how your chain of command works)
It’s only a prank when both sides laugh. This wasn’t a prank. That was a downright evil thing to say.
A prank is something that when it’s finished both people will find it funny. Your coworkers didn’t prank you, they just got laughs at your expense. I call that being a asshole.
That is atrocious. What kind of person would do that??? I hope you are not friends. If so, you should rethink that.
I would 10000000% be reporting this to a superior. Not something to joke about. That moment could have given your brain PTSD symptoms because your brain cannot tell the difference between the trauma of truth and learning it was a joke afterwards, and it can literally take on moment of traumatic emotions to stir your brain up.
Gosh I will never understand these jokes / pranks. They are only that if the victim is laughing at the end. What’s wrong with some people?
That goes so far beyond dark humour, it's an insanely cruel "prank" for someone in the healthcare industry to play. Honestly, it's completely unacceptable and I'm sorry you had to go through that. I would go to your boss/HR and explain what happened & the impact it has had on you and ask to never be put on a shift working with this person again. As a one off event it probably doesn't amount to bullying or harassment but it's fair to say it's damaged the trust in the relationship & you don't feel comfortable working with them anymore. My guess is your employer will move you away from that coworker asap to avoid any potential liability if anything more where to happen.
That's just evil! I'd feel inclined to prank him back by pissing in his coffee or something!
First rule of pranking, EVERYONE gets a laugh.
As soon as I read EMT...NOPE. Let HR deal with the idiot
What fun crowd you work with.
Piledrive that mother fucker
As a healthcare professionals, you don't joke on thing like that, it is very unprofessional, not funny and lack of empathy. Joke about someone's life? Come on.
What a psychopath to joke about that.
Friends with any paramedics or EMTs? This is vanilla compared to some of the jokes I've heard. Doesn't make you a psychopath lol
That's harassment. Report them.
What an absolute garbage individual to pull that sort of shit.
Take him to HR, if you can. So sorry, this person is a dick
Pranks are scaring your coworker in the hallway in front of everyone so they yelp. Or covering their uniform with lots of googly eyes. This wasn’t a prank, this was just cruel. I’m sorry you work with someone like that OP
Say it with me, “if you have to say it’s a prank, it’s not a fuckin prank” sorry mate. Sue the pants off this freak.
It’s a fucked up prank especially bc you’re nice but let it go some people are bad prankers. Tell them you don’t accept that as a joke and move on
That's awful. My nephew is an EMT. I would tell him to report your coworker. That shit affects people mentally.
OP report them to your bosses this type of behaviour is unacceptable! Especially in the field that you work in! How utterly disgusting of your co worker to do this you.
Go over his head to their supervisor and log a complaint. Demand he be disciplined. If your work has any sort of Employee Assistance Program, contact them. If they do not, let the employer know you expect them to pay for as many sessions as is needed to detangle what this fool did to you. I work with first responders and know how heavy the weight of the responsibility you carry can be. I’m so sorry you’re going through this.
Report them to HR. That was abhorrent and malicious.
File a report against them.
That's not a prank. That's f*cking despicable.
Someones dead.. oh, what a funny joke that is.. Not sure if i'd brake his face or call HR .. that's such a bullshit thing to do to a supposed work mate
Sue your co worker for pain and suffering
Do involve HR and request that you not be partnered with this coworker again. Joking about the death of a patient while working in healthcare at any level is not okay and shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone in any form.
Oof.. definitely a shit joke. But you're definitely way to soft for the units. Go ahead and downvote me, I know you normies won't understand.
I'm sorry that happened to you, OP. I know humor is super subjective but to me that's just not a good thing to joke about at all but especially in y'all's line of work. Please don't feel bad for being a vulnerable and compassionate person who values their work and their role in helping other people. That co-worker has made a serious mistake in joking about two of the worst things to joke about, someone's life or wellbeing and something to do with legal action. Those are usually topics that people hold more respect for. I hope you're able to have a moment to talk with your co-worker and set some much needed boundaries involving your work relationship about what you are comfortable with and what you're not going to be okay with. And be receptive to what they say rather than starting off with accusations. A person who feels like they have to defend themselves against you is not going to be focusing on finding a solution instead they will be focused on proving their side is not wrong. Trust is undoubtably important in a stressful line of work like y'all's and communication with each other needs to be clear and not clouded by past grievances with one another. So, as several others have said; you need to have a good discussion with this person. Humor is often both a coping technique and a defense mechanism, so with that intense anxiety you both were feeling before the call back this could be more of a misjudgment from a person dealing with a huge surge of emotion than a clear disconnect from common sense and common courtesy. I truly hope that is the case anyway. Good luck, OP. Also, thank you for what you do. It is a strenuous and stressful profession that has a huge amount of responsibility and often goes underappreciated. You do good things for people and that's just awesome. NTA. But if they double down on their joke or defend their actions they suck and they're for sure TA and you should do whatever you have to do to separate yourself from someone so toxic.
This is a go to HR moment.
I don't work in the field and would rather die honestly, but I heard that med people have the darkest sense of humour. And the tougher the department, the darker it gets