The EMS Book Club: 10 texts all paramedics should have on their shelves

This week, Chris Cebollero and Kelly Grayson host a virtual book club as they count down the top 10 essential texts that paramedics should have on their shelves – a mix of useful references, anatomy and physiology deep dives, and heartfelt memoirs that capture the essence of EMS work. From learning resources, to comic relief, there’s something for everyone in this list.

Did our cohosts exclude a favorite EMS-focused book? Send your suggestions to editor@ems1.com for inclusion in a future article.

Memorable quotes

• “I think that a good paramedic is someone who is proficient in their knowledge and their skills, and keeps up to date. That’s a good paramedic. A great paramedic adds empathy and compassion to that list. And that’s what differentiates the confident ones from the great ones.” — Kelly Grayson
• “The central message is that Teddy Roosevelt quote: ‘People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.’” — Kelly Grayson

Chris and Kelly’s top picks

1. Your textbook
2. Thom Dick’s “People Care”
3. Any anatomy and physiology textbook that isn’t written for EMS
4. “Paramedic: On the Front Lines of Medicine” by Peter Canning, or “Rescuing Providence” by Michael Morse
5. Steve Berry’s “I Am Not An Ambulance Driver” series
6. A good cardiology textbook
   
   1. Tomas Garcia’s “12-Lead ECG: The Art of Interpretation”
   2. Bob Page’s “12-Lead ECG for Acute and Critical Care Providers”
   3. Tim Phalen’s “The 12-Lead ECG in Acute Coronary Syndromes”
7. Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide
8. Goldfrank’s “Toxicologic Emergencies”
9. A comprehensive medical dictionary
   
   1. Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary
   2. Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary
10. A comprehensive drug reference
    
    1. The Physicians’ Desk Reference
    2. The Nursing Drug Handbook

Books

The 10 books every paramedic should own

As a medic you are a caregiver and a human body mechanic, not a parts replacer; educate yourself like one

June 11, 2024 10:22 AM

 · 

Kelly Grayson, AGS, NRP, CCP

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