Elizabeth Harney

This session looks past the sarcasm and emotional armor providers build over time. This session explores what happens in the moments before first words are spoken on scene. Every provider brings two internal voices: the one that wants to help and the one shaped by fatigue, repetition, and the grind of this work. Every patient brings two voices as well: the voice that needs care and the voice shaped by fear, shame, or past experience. This session brings those realities into one shared space and shows why that convergence matters.

Through personal reflection, unseen patient perspectives, and frontline realities, attendees learn how stress, bias, and repeated exposure influence presence and reactions on scene. A focused interview with an experienced paramedic adds the provider view, highlighting emotional erosion, compassion under pressure, and a call that changed two lives. Practical tools help providers steady themselves, manage internal pressure, and build stronger connections with patients whose situations are often complex or challenging.

This session offers a deeper understanding of what shapes provider reactions and how those reactions influence patient trust, safety, and outcomes. Attendees will leave with clear, functional strategies to carry into their next shift.

This presentation expands on the foundation established in "The Great Affect," shifting the focus from teaching emotional intelligence to leading with it. This session examines the emotional weight leaders carry in EMS and how their influence shapes team culture, resilience, and patient outcomes. Through real experiences, including a pivotal encounter that reshaped the presenter’s path, HEAVY shows the lasting impact emotionally intelligent actions have on patients and providers.

Attendees and the presenter will explore how leaders recognize emotional drift, guide teams through stress, and reinforce compassion in demanding environments. Attendees learn practical strategies to strengthen self-awareness, improve communication and embed emotionally intelligent behaviors into daily operations. An interview with an experienced paramedic offers insight into how compassionate presence shapes decisions and models the affective skills leaders want to build. Her perspective guides the audience toward a deeper understanding of why these behaviors matter and sets the stage for an important revelation.

Grounded in research and lived experience, HEAVY provides leaders tools to elevate morale, psychological safety, and quality of care. Participants leave prepared to model the compassion they want in their teams. Leadership sets the tone. The care we deliver begins with how we lead.