When Thinking is Hard: Managing Decision Fatigue

We all like to believe that our behavior, work ethic and quality of care are products of who we are. But who we are is the product of the decisions we make, and we’re fooling ourselves to think that our decision-making never falters. Habits may seem boring, but by relegating our mental busywork to mindless routine we can be fresh and ready for the true challenges of the job. And if nothing else, simply being aware of the realities of decision fatigue can help us avoid it.

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Brandon Oto, BA, NREMT-B, is a field EMT and clinical educator for a private Boston-area service, as well as editor of emsbasics.com. His interests include BLS fundamentals, STEMI and cardiac arrest systems of care, and clinical decision-making.