Name
Don’t Be a K-Hole: Preventing Psychological Distress During Prehospital Ketamine Administration
Description
Ketamine is widely used in prehospital care for pain management, but its unique dissociative effects can be mentally and emotionally distressing when the patient’s psychological safety is overlooked. This lecture examines how limited awareness of ketamine’s experiential effects can unintentionally contribute to patient distress and highlights practical, trauma-informed strategies to reduce risk. Participants will explore the psychological effects of ketamine and how provider behavior, informed consent, and setting influence whether the patient experience is perceived as a welcomed relief or a “bad trip.”
NYS CME - ALS - Core - Pharmacology
Speakers
Alexandra Jabr, Emergency Resilience, LLCEducator // ParamedicAlexandra Jabr, Ph.D., EMT-P, has served in EMS since 2003 and has been influencing the field through education since 2008. With a master’s in mental health specializing in death, grief, and bereavement, and a Ph.D. in depth psychology focusing on psychedelic therapy for first responders with PTSD, Dr. Jabr brings a unique perspective, bridging psychological expertise with lived experience. She is the founder of Emergency Resilience, a thoughtfully curated continuing education platform that integrates often-overlooked topics into first responder training, including grief, generational trauma, ketamine therapy, and her renowned CE course, Death Communication for First Responders: How to Deliver Unfortunate News. Dr. Jabr travels the country, leading trainings for various organizations, equipping professionals with the skills to deliver death notifications with confidence, clarity, and compassion.
Date & Time
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM