Relish

I've noticed this first hand. After leaving the hospital from visiting a family member, I was a bystander to an old lady who's wheel broke on her walker and she tumbled down a cement step. I grabbed C-spine after witnessing the fall and noting that it was necessary. Security called for back-up and I was soon surrounded by 15+ docs and nurses, not a damn one asked what really happened or talked to the patient or me! No one took over c-spine, no collar was present when they rolled her (without notifying me- who was at the head, this woman was just all of a sudden rolled) PLUS she was complaining of pain at her left hip- which they rolled her onto! I was in a skirt lying on the cement at 9pm and the doctors and nurses slowly dwindled in #'s as they were all heard to be complaining of how cold it was outside. Then I was still holding C-spine as we rolled her into Emerg. STILL no one took over. Finally a collar was found-and applied horribly, but they did not apply blanket rolls until I inquired about protocol and c-spine. "oh yeah, I guess we should put blanket rolls" says one nurse. I could not believe the gong show that I had just witnessed. The whole thing took half an hour- from time of fall to getting her inside the building- she was right outside the front doors! EMS could have driven across town in that amount of time. Still shocked by the stupidity that surrounded me that night.

Also curious to see what anyone knows about what the life of a Dispatcher is like compared to an on-car position. I realize that most schedules are set alike- 4 on 4 off, that sort of thing, but do you work 4 days- 24 hours- staying at the station? Or 4 days, 12 hours-go home and sleep then come back? Or how does that work? Does anyone know of any centres that are hiring in southern alberta? Or just of any centres that i can contact? Have been digging for info for months and finding it hard to find what I need to contact centres, as I don't even know what all is out there. Anything that you know would be helpful! Thanks!

To further my point- over a month after leaving Red Star Emergency, we're STILL fighting to get the money that's owed to us! They have ads on the ACP website and on the Alberta Health and Safety Training Institute site....warn your friends to steer clear!

Why oilfield? Some quick cash, and it was close to home...no other reason....

That's exactly it, everyone is just trying to cash in and get a piece of the pie, which is what this was. We thought that we had checked it fairly thoroughly before hand, but it wasn't what they had set it up to be. Luckily we wasted no more than 24 hours there before we had caught wind of what the true story was - watching one girl quit and the other get fired for leaving her truck dirty (it had been pouring all day, the house was 30 mins on the dirt roads...she figured she was saving them a few bucks, but she got canned for it). BBB, yah exactly, that and labour board!

Please be aware of a company called Red Star Emergency Medical Treatment, they operate out of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta doing Oilfield work. They are only in the business for the money and really don't care about their employees. Pay checks are hard to come by, accommodations are poor for employees, there is no training, no safety measures are taken for the workers themselves and the owner is never available. With so many job opportunities available to EMS, there are many options available where you are looked at and treated as a member of the team, not just a work horse. If you choose to work with them, don't say you haven't been warned! Work Happy!

Thanks EMS GIRL, safety ed is the school that I've taken all my courses through, and with what I've experienced, I'd rather not take anything else through them... Anyone know of Dispatch centres to call that are within an hour of Calgary? Relocation is not possible for me....

CBEMT- where do you work? The easier the better i suppose! Just anxious to get started somewhere near home, but have had a hard time finding contacts to call....

EMSEDU- do you know what type of courses that smaller communities are looking for? That's likely where I'd go, I figured that the cities would be looking for someone trained in all 3, needing to be graduated from a major 8 month course- such as what SAIT offers, that's what I figured anyhow...$23 is pretty good, would likely be less in a small town, but still not horrible I'm sure...

Must have been sleeping...thanks!

Thanks for all the info...I"m located in Alberta, and am also looking at it as a second choice-have finished my didactic portion of EMT, but already have messed up my back, so i'd like to have this ready and waiting for me, just in case. This way I can still feel connected to the industry. Anyone with Alberta info?

Have been intersted to find out more about Dispatch. I was wondering where a good place is to train for it, as well, I know that SAIT has an 8 month course that covers medical, police and fire dispatch, and there are other 3 day courses that cover just medical. Is it necessary to have all 3 to get a good job, or is there lots of work for those with just Medical training. Also, is there an ACP equivalent with dispatch? Do you have to take a provincial exam and be registered, or once you graduate from a class, are you ready to work. Also, what can one expect for a wage range? Does it pay well enough to make it worth it? I've heard that some are making $22/hr...does that sound right or completely off the mark? Any info on the job and training would be great....

yes, it's a compressed course, so it's full-time, and intense, $10,000 is the cost for tuition, plus books, plus supplies, plus uniform, plus most importantly, living expenses/bill payments for the 6 months during class and practicum costs. So, yes, it sounds like a lot, but it sure adds up. That's Canuck dollars too.... :wink: so like $500 american...haha Not right away like i should have, it was the end of the day and most people had already left. Today at the end of class we were to do the stretcher carry on the stairs and I asked my instructor if I could sit this week out of the Physical portion due to the back strain that I sustained yesterday. Unfortunately he didn't sound happy about it (said,"It's only 1 jug, not that heavy, but sure, whatever..."). But whatever, he can think what he wants, it's my back and my career. I just feel so stupid as I was the only one in class not able to lift the stretcher, and then having to sit out today... :oops: . Thanks for all the advice, it really means alot to have all this help! (One of the other students is a competitive body builder, he felt sorry for me, so today he brought me a weight belt to try when I do lift again for support...which was nice) I've been taking it easy and thank god, it's feeling better already, it's never felt better this soon(perhaps the little weight lifting I've done HAS helped!) I will watch it carefully and do all that I can to keep it healthy. Don't worry, I don't give up this easy, I'm going to fight as hard as I can to achieve this, I WILL do this career, the only thing that'll stop me is if I break my back and I'm in a wheelchair! Thanks again, it really picked up my spirits, I was really upset yesterday. I know that it won't be easy starting this career with this issue, but I've always liked a challenge! haha... Would it be beneficial to wear a back support daily under my uniform-not a weight belt, but a support? Anyone had any experience with them, do they help or are they a waste of my much needed money?

I am extremely upset and disappointed right now. Today was the first day of my EMT course, at the end of the day, the instructor loaded the stretcher, with not quite all of the 250 lbs we are supposed to carry...and told us to go see what it feels like to lift. Granted, I know that it was alot of weight for me, I have just started a weight lifting program to help me out. However, with my first attempt, the girl on the other end of the stretcher cranked her half way up at the count of three, I was not able to lift it that fast. Therefore, the weight was leaning down on my end, so of course I couldn't lift it from there. I tried again, she did the same thing. So, now I sit here wincing in pain as I totally wrenched my back during this. :crybaby: I had a previous back injury from last year and it was just starting to feel better, now I'm back, no actually behind where I started from. We are not able to go on our practicum until we can carry the weight up and down two flights of stairs. But now because I've screwed up my back, I can't start lifting weights until this subsides(likely a few weeks). What experiences have others had with back injury? Am I kidding myself that i can do this job? I want this more than anything, but I'm scared as hell that I'll fail with the physical part of my course and waste $10,000 on a career I can't possibly do?! Do I back out now and take a course in dispatch? Any help on the issue would be greatly appreciated....I'm desperate and totally discouraged. (Also, does anyone have clarification about the weight of a stretcher? I heard they were 70lbs alone, loaded with 4, 5gallon jugs, which i heard were 50lbs a piece-10lbs per gallon, If those calculations were right, then we were deadlifting 285lbs -as they also had a 15lbs weight on it as well. And the full weight to lift is that plus one more water jug=335lbs up and down 2 flights?!?!? What the hell? Am I wrong, or are they wrong?)

Has anyone tried an "Ultrascope" ? I have read reviews that put them up with a Littman and some even put them above a Littman, but does anyone have any first hand experience with them? http://www.ultrascopes.com/about.html

these are the ones that I have my eyes on.... http://www.vtarmynavy.com/matterhorn-women...-safety-toe.htm a little $$$$ (converted to cdn price-over $200)but if they'll last and be comfortable, then I don't mind spending it.

For the girls- Have any of you found a pair of boots that you love? I would prefer to have a pair with a zipper (perhaps I'm lazy, but it'd be so nice to have!), they have to be steel toes and I really hate the look of a leather boot with the mesh/nylon sections in it, the real SWAT style. I've been looking for a decent pair and have been quite dissapointed with my search efforts. The Danners seem to be the closest style wise to what i have in mind, but they sure are pricey! (are they at least worth that money?) I'm just starting out and can't afford to waste my money....need to get the best bang for my buck! any suggestions?

It's not EMS, but my cousin and his equally smart-assed yet hilarious friend were asked to come up with a slogan for their oil drilling company in Northern Alberta....as a JOKE they told their supervisor " We'd like to pound your hole", and a month later they were handed shirts with the slogan! They almost died, but of course, he wears it!

If your child is one that has a supressed immune system, then they would have had the shot, and my infectious children should have no bearing on your childs health. The flu vaccine is nothing more than an educated guess on what strain will hit your area and when. So if my child infects your child who has HAD the vaccine, then obviously your vaccine is useless anyhow and even if my child had the vaccine as well, they'd still be sick because a seperate undetected strain appeared. I'm sorry where do you live? In Kansas with Dorothy perhaps? This is life in our world, it's full of disease, illness and bacteria; the ill should not have to be exposed to viral and bacterial illnesses? Again, if you are one who is already susceptible to these illnesses and can not effectively protect yourself, then YOU go get the flu shot....if it protects you, then why does it matter what I do? Perhaps this sounds harsh as well, but we have become a world that plays god with every aspect that we possibly can, if you are already in a position of vulnerability and have gotten the vaccine, and catch the flu (because that particular strain was not expected to arrive and rendered your vaccine against it useless) and you end up dying from the infection, perhaps it was your time to go. Technically you've done everything in your power to protect yourself, which you should in that instance, but sometimes it's just your time. We're talking about vaccines, not blood/surgical intervention for a child suffering trauma, of course that would be upsetting, but that is a case where you have to act or they will die, missing a yearly vaccine will not gaurantee your child will die. If my choice to not obtain a vaccine infects you, then if you were concerned about catching that bug, why did you not get the vaccine, and if you did, again, sorry that it didn't work-again. I could care less personally if I catch the flu or whatever else comes with it, i do what I can to protect myself with what I feel comfortable with. I ate dirt as a child and was told to "suck it up" when I got sick, and i know that my immune system is better for it. If we coddle our immune systems and never expose them to disease and make them fight it out for itself, then we get a spoiled brat who won't work against anything. I in fact have worked in the ER, and my attitude is still the same, and just because our views may be different from yours, does not make us ignorant. I also believe that education is the key...but again, our views on that education will likely still differ. My point with that organic story was that this product is PROVEN and EFFECTIVE, but due to the money grubbing pharmaceutical companies and how they have a grasp on our entire world, they have made it impossible for these companies to get these wonderful working products to the public. The FDA is refusing to test this product because it is organic, they don't test organic, but to get this product to the public, it must be FDA approved....how convenient for them that no new company is going to come in and take over their HUGE profit margin and yes, dry their pockets. So to not see that the pharmaceuticals don't give a squat about your well-being and care only about purchasing the newest Mercedes that has hit the market, I say is education that we all need. So, to take their word for it that these vaccines are so wonderful scares me, if you had Hep C and knew there was a product out there that could give you a life once again, would you not want to be entitled to it? FDA says no, you have to take the drugs - yes- chemicals that we tell you you can take, even though they have done nothing for the patient other then keep you breathing. Sure there are studies about all of meds, who initiates and follows through with these studies, mmm the drug companies themselves perhaps? It's business, they do what they need to to make money. I also feel that this is an area close to me, as I said before, we are all different and have experienced different life events that create who we are, how we feel and the choices we make are based on these events. I have lived a life that centered around chemicals and hormones and the effects they had, I've had family members die from complications of mixed drugs, drugs they never should have prescribed, but the doctor was treating side effects, causing more side effects and so on, now he's dead. Had relatives who've reacted and become ill from the vaccines themselves, situations that could have been avoided. Life is full of uncertainty, and that includes illness, everything in moderation. Medications/certain vaccines in moderation are helpful, it's a dirty world out there! But load your body up with enough of these and who knows... I just want those of you with such strong opinions to be open minded, just because this is not how you feel, it's how alot of us do (public, maybe not this board) and just because our views are different does not make us ignorant, neglectful or evil disease spreaders. Life spreads those diseases on it's own, don't look for someone to blame because you got sick,that's part of this game called life.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, that's why we haven't been cloned yet....(i say yet) There is absolutely a place for certain vaccines and medications, however i just believe that they should be handled like everything else in life- in moderation. If you have a cold, stay home and watch Oprah, you have pneumonia, get your ass to the hospital and take care of it. If you are a healthy person with a healthy lifestyle, you eat right, exercise and take your vitamins, then your immune system should be able to handle the flu. If you are part of the population who has previous health problems that render your immune system incapable of fighting the illness, then perhaps you should get the vaccine. I'm not saying that no one will die from the flu, but I'm also not saying that no one will die from the vaccine. Weigh your options and look at your situation to decide your course of action. Very simple illness can kill people, I'm aware of that, but the chemicals in the vaccine have not been around for very long and we truly don't know the exact long term effects of those either...(ex. just announced on the news that the flu shot is linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, I'm sure that being rendered paralyzed over night is much worse than shingles) Not that shingles doesn't suck, but for me personally, I know what the flu is and I'd rather take my chances with it than with whatever chemical is entering my system that society hasn't had long enough to research. Claiming that a parent is neglectful to not vaccinate their child against the flu is a huge stretch....I believe that certain vaccines should be given to children, for certain diseases such as polio and meningitis, these are horrible illnesses that are more likely to kill you if you aquire it. In this case, i would rather take my chances with the vaccine than the disease. Each case is so individual and each person is so individual, I just think that we all need to think for ourselves and not take the government's word for it. There are many natural ways to protect yourself from illness, (yes, I realise that natural remedies are not completely safe either) but bottom line is that there are options ( I in fact know of a company that has created a product to bring "life" back to Hep C patients. The product is 100% natural and is derived from an ant in the rainforest. Tests have been done, studies have been done and has been tested on patients, one a 12 yr old boy who was bed ridden and is now back at school and playing sports, riding his bike, he gets to be a kid again. Due to funding, this product is only distributed to the test patients, but this company is bombarded daily with calls from individuals who would do anything to get their hands on this product. They have done everything in their power to get their product put on the market but due to pharmaceutical regulations, because this is a natural product it will never be given status in the market because they will never liscence it. - I know this because a family member worked for this company) Alright, so now you all could come back and say that the long term effects of this product have never been tested either, and you'd be correct, but all I'm trying to say here is that there are options out there and if you would rather take the pharmaceutical way out, then good for you, but there are those out there who would much rather choose this natural organic route, and why is that so wrong? How could people like me be in this industry if we don't believe in vaccines and medication? Easy, we care for the well-being of people, and we are here to help them, in whatever way possible. We are not against emergency medications and the situaitons they are used in, perhaps we just have concerns about the long term effects of these meds and the huge cases of polypharmacy that are becoming a reality for so many. I'm sure that some of those meds are required, but you have to admit that after a point we just start medicating the side effects of other drugs. I know that there will be a huge backlash to what I've just said, and I expect it, as i said we all have our opinions. But after a while I just believe that you have to think for yourself and do what you believe is best for you and your family, this will not be the same for every person, as it shouldn't be. We have all encountered situations that made us who we are and these situations have made us make the choices that we make. All in all, do what feels best to you and realize that in the in the end we really have no say in what happens to us- natural selection will take place no matter what we do. I hope that everyone feels comfortable making their choice and that they do so because they want to, not just becuase they are told to, that's all, i'm done.

To all those "flatlanders" who claim they just live in "a small town Sask..." heck, they're all small towns! Which one I ask?! I was born and raised a Saskatchewanian, Yorkton area, Saltcoats to be exact, so which are these small towns you all speak of? Yes, I am a provincial traitor, lived in various provinces over the years, but been in Calgary now for 5. Start my EMR in Dec. Planning to do my EMT in April, but we'll see, all of my plans seemed to have fallen to shite due to all the deadlines and red tape in this blasted province....argh....oh simple saskatchewan, how I miss thee... :sad5:

Definitely not a delusional paranoid wacko, and if you are, then I'm with you!

Just another question... As for those who answered YES to the poll: did you get it bezause YOU wanted to be protected? OR because your JOB requires or expects you to get it? Flu shot is usually up to the individual, but working in health care, so many others are manditory or you're out of a job. I totally disagree about the benefits of all of the immunizations that we are "stuck" with, but I go along with it and get my regular shots because we have to. So, any time I get to opt out of a shot, I do so very happily.

Amen Firescapes...that is precisely why I will have nothing to do with the flu shot, and other injections that I can stay away from. It's exactly the Pharmaceutical companies that are making this "flu pandemic" a huge deal and freaking the public out for no reason. They need our money, simple. Really makes one wonder, why are the incidents of cancer and other acute illness/disease on the rise? What else is on the rise? Um, vaccines and immunizations perhaps? Are they really doing any good, or harming instead. We have to realize that these companies rule the world that we live in, every aspect is controlled and manipulated by them. You go to the doctor for help with an issue, and majority will prescribe whatever THEY get paid best to push on their patients. Who cares if it's not the best for you, it's best for them and sufficiently pads their pockets. They now have a vaccine for everything, claiming that you need it to stay healthy and protect yourself and your family. Chicken Pox is now deadly to children and parents who don't allow the vaccine are endangering their children and others children by allowing them to be exposed to it. I had it, I'm sure you've all had it - and are still here reading this! Oh and ovarian cancer vaccine? Please, spare me. Personally I think that we need to take our health into our own hands, do our own research and have a little common sense. In this day and age where money rules all, we have to protect and inform ourselves, to think on our own, as no one else will do it for us. Just my humble opinion....

Dust gives some great tips...you absolutely have to get your partners attention and be sure that he waits for you to prepare. Lifting/transfering patients is detailed work and done incorrectly can lead to injuries in the patient and YOU! Transfer techniques were created for a reason, so don't let your partner bowl you over and make you ignore them as well. If he is as "quick" to make a move without you, then you have every right to speak up and let him know that it was inconsiderate to not wait for you to get your bearings first, just a "whoa! give me a second...", "not in position", will hopefully get his attention, if not, wait till you are alone somewhere and properly address the situation...your patients and your back depend on it. THere are nurses at work that are the same way, some that just flip through it with no discussion on what is going to be done and how we are going to follow through- MANY times during the day I have to speak up and ask "whoa, what are you planning to do?" "So you are going to lift from the left and you'd like me to direct the legs?". Maybe I sound stupid, but I really don't care. We just recently got a bariatric patient on the unit, and all of a sudden the nurses are paying attention to the transfer techniques and ensuring that their partners are clear on the actions we are to make and that we are positioned properly. It just got me thinking, why does it take a 400lb man to make them realize the importance of team work, it should be second nature with every patient, every co-worker and situation. I hope that you are able to solve this, I know how frustrating it can be. ](*,)