CBEMT

Our ED had a drunk/drug/psych tank (Ok, fine, "Clinical Decision Unit") with CNAs and RNS 24/7, and MDs that float in and out, but they've all been breathalyzed and BGL'd before going there. Anybody who's critically intoxicated goes to a critical care/trauma room, anybody who isn't critical but needs more than casual monitoring goes to an Urgent bed. Once they're sober, out the door till the next time. It smells like a cross between sweaty gym socks and a bus station bathroom. Basically it's a homeless shelter by another name.

Asked and answered in a previous thread on the same topic.

If you stop spouting off about things beyond your training and experience and pay attention, you might learn something. Other than that, you're asking for a world of hurt. You could be like many before you and storm off in a huff to someplace like EMTLife where your opinions are celebrated, but you'd still be the same young, inexperienced, under-educated, "because my instructor said so" that you are now.

I don't know of a set policy, however as a crimical conviction is is a required reporting event to the state DOH, who will typically hand down a probation matching whatever you got in court. What the employer does is up to them.

You're right. But at the moment, it's what we need. Pride goeth before the fall.

http://www.emsresponder.com/article/articl...p;siteSection=1

So who does he work for?

If you look hard enough, there's a video out there somewhere of several AMR crews (Massachusetts, I think) that were joyriding in the snow, dragging some of the personnel behind one of the ambulances on a chain of backboards.

Not that I'm at all in favor of any of that, but the Heritage Foundation press release that clip references is dated May of 2007. Just sayin.

Our state bracelet can be on an ankle under our protocol, I almost forgot. Good call.

When what they do is every week is 1000x worse than the entire life cycle of what I do (eg the truck), what I do certainly isn't going to keep me awake at night.

Depends where you are. Yes, when someone has our state-issued DNR/Comfort One bracelet there is a piece of paperwork with that, but for our purposes the bracelet is good enough. It has a window through which EMS can see the patient's name, DOB, and their doctor's signature. If the bracelet is all they have (unaltered or damaged, a closed bracelet attached to a necklace worn by the patient is also allowable), it's valid for us. They do not get worked (or bagged, or monitored, or receive an IV for resuscitation drugs). If the state Comfort One form is present, well, ok. I don't need it though.

Win!

When China stops building a coal-fired, non-EPA regulated power plant every week, I'll start worrying about the environmental impact of my one ambulance. :rolleyes:

I've taken to holding my pen in my hand when I use the alcohol hand gel dispenser when I get to the hospital prior to giving report on each patient. I rub the gel all over the pen while I rub my hands together. Not perfect, but it probably helps.

Congratulations. You've solved the mystery of why health insurance costs so much.

I've never seen an EMT class cover OSHA beyond what's found in your typical textbook, which is the basics of Bloodborne Pathogens, Ryan White, etc. I've also never seen an employer hand anyone an OSHA rulebook or similar. The ones that actually had written policies and procedures sometimes identified which policies are OSHA-mandated, but that's about it.

And for the record, I don't store or eat food in the patient compartment. I just dispute the notion that, if I did, sticking a wrapped sandwich into a bag warmer is somehow going to give me the plague.

We already have this. Those with insurance pay. Those without get the same level of care and the hospital is lucky to ever see a dime. Doesn't really matter. I'm trying reasonably hard to tell the story and maintain anonymity.

Newsflash- neither is wherever the food was made.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachus...ife_slips_away/ I should be surprised, but I'm not.

The private I used to work for regularly transported a family member of an employee. Regularly as in, to life-sustaining treatment (you figure it out). Medicare paid every other trip. Same mode of transport, same absolute medical necessity, and basically the same documentation every time (you could almost photocopy the transport in and transport out reports and just leave the dates and times blank). Yet they saw fit to only pay 50%. Yeah. I want THEM running my healthcare.

Strictly speaking, self-defense would be you shooting your mugger. Not the bystanders across the street. That said, I'm not sure what I think about the situation.

Infection control issue? What the HELL are you sticking in the IV warmer? I'd wager that the bag warmer is probably the CLEANEST place on most ambulances.

The poverty pimps would never hear of it. You'd be labeled "racist."