Freaknuggetz_chick

my partner! we work in pairs for a reason. he/she supports me, i support them. one drives, one attends. we take turns. some of my partners are better than others, and others yet my patients can do without lol.

speaking from experience (medic, from "zero-to-hero" program) the difference in just one year's on car experience is phenomenal. there is only so much you can get out of text books. then you need experience to read and feel situations and scenes. now it wasnt that i changed methods, techniques etc, it was a great increase in confidence and smoothness in running a call. also an increase in my leadership abilities, all of which are important when you're going to be the senior member on scene. on a secondary note, doing the all-at-once schooling method is also a very steep learning curve, alot more difficult. not everyone can handle it. my suggestion to the original poster of this thread: find a school that matches your learning style. if you do choose a zero-to-hero program, consider working during breaks or summers off etc. but dont burn yourself out either! enjoy BLS time to just be an EMT and relax. although alot of services will push you to work harder etc and expect more of you since you're a medic studen (makes sense to me though)

in one of the major centers up here, the new hires spend a week or 2 as 3rd on car, just learning service-specific equipement (radios, gps, etc). then back to class. they do a total of 6 weeks training before going on a mentorship for another coupld months. they work as a normal 2 person car, but much more work and leadership by the senior member. this system seems to work very well

i got taught ISAL as "i suck at leads" just a nice n easy way to recall which leads refer to which part of the heart. the physiology and everything is all the same, and the specifics for whats affected when just falls into place when you can quickly and succinctly "see" which part is affected. but me personally, i love memory aids. i've found them to be very useful, especially in new territories of information....... eventually they get forgotten or discarded, but they certainly had a welcome place in my education. the patho and anatomy stay, and the memory aids become part of my ingrained routine.

hmmm, well my hubby did the "cut back n lighten up" method, and then used the patch....worked for him for about 8 yrs, but then i started smoking in the house again and that was that. he did that a second time, but was mad at the weight he gained and had a tonne of stress so he started up again. me, i had accupuncture done. i had cut back to 3 cigs a day, and just couldnt break the habit without becoming the most evilest she-monster on the planet. it only took me 1 round, a whopping 15 or 20 minutes. it lasted for a year n a half, until my stress level skyrocketed (long story, yadda yadda). i am still a far reduced smoker compared to pre-accupuncture. i was smoking about 10-15/day before i cut down to quit, and now smoke about 5-7/day (maybe up to 10 on a bad day, but its gotta be a real bad day). oh and drinking....i can go through a pack in an evening.....and feel like death ran me over the next day! nice thing though, i dont smoke when sick or hungover. good luck and stick with it. it takes alot of willpower, no matter the method used.

hmmm.... all depends on the type of injury. i am more likely to go all out though, just to be certain. however there are times when an isolated neck injury has occured, and i've just used a collar and KED. another time i encountered a pt that i really really wanted to fully immobilize on a spine board, but due to extreme pain he couldnt lay down. so we had to use the KED (with collar).....ended up he had something like 6 ribs in his back broken.

if there is concern about pressure sores etc, a bit of padding ( a blanket folded in half on the board is my fave ) is easy and quick. or maybe your service buys the boards with the pads built in etc. however, the real concern should be our strapping techiniques to ensure that immobilization is obtained. i love spider straps (hated them in school, but have learned to appreciate them as they have more contact points, even though they make take a little longer to place). i read an article in a JEMS magazine awhile back... alot of what we're taught is x on the chest, x on the hips, across the legs if needed. but that still allows for significant movement on the board. it was suggested that we x across the chest, another across the chest, same for hips, and 2 more across the legs. if we're going through the effort, and the pt is going through the discomfort, then shouldnt we try to immobilize as much as possible? responses??

oh there's tonnes to do!! if it suits your hours/shifts/etc. do systems stations. ie, respiratory gross anatomy and physiology quick overview of O2 delivery (including FI02) various conditions and their pre hospital treatments medications techniques for advanced skills circulatory gross anat/phys decide if you want to go on: ECGs (interpret and treat); CHF (suspect and treat); shock; MI (ECG interpret, suspect, treat); ACLS techiniques and drugs with chronotropic, inotropic, dromotropic effects etc. monitor familiarity and use (especially lesser used options) advanced techniques. and so on and so forth. (GI/GU, obstetrics, musc/skel, neuro, special needs, environment....) if that does not work, consider choosing single topic (ie. hip fractures, positioning, assessment, transport, pain releif, potential blood loss, complications - both short and long term) one day, i will teach! here's some nifty websites too: think i got most of them from here somewhere: ECG library: http://www.ecglibrary.com/ Heart sounds: http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/link.php?url...w.blaufuss.org/ tonnes of stuff: http://www.skillstat.com/learn.htm ECG interpret guide: http://www.anaesthetist.com/icu/organs/heart/ecg/Findex.htm also check out JEMS online website, they have tonnes of articles and info. good luck!!

what good is it to go looking if you dont know what the vehicle looks like? does the patient want to be found? thats justa ridiculous situation. yes, i have been dispatched to meet vehicles, but with the make, or at least general type, colout, route, and ensured 4 way flashers on. totally different situation. again, i repreat, get cops, sit and wait (or go back available, as per protocol)

wait for RC's to secure scene. so, whats the story??

we're issued regular ems pants. we get short sleeved button up shirts, navy blues, with our crests on the shoulder. i would take any dark colour over any light colour in this profession. a bit of blood etc, can be hidden (although still noticible) but on a light shirt it'll look like a freakin axe murder! lol. but thats just my opinion. i dont mind the short sleeves (we are issued long sleeve mock turtle necks for colder weather) as i'm pretty careful about bsi. i have seen some intersting variations in colours etc. i've seen tan and black jump suits and uniforms that were alright, but then they looked similar to some local mechanic uniforms lol!!

ditto edmonton. except smaller population, 2 trauma centers (one which includes the children's) only the 2 trauma centers have the emt/emt-p drop beds though, and only during peak hours. this is a brand new program, i hope it takes off. i dont end up in the city often, but when i do it would be nice to drop the pt that just needs his or foor checked on a bed, vs waiting 3+ hours for a bed.

i think its also important to note that we need to support each other. different calls will affect each of us in different ways. yes we need to be tough people in ems and ff...both emotionally and physically. but we all have our soft spots. you cant just turn up your nose and tell someone "wait until you....(insert worse situation here)" sometimes its better to just listen, offer your advice from experience. one day it may be you who needs the shoulder/time/etc. and THAT'S why we work in pairs!!!

very interesting technology...but lemme throw this out there::::: are we not moving to cardio-cerebral-resuscuitation? in that with increased compressions vs ventilations we have better circulatory response, and the action of compressing the chest does give some air movement in between the venitilations, which are now further apart. now, if we decrease the amount of free-flowing air into the chest with compressions, are we decreasing the chances of reoxygenating blood that is being circulated by our compressions? yes, we need better circulatory response, but at the same time we also need maintain ventilatory support.....any one wanna help me wrap my head around this?? please!?

hmmm interesting........ well, type ones really are easier to hose out when needed but type 3's are smoother, easier communication (very important on county roads etc). either way, if it's not a high top/van unit, i'm happy,

oh ya, i have a face shield on my key chain. but i would never carry O2. gloves, ya i suppose. bandaids, sure. abd pads etc, nope.

i carry a small first aid kit in my in case i need it on the road...not for responding to mvc's or anything like that.... just for me and my passengers etc. when i'm off shift, thats it. i'm off shift.

i disagree with discrimination. if a HCW has an infection, and takes reasonable precautions, they can work. i had a horrendous flu a few weeks ago, so i wore a mask on car for a tour as i didnt want to spread it. if a patient requires treatment, irregardless of blood borne illness, etc, i will treat to the best of my ability, utilizing reasonable precautions.

a priest and a rabbi are walking down the street when the see a little boy up ahead. the priest says to the rabbi "lets screw him" to which the rabbi replied "outta what?!"

hmmm, and most of our local ff only have first aid. a few have their emr, and even fewer their emt.

we have als and bls cars, and even emr cars on occasion. als cars usually medic and emt. all cars transport. als cars dispersed here n there through area, back up bls as needed, and also respond to their own areas.

well, up here we have what's the called the mental health act: if someone is a danger to themselves or others (eyewitness, notes, anything questionable) then ems has a right to transport against the patients will. or have them arrested by police and taken in that way. then there's all kinds of other laws in regards as to what the hospital does with them later, how long they can hold them, etc etc. i had an attempted suicide, 3 different stories, multiple variations of how many pills etc patient took, and with no way to verify we transported. doc released patient before my paperwork was done, trusted the patient (doc is patients fam doc as well, kinda handy in the rural setting). as for what could the VFD do, you have a woman, a&ox?, refusing transport etc. from the sounds of it they cant transport anyways, well, they did what they could: stayed and waited for transport car, incase anything happens. crappy situation, but i doubt they had the meds/tools to fully treat the patient anyways. hell, i've sat with patients that i wanted to start IV's, O2 etc on, but they were just competent enough to refuse me, so whatever. its their choice. question: why would VFD members restrain a suicidal patient just for vitals until transport truck arrives? better to be calm and patient (unless person is actively trying to hurt themselves or others of course!). and i dont think it is unfortuneate that the KS system in question here utilizes VFD etc. nice to have some educated hands on scene before the bus rolls up, even if its just a bit of O2 and calming people down. when its CPR and AED, it can make a huge difference. think about it.

we got to write our top 3 choices on a practicum selection sheet...didnt guarentee you got any one of the places you wrote down, but the majority of people got one of their three. i got all of my top 1's. it all comes down to where you are, and how your school does it. most places it's you go where you're told. a number of schools also have contracts with local hospitals and ems services

given the right training and yadda yadda, for sure! but, some situations i would still reach for the drug bag first. and if the accupressure doesnt work, then again i would reach for the drug bag.

i work rural and get sent to standby quite often. now, for the most part, there are places for us to sleep when sent on standby (although not always, but the units each have 2 places to sleep in the back, eh!!). our dispatchers try to move as few of us as possible, but at the same time they also need to ensure that the couties are covered. on the other hand, if we've been run off our feet, they will let us stay home for 8 hours, even if that means calling other crews for standby when we need sleep. its rare, but thankfully available.