Just Plain Ruff

hmmmmmmm you could have gotten a lot of good ideas if people would have participated in the most recent EMT City contests I tried to host but no one entered and it must have been "too much like work". sorry bout that.

So inapprpriate, wrong and politically incorrect on sooooooooooo many levels. But if only we could get a holiday like that. I'd prefer to be allowed to sleep until noon, then go get/or cook a big Porterhouse, large baked potatoe and a Beer. Then let me sit down in my easy chair and top off my beer when I need it and let me watch Futurama for the rest of the night.

I was in colorado springs about 2 years ago and we were doing the unveiling of a computer project and I was listening to a radio report re: a mva patient. The report was 12 minutes long. that was just the medic's report. granted the patient sounded like they were fubared but 12 minutes long. The doctor walked away from the radio after he heard enough in 1 minute to call a trauma alert. The medic got silence when he was done.

My friend, you need some help. Not saying that in a bad way but you really do. After 3 years and you are still dreaming about it 3 times a month. Your dh bless his heart has done all he can and now it's time to bite the bullet and get some professional help. This will never go away but this is beyond the scope of both this forum and your husband. There is nothing wrong with seeking professional help. I've been there, I've been in counselling. It works. This brings me to another point, this is a reason why I advocate that someone 16 years old or so should not be doing this job. This is a prime example of what we see on a regular basis and should we be letting kids see this kind of stuff? I don't think we should. But that's for another topic. Go to a trusted physician and ask who they recommend for this. Once you get the help you will get back on track and the memories will be just that memories and not nightmares 3 times a month or more.

You know, a fine doctor friend of mine told me once "Michael, Marriage is a fine institution, depending on what type of institution you want to live in"

WRONG -- Theres nothing to consider ---- If you work for a service that will fire you for refusing a call when even the troopers are not out in the weather then you work for a service that really really sucks. You would have in my opinion grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit. Any service that would force you out in a blizzard like that is a service that you shouldn't work for. That is plain dangerous. How are you going to explain to the family of the patient if something were to happen and you disregarded every warning that was out there. YOu seriously don't work for a fly by nighter like that do you?

I think a important piece of the information has been glossed over. Helicopter 50 minutes out 75 minutes to darkness Helicopter cannot fly at night. What are we supposed to do, keep him under the load until first light? We now have als there after 50 minutes but what are we gonna do with him from nightfall to daybreak?

neuro check and circulation check in area distal and proximal to the elbow. What color is the hand? Any history of a fall prior to going to sleep? I'm gonna suspect nerve involvment or a injury to the elbow causing impingement to the nerve bundle in the elbow. Is the elbow swollen?

my post must not have made it earlier There is no way that anyone should be subjected to beratement or a nasty attitude unless they deserved it. posted earlier, go to the charge nurse and discuss it with them. If needed you should file a formal complaint. Get co-workers as witnesses and corroborating evidence and go forward with it.

in one word --- NO

Taking this from a previous topic. You lift off the weight that has crushed the Oil workers legs - What do you want to do now. You can either be ALS or BLS - preferrably ALS care What are you gonna do. Be specific

Monthly education topic. Do a drug card on this medication

Ignorant is to be not knowing of something Stupid is to be not knowing of something because you choose not to know it. I thought that muslim women were not allowed to be doctors or anything that is traditionally a man's domain. So being the fact that they are going against this major tenet of islamic faith doesn't that negate the religious connotation? I'm reading this book called the "Politically incorrect guide to islam" and it's pretty interesting. Unfortunately there is not a rebuttal book other than the Koran out there. I like to get both sides of the issues or topic. Anyone have any suggestions for a rebuttal book other than the koran?

ok I've stayed out of this but I'm in it now. How long can someone survive in -35 degree weather with a traumatic injury? Couple this with the fact that the ground is at least as cold as the weather. So how long will it take for this guy to freeze to death? I think less than 50 minutes. Why in the world are we waiting for ALS? Would this guy be better served and treated if you remove the item, assess the lower extrems and transport. You do have vans and suv's on site don't you? Clear off a place in the suv or van and get your butt in gear. The helicopter has a 50 minute eta to you. It is75 minutes till nightfall and the helicopter cannot fly in the dark so there is no way that this is going to benefit the patient. Just lift the freakin load off him, put him on a backboard, take some Oxygen tanks with you and get your butts to the small hospital. At least they will have a 50 minute or so head start to call in a surgeon or doctor who can hopefully do this guy some good. You have nothing, they have more than you. I think we know what wins in this situation - the local hospital wins hands down over you with oxygen and not much more. You were dealt a crappy hand and you have to use it to your advantage and deal with the situation. The obvious choices are 1. dead from hypothermia 2. Dead from compartment syndrome and hypothermia 3. dead either way 4. some possiblity that he survives if you transport to at least some sort of definitive care. the least you can offer this guy is a chance of survival by getting him to the closest facility and let them work on him. If you do less then you have done him no good.

very well said cap.

ok put yourselves in this guys shoes. We don't have the whole story but if the guy was alert enough to refuse a rectal exam why did they need to do the following 1. give him an injection (I'd assume that was for the RSI) 2. Then tube him 3 and then rectal exam him? If the rectal exam is supposed to check for spinal cord injury wouldn't the results be skewed by the fact that he is paralyzed? If you said no rectal exam and they did one anyway what would your thoughts or responses be? Plus why did he spend 3 days in a detention center? Sounds like overkill on the part of the hospital to me. This seems like a valid case if you ask me.

ok, well if those two might be here then let's have them be heard. Speak up and post a pic to prove it. I still think it might be false advertising. But who knows.

Now doesn't that constitute false advertising????

fire, more than likely the other department heads got their heads together and said they didn't want an interloper doing what they do. What I mean is that those department heads felt threatened that if you could come and do the job of their techs and do it for less money then the hospital would logically consider hiring people like you to replace the high cost of those staff members. More than likely you were paid far less than a lab tech or a resp therapist and the department heads were threatened. No doubt you did a fine job but I would bet that is how it played out.

wenkebach or wolfparkinsonwhite forums

You misread my intention(not hard to do) but if you read it again I said that the RN would not appreciate being called an LPN but they are both considered Nurses. I never said that the rn would be upset about being called a Nurse. I specifically said a RN would dislike being called a LPN or compared to an LPN.

Boy have I been negative tonight. I'm sorry. If you can donate then by all means donate - the site will be better off for it. If you can pass out flyers and promote the site in other ways, then by all means, do it. But if you cannot do the above, please don't feel pressured to do so.

Wait a second, some members on your squad can't even turn on a oxygen tank correctly. Your service has more problems then just not having a skills test. It has some underlying problems that is gonna end up killing someone. I urge you to try to start making changes, of course thru the proper channels as soon as you can. Are you sure you want to be associated with a service who has some members unable to even do a simple oxygen bottle set up right?

honestly this doesn't sound like something that needs any type of expose put on television. Nor do I think it deserves a wrongful firing lawsuit. You have learned a valuable lesson in your time as an EMT and this can be taken in two directions. 1. use it as the learning experience that it is and make your life better. You know what kind of people you want to work for and those who you don't. 2. Take it down the road of lawsuit and depending on the size of the area that you work in, if there is a small amount of EMS agencies in your area do you really want to be known as the one who will sue a company because they get fired? Look at it from a future employer's thought process. They might think that this person (you) will sue them for firing you or that you will be a difficult employee. Not that you will be but to sue a company over firing you for this would be the wrond decision. Your employer might have a strong case for the competition claim if they can prove that it's truly competition. If you take them to court you have to be ready for some significant backlash. Now if you are able to move to other areas then this point is moot. You can move away after your medic schooling and get a job 100 or 500 miles away. Whatever you do I wish you luck but be careful.

I have marketed this website via word of mouth. I have also paid to be a city sponsor. But that's as far as I want to go I belong to christian websites and forums, EMS websites and forums, WOW forums, and run a forum of my own. If I were to take the suggestion of donating 50 to this site then with my activity on the other forums I would feel obligated to pay or donate to the other sites. I do enough for this website, I'm a chat room moderator, I've donated and I tell every emt/medic that I know about this site. I love this site and I'm very active on it. If you feel led to donate or put up posters at your work site then Go for it. But to put a guilt trip on everyone here (which is what it sounds like you are doing, that may just be my take on your post) to get them to donate or to promote the site is to me, sort of a slap in the face to all of us here. I'm not trying to provoke or make you mad Capt with what I say but let me ask you this. Are you planning on donating to the site? Are you planning on taking that flyer and putting it up at your workplace? What other things are you planning on doing to promote this site? I've done both in the past 3 1/2 years that I've been here.