medicgirl05

I took A&P after my paramedic course and was so glad. It seemed to answer questions I had as well as questions I didn't know I had. Good luck to you!

I have a 30 minute transport time at a minimum. Staying on scene for me varies by patient presentation. If I HAVE to get a line and am concerned about getting one en route then I will stay on scene to do that. I generally get 12Ld en route. Patients woth low blood sugar generally get fixed before we even put them in the ambulance. I don't really have anything set in stone as to who I will load and go and who I will stay and play with. I guess it's more of a gut feeling, but it hasn't failed me yet so I'll stick with it.

My partner and I indulge in a Slush Monkey after a particularly stressful call or a long night. It's the same as an ICEE for those that don't know.

Where are you located? I don't think traffic violations will affect you gettting your license, but it will affect you being hired due to the insurance not wanting you on the policy. Usually being rear-ended isn't your fault so that shouldn't affect anything.

I can't believe that you would try to defend intentionally getting vomit on your partner by stating that protocols don't say not to. The protocols don't say not to strangle your patient with oxygen tubing, yet I have never done that either. Some of us are trying to make a good name for our profession and others are making us look like idiots in practice and on a public forum. I'm embarrassed for you.

I've never had poached eggs... I like fried egg sandwiches.

I agree that a female medic is beneficial but here that's not always a possibility. I would try to talk to her calmly. I'd give her some time to hopefully regroup. If she refused the ER I think I would put my head together with the treating physician and see what he thinks. I'm not sure she would really be helped in an ER setting anyway. She needs more long-term therapy than a chaotic ER setting where she knows nobody. If she is unable to communicate can you for sure determine her current mental status? I agree that she has probably had some kind of unpleasant sexual encounter and the idea of a pelvic probably caused her to relive that. Great topic!

Sleep??? What's that? I probably won't sleep until the semester is over.

Prayers for the family!

I have to say that there is not much else you can do. I would document the incident extensively. I don't like the idea of leaving the patient behind, but there isn't much else you can legally do. I had a similar incident with a patient in severe respiratory distress. He refused despite multiple attempts at transport. A few hours later his wife called back, he was in respiratory arrest when we got to him. He bought himself a tube with his initial refusal. I hated the feeling that I knew that was going to happen, yet nothing I could do could persuade the patient to be transported.

I have to wear a sweatshirt when it gets below 65. I don't know what I'd do if it actually was cold!

So do you know what the outcome was?

We currently don't have helmets, however we are looking at buying some because recently it was decided that to approach an aircraft to load a patient we need head protection. Currently we steal the helmets off the firefighters heads, I knew firefighters were good for something?! I kid. I actually like most....some... well maybe a few of our firemen.

Possibly the 10mg of Morphine is masking the severity of her pain? Or maybe she has peritonitis as a result of the rupture? I'm in over my head. Help!

Does she have a fever? After everything else that has been mentioned the only thing I can come up with is a possible perforation in the diaphragm. They are hard to diagnose on the initial work-up and cause a low BP after time along with the respiration issues. I'm not sure how the low urine output fits in though...

Welcome to the City! 1) The pay fluxuates as to where and who you work for. I am in Texas and work for a county based service and I make more money than most of my friends with college degrees. Plus most of the EMS schedules allow you to work a part time job when money is tight. I work part time for a private service but only work shifts when I feel the need. Usually before Christmas I pick up a few shifts and then again before vacation. 2.)It is hard to say what training will be best for you because I do not know about your area. 3.)Most of the time I love my job. There are days when it is hard and I question what I am doing, but then I have a little old lady who appreciates me and it all works out!

So I have done some research and have the support from my supervisor to pursue this program and try to present it to the higher-ups. I'm very excited!!! The first step is to determine which patients could have been treated at home without an ER visit, so I'm going through all the patient contacts from 2012 to determine which patients may benefit. I may have bitten off more than I can chew but I really think this could help our community in so many ways. We could keep our ambulances available for emergent cases, we could save money, plus we could help at the rural clinic when needed. MedStar of Texas has some great information online including the money they saved from the program. I spoke with the guy in charge of the program and he was super helpful and encouraging. He said I could come for 2 days and ride along with one of the Community Health Paramedics to get a better idea of what they do. Hopefully I can do that soon!

We don't have any lengthy wait times at any of our ER's. I guess we are lucky. @Mike-Why do you get a set of vitals at the ER and why are you waiting for a vital tree? I have never gotten a set of vitals in the ER for someone I'm bringing in...Just curious.

I am very curious about this idea. I have tried to find some information about it in Texas but there's not much available. I am waiting on an E-mail response from a service who has a Community Health Program in place. Any of you who do get more information please bring it back to the thread. Thanks!

Emergency Laughter is a pretty funny one. It was written by a member here and I think it is pretty cheap.

When doing my initial NREMT-P exam I failed my first attempt. It was the first time in my life that I failed a test. That is an experience I'd rather not relive!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have been at work for two days, with 18 hours remaining until I get out of here. I am ready to go home and get a full nights sleep in MY bed! Oh the insanity of EMS!

I bet the sheep have been missing Dwayne.

1. We were trying to put him in bed and he was a big man and in a single bed that was literally bolted to a wall so it couldn't be moved. 2. We transferred him from the wheelchair to the bed. 3. He had fallen and refused treatment and transport. His caregiver and family also refused treatment and transport, and despite calling my medical director and my supervisor was unable to take him to the ER at that time. (We did go back later and transport him) 4. My partner was on the other side of the bed as we tried to move him up in bed.

I'm not sure what you mean by out of service? And I didn't say we don't go to psych patients We don't do transfers. We are a rural service with a 30 minute transport time to any of 6 hospitals. I know the way things currently work are not quite right, but I'm not sure what we can do to change that. If I have a patient who has already harmed themselves I would not be comfortable bypassing a hospital that could treat the immediate life threat. I'm thankful for the input!