DFIB

Good job compañera! Welcome to the really weird and rewarding realm of EMS.

I don't give a lot of +1 or -1 either. I don't give a post a +1 for content. Most of the posters here are pretty smart so writing things that are correct should be expected. Then again even a clock is right twice a day. I give points for post that are particularly courageous in an intellectual and emotional way. I give points when the poster makes a real effort even if they might be a little off. I take points when people are being pointlessly mean and the intention of their post is not constructive but clearly intended to cause harm.

Dude, It is great that you are starting work! Just relax and it will all come back to you. You are gonna do great!

Congratulations and welcome!

That is funny!

I possibly have a simplistic view of this situation. If your patients condition deteriorates in rout to her destination in a way that changes her priority, I take her back to the hospital. Second, If I am not sure about the significance of the S/S that I am observing I will contact online medical direction and receive orders as how to proceed. When I pick up the patient I would have made my own assessment and asked questions according to my findings. Is her hemiplegia old are recent? What was her chief complaint on admission? What labs/test did she have and what were the results? Armed with this information I will understand the S/S of a changing condition a lot better. Some hospitals will let you see their chart or records on a computer screen. The hospital should have a translator available to help complete the transfer of care. They may not like requesting one but this patient is fixing to be yours and you need to know the details. So instead of assuming that the ED were negligent in their assessment, diagnostic and treatment I would simply procure more information before I accept the patient. I also have to echo Dwayne about rural public transportation. It simply does not exists in many areas because most americans drive their own cars. This puts the "non driving' population at a huge disadvantage. Of course if they lived in a commune they would always have a ride and a friend to drive them.

The extent of my Portuguese is Roberto Carlos and his "Um Milhao de Amigos"

El unico portugues que conosco es el Sr. que vende pan en el centro.

My favorite is covering Lucha Libre!!!

Hmmmmm ... I can think of a few ... All kidding aside, What is your heart tongue?

Good points Toni! A couple of things occur to me that I would like to add. I actually drove to the clinical site a day in advance to make sure I knew where it was. I arrived half an hour early, announced my arrival and waited out of the way for an assignment. Give yourself time for traffic, a flat tire and any other possible delay. Treat your ride outs like you were applying for a job with the service. This helps me take every moment seriously and put forth my best effort at all times. Carry a notebook with tidbits of information that you might forget like vital signs for different ages and any other thing you have a hard time remembering. The notebook will also come in handy to write down cool and useful information the nurses of doctors may provide. The ED proctors are not EMTs or Medics but they see tons of EMTs come through their department and know what a squared away EMT looks like. They also know how a sloppy uncaring EMTs looks as well. Polish your boots, starch your shirt and pants, make sure your hair is clean and well groomed, clean and check your gear and have it handy. Smile, be a gentleman and party on! (Nurses go nuts over well mannered young men in uniform)

I would suggest you not discount your time in the ER as less useful or important than the FD. During clinicals at the ED you will see more patients in more detail while being proctored by a higher level provider. You can learn a lot more from the hospital staff than from medics in the field. Just be sure to participate as much as you can and ask lots of questions at the appropriate time.

In the USA I do not know if Red Cross covers EMS, I know they work blood drives and disasters. In Mexico most 911 (066) calls are covered by Mexican Red Cross as well as public events and disasters. We do not do blood drives or nursing homes etc...

Good job Ana. Strong work passing your written test. Do well on your practicals. Welcome to the city.

It is really cool the way the Red Cross operates in some countries like Mexico and Germany. In the USA I have only seen one red cross ambulance, ever.

It looks like a really cool event. There are a few questions I would try to answer before getting involved. Am I just going to be a guy that buys a ticket and brings my skills with me or am I going to offer my skills as an EMS provider? If I offer as a provider does the law require me to have medical direction? What level of trauma am I going to attend? If it is more than simple scrapes I think i would need the right gear?

Those other guys should stop by the City, we can give them pointers.

Thanks chbare, I do get off the reservation a little when attempting humor or messing with Dwayne. The need to be precise and accurate is understood and the reminder well taken. Although “blending in” or imitation of certain cultural behavior is indeed a self preservation technique I also think that it is a necessary exercise to properly understand and possibly study, either in a structured or informal study, the practices of a culture in the terms of their own culture. This in some measure might reduce the limitations placed on us by the morays of our own culture as well as keep us safer while living among a different culture group. Who knows, the next time we hear of Dwayne he might be wearing a loin cloth and advocating nose bones. EDITED; To insert second paragraph.

Cultural relativism. Just because some chicks could be the poster child for sasquatch magazine does not mean all chicks would consider this practice correct, and vice versa. Dwayne, you have experienced cultural relativism being an American and living in foreign lands. You do not try to make the natives act American, in fact you probably try to emulate their actions on occasion to blend in and show empathy. It does not change you because it is simply a situational adaptation process.

Another crippling factor is that because of the bureaucracy and difficulty in billing and getting paid by Medicaid fewer and fewer GPs will receive Medicaid for billing. The majority (I say majority from observation and not a statistical study) of Medicaid patients opt for Health Dept. clinics or clinics run by Practitioners and PAs. There is nothing wrong with these clinics but the idea that GPs are going to jump at the opportunity to boost their Medicaid clientele is flawed. Most businesses almost need an entire separate billing department just to track Medicaid refusals and resubmit for payment.

Welcome back!

It sounds like they want you guys to work longer for less. The logistics are going to be a nightmare.

I know that you are in tight spot but no situation is insurmountable. First I would check your background and make sure that the charge is on your record. You might have been considered a minor at the time. If it is on you record You might talk to legal counsel to find out if you can have the record expunged because of your age at the time of the offense. Here is a link where you can ask legal questions I have never used it you may get an idea of your options. I was tempted to ask them for you and play like I was really smart but I do not have all of the details. ;o http://www.justanswer.com/sip/law?r=ppc|ga|1|Rest+of+World|Law+%2D+USA+%2D+1&JPKW=laws&JPDC=C&JPST=www.ehow.com&JPAD=8890689483&JPMT=&JPNW=d&JPAF=txt&JPCD=20111123&JPRC=1&JPOP=Every9secHybridTrans&gclid=CLa1r42B0a0CFQ3DtgodYjetmQ I figgured you were a girl when you mentioned you magnificent GPA. I think you have options that may require some work on your behalf. Sounds like you are on a good path. On another subject. I think that EMT-B are skills that will serve you well even if you never work in EMS. Learning BLS is never a waste of time. Let us know how things turn out for you. Best wishes.

Both my children are perfectly bilingual. It has been a huge asset for my son in Texas EMS.

American