EMTCOWGIRL

This has become my favorite part of patient care. One of the first things to go when you become ill is often your dignity. You become very accustomed to foregoing your privacy and being treated like a number. So i am always careful to treat them with dignity and respect. Anytime I transport a patient to a VA Hospital I thank them for their service to our country and the sacrifice they made to do so. From the moment I introduce myself I call them by name and am careful to treat the patient not the illness. I agree that it is important to say goodbye to the patient in whatever manner is appropriate for their case. Making a difference in someone's life even if its only for a short time is very rewarding.

That would be great...I'd love to!

LOL! I know right? Thanks Systemet. I really didn't intend to start a mine is bigger than yours debate. I just want to perform well at my job. I love what I do. I love PT care and being on the front lines of health care and I will do whatever it takes to be able to continue. The reason I want to work for this company is because of their reputation. EMS is my passion, getting paid for it is just a bonus.

Thanks for the kudos. Unfortunately, women in EMS have a reputation for using FF and LE as an excuse not to pull their own weight. I fully believe that this lift test is so hard for exactly that reason. Many of us however would like to change that. Thanks for the advice AC....I will start with the leg press tomorrow. Appreciate the encouragement.

OK guys, let me clarify. The company I work for now required a 175 dead weight lift. They started it at 75 pounds and added weight in increments of 25. I passed that fine. I load 300 pound patients into the ambulance on a daily basis. All of us do, it's the age of the bariatric PT. I also have a problem with people who can't (or won't) lift their share of the weight. I workout regularly at an MMA gym doing kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to stay in shape. This company I failed the test with is putting a 210-220 pound dummy on a long backboard which everyone of us lifted fine. Then they are throwing two sandbags high up on the chest of the dummy that they claim are 25 pounds each. Because the bags are under the chin of the dummy...the weight is no longer evenly distributed. Its all at the head. And by the way, if you are lifting at the head end of a backboard, you are lifting 2/3 of the weight, not half. So that's about 150 plus their adding what I'm guessing is closer to 60-70 pounds with the sandbags. That's about 210 that your actually lifting. I was close but I didn't have enough strength in my legs to get to a standing position. So I need to build my leg and core muscle enough to lift the weight in 5 weeks without injuring myself in the process. That's the advice I need. I'm thinking dead lifts and squats but not sure what weight to start with and how quickly I can increase it without injuring muscle. At this point...with my alpha personality...I'm going to pass this test whether I decide to work there or not. I think it's so interesting how different EMS is from one place to another. It would be a miracle to get the attention of an ER doc long enough to give report where I live...lol

Help! I failed the agility test for an ambulance company I really want to work for. I did everything perfectly until they asked us to lift a 210 pound dummy with a 50 pound sandbag on his chest on a LBB. I could do it fine w/o the sandbag. With it I couldn't get it more than a foot off the ground. I have 5 weeks to retake it. Any suggestions on workouts/muscle groups to work on?

Houston is about 2 hrs from me....tell me about the heat....the a/c went out at the station yesterday and it was 90 degrees inside...ready for a break for sure, would love some rain. The good thing about being here tho is soon we will have 9 mos of great weather. I have question for y'all. Why are so many of these nurses so freaking rude. Sometimes you have to practically beg to get your paperwork signed....they have this ..." I'll get to you when I'm damn ready" thing going on...its ridiculous. Anyone else have this problem?

Y'all need to come to Austin for some cowboy culture. Rednecks really know how to have fun I'm tellin ya.

I agree...rig checks are essential...especially for me, not only because I'm new but because I am considered overstaff and will be working out of several different stations until I get an assignment. It's amazing how diverse these stations are, including their rigs. Everything from the complete cluster**** on the vambulance, to a fairly organized box truck, to the awesome 'sprinter' ambulance at my last station that had labels on every cabinet. I hope I work out of this last station a lot. Very organized and professional. Made all the difference.

Thanks everybody. I'm really glad I found the City. I have had a great couple of days since my bitchy preceptor. I've decided to let it roll off. I love this job and I've worked hard to get here. Not just studying and passing Nat. Reg. Acadian has one of the hardest PT tests in the field including a dead weight lift of 175 pounds. I have wanted this career for a long time and would have lifted the box truck if they'd have asked me to. It's amazing how one person can jack you up when you don't have confidence yet but I have fully recovered and look forward to learning more every day. I bagged my first stemi yesterday and we got him back. I don't need to tell you guys how awesome that felt. I'm passionate about this. Every time I get on the truck I can't believe this is really my job. Dwayne - I look forward to building a lot of friendships with fellow EMS and next time I visit my family I will definitely let your know. Texas isn't so bad...it's better than say, Siberia. I'm even starting to catch myself saying y'all already, lol.

Thanks guys! Am I an asshole? I won't deny I have the potential. =) But not at my job with a preceptor. I totally came in humble and ready to learn. This aint my first rodeo. I know when your the FNG you gotta do your time and give respect and that's what I did. Fortunately, the situation worked itself out. The next day I had a different preceptor and she asked me how things went the day before. When I hesitated she said she had a reason for asking and to be honest, so I was. Apparently they've had several complaints already. So she emailed corporate for me to disregard the review. I realized after working with this new preceptor that I was flustered because that previous preceptor was. This time I got to work with a total professional who stayed calm and explained things to me. It was awesome and it boosted my confidence....I really needed that. Thanks for your advice...I know now that I will inventory the bags and trucks when I start...slow down and have fun. By the way Ninja...My family lives in Colorado Springs...thats where I'm from....small world.

Yesterday was my second ride out on the job...was really nervous but trying to control it. I was riding with a paramedic and an EMT. The EMT was really cool, the paramedic less so. We got a PT who had overdosed on Benedryl. When we got her in the vambulance we were driving (their box was being repaired) she started asking me for things out of the ALS bag. She spoke softly and I had to keep asking her to repeat herself and I could tell it was irritating her. I didn't know half of the things she wanted and then she asked me to spike the IV bag and flush the IV. Her EMT has been doing this for 12 years and this was my SECOND day. By that time I was just flustered cuz I couldn't do anything she asked. Then the lady said she had to vomit and I tried to find the emesis bag in time in the cramped space on a rough bouncy road but didn't get it to her before she threw up all over the paramedic. From that moment she was just pissed. For the rest of the night I couldn't seem to do anything right. She gave me a lousy review and insisted on faxing it to corporate herself. I don't feel like a got a fair shake but dont want to make waves with the people I will be working with. The EMT tried to make me feel better, told me not to get discouraged. Should I say something to corporate or keep my mouth shut? Also, any advice on staying calm so you can think straight on stressful calls would be much appreciated.