EMS49393

To me, it doesn't matter what race they are or where they live. However, let me set your mind at ease... It was an established, largely older people, mostly Caucasian area of the city. The patient was herself an elderly Caucasian woman. I guess by delaying care to her they were "putting the old white woman down." Should this have happened in a largely poor, largely black community, I would have the same gripes. Like wise if it happened where the trailer park that houses the Mexican population lives, or the trailer park that houses the poor white people. The bottom line is that they delayed timely care because they are selfish. It's a PUM, I'm disposable, and the relationship with the fire department is not. There is no corporate compliance to complain to, but thanks for the thought. These folks rely on us, and their actions were simply inexcusable. There is no perfect job, no perfect community, no perfect relationships. I just needed to blow off some steam and I figured this is a healthier avenue than starting a crack habit. Thanks everyone for listening and responding.

That was unnecessary and unwarranted. I don't particularly care about attacks on other threads, but since I started this one, I'd prefer the personal attacks be left elsewhere. Thank you.

The captain was a part of the engine crew that was in the regular response. I do not plan on making any reports or complaints, as it is worthless to do so in this area. Even with my company, the employees are wrong and the fire department is correct. It's just the way it is. They have a relationship to continue with the fire department, and if that means losing a paramedic or two to maintain that relationship, it is worth the sacrifice. This was just a rant, nothing more. I didn't get my BP in a huff. I know there is nothing I can do to change it. It's the south, it's a backwards good old boy system, and I understand that. This job for me is the equivalent to a kid working at McDonald's to pay for college. I'm only doing it to pay for another degree. I don't really like it, and I'm just biding my time. Every once in a while I get super pissed off, and just want to blow off some steam.

I work for a for a public utility model and as such, we are separate from the fire department. I ran a call the other day that angered me so much I was ready to walk off my job, so here is what happened. I was dispatched to a medical alarm for an 85 year old lady that had fallen. It was out of my district, so we had a longer response time by about 4-5 minutes. When we were approaching the corner of the street I saw the engine company sitting there, waiting for us. When they saw us, they started their truck up and went down the street ahead of us, arriving at the same time we did. On arrival we see this elderly lady standing at the door. She states she was moving and fell and that she is fine now. The fire department enters the home with me (I have no idea why) and start to interview the lady without giving me a chance to even talk to her. Clearly they were not needed and since they projected no interest in running the call by delaying their response for us, they should have left. I looked at them and told them that they could go. The one guy says they would leave but they had to get the patients name first. They have to justify their value by getting some patient information, even though they didn't want to be there and did NOTHING for the patient. By the way, she was fine. Here's what pisses me off. There is no one I can complain to within my company. They have suspended medics over issues they've had with the fire department when clearly the fire department was wrong. And, yes, I was a victim of a suspension because I tore into in with a fire captain when he refused to relinquish medical command to me on a call. I was told that in theory medical calls are my responsibility however the fire department has ultimate command of any calls. Here is the second part that pisses me off. They are funded by tax-payer money, yet they pull this crap. That woman pays their salary and she could have been seriously injured, bleeding, or dying. There are many more of them then there are of us, but if they're not first responding, what purpose do they serve? We are not funded by tax-payers in that area, yet we are held to response times, and would never dream of pulling a stunt like that. I realize this fire department thing is a racket. There are too many fire stations and fire fighters and not nearly enough ambulances and medics. They are just not needed as much as they were 25 or 50 years ago before improved building codes, sprinkler systems, etc. I understand they don't want to lose their jobs and will try to do what little they can to prove they are still needed in great numbers within the community. Bottom line, there wasn't anyone I could turn to. Over the past year I've come to realize that I don't hate being a paramedic, as I once thought I did. I hate being a paramedic where I work. I hope that I love this job like I used to once I move next month. I don't know if I ever will. EMS seems like such a loss cause to me anymore. Thanks for reading my rant.

There is an associates degree for respiratory therapy? Forgive my ignorance, but I just assumed that it required at least a 4 year degree. Every one I know in that profession has at least a bachelors. The community college I went to here in Little Rock cost me $77 a credit hours plus fees. I averaged around 1200/semester plus books for full time. I'm a history major and was only taking classes I didn't have when I focused on my paramedic crap, i.e. some fun humanities and a couple additional history classes. The tuition in-state in Maryland for the college I'm applying to next semester is $8000 a year full-time. It's going to cost me 14K because I won't be a state resident. I'm looking at around 30k to finish a Bachelors in History/secondary education. You do the math. My opinion, since you're asking for opinions, is that school is WAY over-priced. Do they guarantee you a great job with great pay and benefits that you'll love until you retire? For that price, they certainly should. I'd keep looking. It's unwise to jump into something that expensive, especially if you have strange feelings towards the situation. Honestly, I wish that little cheap community college offered a four year degree. The teachers were amazing and the school was easy to get around in, with great class sizes. It is the absolute ONLY thing I'll miss about Arkansas.

1787, my bad, I wrote it in haste before dinner this evening. Regardless, it wasn't 1776, that was the Second Continental Congress, the inception of the Continental Army, and the instillation of George Washington as commander of said army. A lot happened in 1776, but the Constitution did not.

The Declaration of Independence was 1776. The Constitution of the United States of America was 1786.

I've been in EMS for 18 years, with a good amount of my time in busy urban areas. I'm burnt out. Today I figured out why I'm burnt out, and it has nothing to do with patients or call volume. I'm so tired of quantity over quality providers, the lack of education, and being told I'm arrogant because of my views on education. Despite my recent enlightenment, I'm still leaving EMS for a field that requires the same education across the board. You can only beat your head against the wall for so long before you get a raging headache. I elected to pursue the study of history, and with any luck, I'll be teaching within the next two years. You HAVE to have a B. A. in history with a secondary education elective to teach middle and high school level history, period. There is no quick two week class, and minimal fluctuation in the required classes depending on the university you attend. When I complete my masters, I'll be eligible to teach at a college level, but not before. Advanced education, what a concept. It will sure be nice to go to work and know there will be at least one person there that I'll be able to engage in intelligent conversation. If I ever won the lottery, I'd change my occupation to professional student. You can NEVER learn too much, I just wish everyone realized that fact. Good luck in finding what makes you happy.

The Johnstown Flood was a fantastic read. I read it in one afternoon. Have you read 1776? It's another McCollough book worthy of discussion.

There was also a PBS show done in 1974 called The Adams Chronicles. It's still available on DVD and it's also fantastic. It's also somewhere around 10 hours long, but being such a fan of John Adams, it didn't feel like 10 hours. In fact, I prefer it to the HBO series, however David McCollough's book John Adams is truly a phenomenal read. The did die on the same day, July 4, 1826. Jefferson died just hours before Adams, however it was Adams that stated "Jefferson lives" not knowing that he had died just before him. John Adams lived to be 90 years old and was the last of the founding fathers to pass away.

Thomas Jefferson was fabulous, and I by no means wish to steal any of his thunder, but he wasn't as eloquent with words as people think. A big example would be the Declaration of Independence. That little gem is said to be penned by Jefferson, and is in fact, by most historical accounts his document. What a lot of history leaves out is how much help he had from John Adams in repairing the document. Jefferson's draft was grossly flawed both in his use of vocabulary and in his descriptions. Adams came in behind him, fixed the document, and Jefferson attached his name to it for the eternity of history. But, why? For one, John Adams had a volatile personality. People didn't like him. He was direct and to the point with very little finesse. He was known to jump on tables and throw chairs. Adams was lucky though, he knew how badly people received him, and because of that he was able to request help from people that were much more liked. Adams got a lot of his agenda accomplished under the appearance of Jefferson, Washington, and Franklin. Secondly, Thomas Jefferson was southern. The south had no desire to get involved in the revolution. They were agrarian based, not import based, and therefore didn't have the taxation problems the north faced. They also fancied themselves the new English Gentry, and did not want to spar with England. They often sent their children to England for their education, and would visit the country to "show off" so to speak. If the cause enlisted the service of southern men, they had a better chance of bringing in the southern support during the Revolution. George Washington was also southern. He was a smart, imposing man, standing roughly 6'4". He showed up to the Second Continental Congress in full military dress uniform, and stood silent throughout the proceedings. When he was elected to be Commander of the Continental Army, he left immediately to begin his assignment. He won that assignment on the above alone, because he had never actually won any battles before his appointment. I used to love being a paramedic, but I really can't wait to finish my degree and start teaching history. I love it when people talk about history. Thanks, Lone!

I got the USA Today this morning in my hotel room. There is a HUGE front page article on Jackson, the SELF-PROCLAIMED king of pop. Never liked him, never will, could care less. A tiny right side top corner states there is an article on Farah Fawcett and her last days located within the paper as well... on 10D! He has stolen Farah's light on her tragic day. In my opinion, Farah deserves much more credit than that Jackson character. I didn't go to school with any boy that didn't have a poster of Farah in his room somewhere (unless they turned out to be gay later on in life). Her legacy is enduring. May she rest in peace.

Most of the dead people I run die with their eyes open. It's rare I find them with their eyes closed, and that's usually when they die in their sleep.

Google is your friend... http://www.thebravest.com/merch/books/thetwelfthhour.htm http://www.dmcfirebooks.com/theusual.html I'll bet the other book you wanted was actually called Bringing Everybody Home... http://www.dmcfirebooks.com/bringingeverybodyhome.html http://www.dmcfirebooks.com/lightssirens.html It took me less than five minutes to google and find these books. A little initiative. You're welcome.

Your patients are only looking for Tylenol? My patients demand Dilaudid.

That little youtube clip looked so bad I nearly barfed up my dinner. That show will be retarded, and there isn't a snowball's chance in hell I'll be watching it. Besides, I get enough bullsh*t drama at work. I prefer to watch some good old fashion History channel when I'm not being forced to work.

I think NR is a scam and sucks for a completely different reason than those stated by the folks here that either can't pass it or have never had to take it. I think it's too easy. The practicals are handed to you on a nice paper printout platter. NR gives away the practical portion of the exam with their study sheets. If you don't go to their website, print them off, hand them to a friend, and run through your stations for practice, you are a twit and probably deserve your epic fail. The written exam was even easier. As I've said before, I've had middle school math tests that were more challenging. The re-certification requirements are also incredibly easy to obtain, in fact, they don't require near enough hours. Forty-eight hours of refresher, and 24 hours in everything else for a two year period. Hell, nearly everyone requires ACLS and PALS, giving a person 16 of the required 24 additional. If your employer holds competency classes at least on a quarterly basis (which they should, or they suck), you'll have enough hours to re-up yourself and twelve of your closest friends. It's actually kind of pathetic how few hours are required to maintain our certifications and licenses, especially compared to other health care providers. Then again, what can a person expect when there are so many 6 month medic mills out there. The last few times I've re-upped, I've had well over 120 hours, and those were just the hours I could find the certificates of attendance to. Whine, whine, whine, what a whiny freaking profession. No wonder we remain the red-headed step children of public service, health care, department of waste removal, or whatever your company falls under. Once upon a time this was going to be my forever career, but whiny people complaining about education requirements have made it nearly impossible for me to even stand to be a paramedic anymore. I've heard enough pathetic dribble about pay, respect, and education. This is the crap that makes me equate my job with one at McDonalds, except I'm not loving it, and thanks to "easy way out" punks, I'll never make as much as they do. I'm back in college working on a masters in a completely unrelated field. You know who is b**ching about the education required for the degree? NO ONE. Shocking.

Required in Arkansas for both. Required in Maryland for paramedic level only, not for basic or (ack) intermediate. Required in Kentucky for both. Required in Missouri for both. Required in Alabama for both. Knocked five states out of contention for you. For your information, NR might be a bit pricey, considering it has no real value, but it's certain not hard or time consuming. It's an easy exam, and if you were educated outside of the U. S. you're probably over-qualified for it anyway. Should you have to sit for it, you might want to take it drunk or high. The least amount of brain cells you use the better your chances for passing.

I know a man that demanded his wife (who felt bound by religion and upbringing to obey her husband) use prayer and natural remedies for her breast cancer. He scared her out of chemo and radiation following her mastectomy. He was a preacher and really had her convinced that prayer would cure her. She died. He married his mistress three months later. I still miss my Aunt. He's still a bastard. I have little tolerance for religious zealots. The kid deserves a chance. For once in my life, "way to go government for stepping in."

In the name of science...

For cripe's sake, it's such an easy test. I had tests in middle school that were more difficult.

Fire him. Don't hide behind the economy crapola. If he were concerned about his economy, he would have worked harder to do the right thing at his job. He should have been able to diffuse the situation. If it were any one of us... I bet we'd be looking for alternative employment. It's their emergency, it's our JOB.

I'll give you two, one were I treat and transport, and one where I tell medical control I need pain medication. I'll listen to the radio this week and get you some nice jumbled reports for your students to decipher. One.. This is 511, Karen and Tim inbound to you with a 65 year old female complaining of acute onset dizziness and nausea without vomiting. Patient is pale and diaphoretic. 12-lead shows an inferior MI, obvious ST elevation in 2, 3, and F without reciprocal changes. Current vital signs, BP 106/60, HR 54 sinus bradycardia, RR 18, SPO2 of 100% on high-flow oxygen. We do have an IV established, normal saline at a slightly faster than KVO rate and well as a second saline lock. Administered aspirin 324 mg, PO, chewed, and Zofran 4 mg IVP. No NTG administered secondary to MI location. If you have no further questions or orders, we’ll see you in 5-8 minutes. Two... This is 511, Karen and Tim inbound to you with a 22 year old female complaining of severe left lower quadrant pain and vomiting. Patient states she believes she is 4 weeks pregnant. Patient presents diaphoretic and in obvious distress. Current vital signs, BP 88/40, HR 126 sinus tach on the monitor, RR 22, SPO2 100% on high-flow oxygen. I have two IV’s established, one saline lock, one on blood tubing and am currently administering a 250 ml bolus. I have administered Zofran 4 mg IVP. I’d like to administer fentanyl 50 to 250 mcg titrated to effect for pain control with your order. We have an ETA of approximately 20 minutes and will re-consult pending any changes or when closer in. Hope this helps, K.

I'm not trying to jack your thread, but did your monitors get recalled? All 15 of our brand new MRx monitors were recalled about a month ago for issues with the batteries. I was wondering if anyone else had problems with them or had heard of a recall. As for the bluetooth technology, ours came capable, but without the new ePCR system we are getting, we haven't been able to use it yet. I'm on a city shift Friday, I'll see if I can get a hold of one of the manuals and monitors to see how the sync system works. I'm over curious about it as they said it will drastically cut down on duplicate documentation. I'm pro less paper trails.

Hey crotch, whilst I understand you are terribly busy making excuses for yourself and every other lazy person out there, I would still encourage you to make an effort to obtain a copy of Gifted Hands by Dr. Ben Carson. If you can't read it because the white folk have kept you from proper schoolin', no worries, it became a made for TV movie last winter. Dr. Ben Carson is the head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. If he had made excuses about the white man, the ghetto, having a single mother and a smaller brother to take care of, several children would not be alive. He stepped up the plate, manned up and fought though ever obstacle he came up against. He took responsibility for himself and his actions. I'm white. Hell, I'm so white I glow in the dark. I don't tan or burn, I stay a pleasant shade of alabaster all year. Dr. Carson is my hero, and has been since I was a little child. I would give up my ability to walk to be the type of person he is, and I'd switch places with him in a heartbeat. Incidentally, he is BLACK. You may think about getting some new tennis balls for your racism crutches, they're a bit worn out. You are correct about one thing, I'd never switch places with someone like Chris Rock. I find him to be vulgar and tasteless. That's not the type of person I want to be.