Roostmonkey

Capman... here's the world's smallest violin playing just for you... I'm not bitching about it, as I clearly stated; I'm just wondering about how significant others deal with our schedules, not asking for attitude.

Thanks for the positive input

New medic here, 3 months or so on my own at this point. I'm working a full-time nightshift position right now (three 12's and one 4 hr, 3 off) and absolutely loving it. I love that I don't have to deal with supervisors, fire-whackers, and the general public. I have a great partner, and I really just enjoy working so much that it doesn't even feel like work most of the time. How do your significant others adjust to your schedules? I feel like I'm never around for my girlfriend aside from a few days, and it just kills me. She knew what my schedule was like getting into this (the relationship) , but I know it has to be difficult. I know it would probably be awhile until I could secure a day-shift position, but I'm not entirely sure I would want to. Input?

I'm sure that all you guys do a SIVP of amio on a pulsed V-tach...

I've never had to actually hit a pt., but if I believed that a pt. was going to physically harm myself or my partner, and immediate physical intervention was needed to prevent that harm... I would not have any qualms about it. I'd rather have my partner and I walk away to fight another day. As far as being in the back of the ambo with a pt. who was getting violent... if he/she knocks you on to the floor, there is NO room to fight back up to your feet. You don't let yourself get there. Flee, use force, whatever you have to do. You don't want to be on the floor. PD rides with me when I have ANY question about the former two situations. That's what they're there for.

I'm really not trying to gloat here. I just wanted to share the excitement of being a recent graduate and new full-time medic with you guys. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it feels great to be in charge and feeling confident in your assessments and skills. Keep slugging along, and don't ever abandon your love of learning and what you do!

We don't administer Amioderone as a drip here (yet), but I would have done the same thing if I saw that strip.

EZ-IO is on two of the trucks in my service. I recieved training on their use and had the chance to sink one in the cadaver lab. They are extremely fast and easy to use.

As Dust said, more than likely it's not a equipment problem, but operator error.

Sort of off topic, but I thought it was interesting... Take your pressure sensitve Littmann and put it in the hard drive portion of your laptop and feel how much pressure it takes to hear low vs. high pitched sounds, it's not much. I was pretty amazed. Perhaps I'm bored after shift and having trouble sleeping? I've gotten to use my C3 on two shifts now, and the difference is really amazing compared to me clinical lite. Breath sounds are louder but also offer better tones, heart tones are amazingly improved, and BP's are much easier, especially in the back of the rig. It's not cheap, and I certainly don't have a lot of money to throw around, but it really was worth every penny. http://www.allheart.com

One of the BLS rigs around here has one. What an awesome tool. There is a manual release for the legs, so you don't have to sit there all day and waste battery life. Everyone that has used the unit has been impressed. Battery life is quite good as well. I can't really fault the thing. If it saves just ONE back injury from occuring... it was worth every single penny... and you know our patient's aren't getting any lighter.

Our closest burn center needs a 7.0 for a bronchioscopy. I've never had to ETI a burn pt., but you can be damn sure they are getting the biggest tube that will fit as fast as is humanly possible.

When I started EMT school I purchased a Puretone Clinical Lite. It's light as all hell (4oz) and is terrific in the hospital. I never miss a single BP. Working in the field is a whole other story. The ear pieces don't have enough pressure in them, causing the left earpiece to not seal when taking a BP from the CPR seat. The tubing conducts so much noise that I can't auscultate a BP while the truck is running. Since I started paramedic school I purchased a Littmann Cardiology III. Haven't gotten to use it in the field yet, but I'm hoping for good results. There isn't a single medic on any of the four platoons here that uses anything but a Littmann. We have some terrific medics here, and they all use either a Classic II, Master Classic, Cardiology III, or Master Cardiology. I chose the C3 because frankly, peds patients scare the crap out of me already, the ears in our peds bags cost about $10, and I like having the dedicated peds head. Also, I'm not the type of person that looses things. I've had the same pair of Oakley sunglasses for ten years. If I was forgetful, I'd tend to go with a Classic II.

I'm just a basic in medic school, but I check EVERY DAMN THING IN EVERY DAMN BAG, including drugs that I'm not even allowed to give. I know the medic has already done it, but it gets me prepared for the duty ahead.

I'm a paramedic student, so no uniform allowances. Hell, we even WORK for free