DwayneEMTP

Some people are crazy about their boots. I've never really been. You won't be doing 20k humps etc, just a bit of walking and stair climbing most times. My main requirement is zippers. I like to take them off when I can and the zippers allow me to do so without having to lace them up enroute during a call. Almost all services will want you to wear black, something that will take polish is good, though most won't care about that either, and all will likely require steel or composite toes. I LOVE the Converse boots. They weigh near nothing, are comfortable as slippers, have a composite toe that passes OSHA standards, have side zippers, and only cost about $80. I got turned onto them in Afg (civilian contract medic) and have worn them since. I get about two years out of a pair then the softer soles get worn down, and I buy a new pair. That works as there's really no break in period with them. Plus the soft soles aren't hard on people's floors and I believe them to be more stable in rocky, unstable areas. Good luck with your studies! As Kiwi said, it's worth your time to investigate going from basic to medic. Ignore the "zero to hero" bullshit as much of the intermediate information is redundant in medic class. It's a more difficult path, so if you're not a relatively strong student then the longer route might be better. Good luck Brother, and thanks for your service... Dwayne

When I've been around people that use the 'dropped anyone' line it seems that the patient response is usually more an obligatory laugh, not true 'at ease' laughter. Also, I just don't like the energy that comes from suggesting that dropping someone is a possibility, even in jest. Particularly if you dropping them hadn't occurred to them before that time. Riding on the cot is terrifying, at least to me when I've done it in training. I hate that I'm strapped to it an have no control over someone dropping me, or forgetting me, and would certainly have no faith in someone to care for me that didn't know that joking about that exact fear isn't the cure for it. I think that many medics believe that humor is good but are actually hiding behind it as it allows them to avoid the effort of finding something nurturing and meaningful to say. They're motivation comes not from good emotional patient care but from laziness. Every patient that you touch, every old woman, drug seeker, pretend suicide, drunk, can be improved with your words if your heart and medic spirit are engaged, I think that most often humor is a way to avoid making the effort to do so. Know what I mean? Of course I'm not saying that humor is never appropriate, but only that is should be a small screwdriver in your heavy equipment toolbox, yet for most medics that I've seen that use it it's an impact wrench, used too often, inappropriately, and to serve the medic instead of the patient. Not bagging on you Brother, just making the point in general terms using your posts as a catalyst... Dwayne

What a douche.... I'm guessing that the kind of mentality that translates into, "Who the hell do you think you are, cutting me off??" to the point of pulling people over with their emergency lights also lends itself to "Who the fuck do you think you are calling me at 0300???" and really poor patient care. I'm guessing that he's about to get a beating, and hopefully a wakeup call...

Completely wrong. You're supposed to be a selfless, loving practitioner of the healing arts.... But yeah man, I completely get it... :-)

Thanks Brother. All is well at our house. I'm not sure of the overall status of the fires, but near me they seem to be well contained now...

Thanks all...

Welcome to the City. Man, what a shitty story. I'm with Eydawn, it sounds like you need to speak to a professional about the issues that you're having, and sooner rather than later. Also, and I hate to add this to the mix, but perhaps sooner is also better than later... having a seizure may effect your ability to be an EMT and/or Paramedic for a while. We had a member here who was unable to get his cert back until he could prove 5 years seizure free after having a medication induced siezure. That was a Florida EMT, so it might be different where you are. I'm truly not trying to be a downer, but also don't want to take a chance on this sneaking up on you if it is an issue. Good on you for medic school! What do they believe caused the seizure?

As some of you know I live in Colorado Springs and it's kind of a mess right now. I called AMR, who has most of the ambulances in the Springs to let them know that I'm available should they need to hire medics to cover. They said that they had the staff for now, but were accepting names 'just in case.' Who else is there to call? Surely there is someone in command of such issues at a state level, or more in charge than AMR anyway, who would be hire such services on a temp contract? Not sure...but I thought that maybe you guys would have some ideas.. Thanks for your help. Dwayne

Welcome to the City man. You'll find many here that do, have done remote work.

Yeah, I don't think that I've ever seen true medic alert tags in anything but stainless. I'm sorry that being sick is messing with your swag, but truly, it does sound more like you're looking for a way to advertise your issues instead of a way to protect your life. If you really want something useful that you can count on someone seeing go with the stainless dog tags or bracelet and you'll be safe. Maybe write it all on a card and laminate it, or put an ICE in your cell phone and simply say, "Vital emergency information in wallet/phone".

I tend to not be a big fan of pithy entry lines. Like people saying, "Don't worry, we won't drop you. We only drop people on Wednesdays. Oh wait! Today is Wednesday! Hahahahaha." I usually just say something like, "Hi, I'm Dwayne. I'm a paramedic and..What's going on?" Followed by something like, "I've got ya. This is what seems to be happening. How about if we...take you to the hospital/have you stand up for a minute/get some vitals and see how they look...etc." Anything that makes them understand that I'm connected to them specifically and not just giving them some pat line that I give to everyone...

So you've succeeded once out of the last five. What percentage of your total intubations does five attempts represent? Out of the last five attempts you've been making some fundamental error, or like Island said, you've just been hosed by the EMS Gods. Why did you fail in your latest attempt? The other three? As I know that you've analyzed this to death...

Wendy, what is the difference between helping someone to die more quickly with compassionate care, as you mentioned with pain management, and helping them to die instantly with compassionate care? Isn't it only the time frame that's different? Why is one person qualified to choose to die in a more quickly, lingering and painfully, and in most cases humiliating fashion, but another person unqualified to choose to choose to skip those steps and choose quick, and likely more dignified death? Don't we, nearly every day in medicine, call people that choose ill health, pain, and humiliation mentally ill and hold them for treatment against their will? Why is this same person suddenly healthy if they are terminally ill? What if a person's pain isn't manageable?

This is really common, in fact I'd bet that we all had the same issue... I'm willing to bet that you're freezing up from overload. "What do the protocols say?" "What do I believe I should do?" "What does my preceptor think that I should do?" "What does Fire think that I should do?" "What do people think that I look like when I'm doing it?" "What if I'm wrong?" "What if I make a mistake?" "What will the ER doc think of my decisions?" Sorry Brother, but you have to say fuck all to all of the internal dialog. You're pushing to be a medic now, no longer a student. You're fear is very self indulgent and you've lost the right to such frivolity when you're faced with a patient. Only only line of thought above applies, can you guess which one? I had a hell of a time for a bit because I wanted the very best for every patient. I'd think, "Holy shit, they're bleeding and in terrible pain! You've done this before, you should take care of this patient, I'll get the next one until I get more comfortable..." There are no 'next ones' now Brother, every, single, one, is yours and you either step up and care for them or you don't. Those around you will keep you from running off into the ditch. Unless they step in, just do your thing. If they step in, learn from it and get better. But you MUST stop playing the "What if/what are they thinking" game. Accept that you are going to fail sometimes in front of all of those people. It's going to happen, I guarantee it, just as they've failed in front of others. But if you don't limit your line of thinking you're going to continue to fail every time instead of sometimes, right? You no longer have the right to play the, "I can't do it" game. You CAN do it. Now stop screwing around with all of the nonsense, focus on being A MEDIC, not a timid cog in the machine, and get amongst it my friend... It's not going to get easier and give you your opportunity to be a medic. Like me, like everyone else, you're going to have to choose to step up and take it. Until then everyone around you is going to see that you're trying to pretend to be a medic instead of choosing to be a medic. See? You've got it Brother....

What strikes me the most is that I keep waiting for erice2592 to say something like, "But will people hire me the same if I have online or brick and mortar education?" But instead he seems stuck on what will make him the best, most competent medic. That's just cool as hell...unusual, but really, really cool...

I was really blessed to go to a program that was largely taught, (pharm/cardiology, etc), by a retired 25yr ER doc. Truly one of the most amazing intelligent people that I've ever met. Cardiology sticks out in my mind as it was common that she would say, "That's a good question, and I promise that I'm going to address it, but I need you to trust me for a little bit when I tell you that that is a bad direction to take at this stage, ok?" And of course it was always ok and after quickly learning that she didn't mean, "I don't know so let's pretend we'll get to it later" but instead exactly what she said, it made my education so much more power and efficient, in my opinion. As Sys said, I'm not meaning to say not to do it, but I do believe that you'll see differences in yourself when compared to brick and mortar students in the future. But again as Sys said, if you're committed, some decent experience can eliminate most of that in pretty short order.