Eydawn

Sounds like a camp staff night off, to be honest. I think there were only 2 or 3 on that entire list that I didn't A: witness B: participate in C: stand lookout for D: talk to management about profusely apologizing for our "immature younger staff members". You forgot to add the pillowfights in the light bulb aisle, the grabbing of foam swim noodles to utilize as alien antennae or swords of wrath, dropping an airsoft BB jug only to watch the fluorescent plastic orange balls go rolling everywhere and anywhere, losing the CIT to the aforementioned circular clothes rack trick, staff eyeing the eggs with devious looks of glee, female and male staff members alike grabbing mini watermelons, grapefruit, pummelo, etc to try to achieve the "superbimbo" look, everyone trying on the rollerblades and racing down the aisles, and so on and so forth.... oh not to mention the bouncy balls and anything that makes sound being grabbed eagerly only to be abandoned in the snack food aisle... Gosh, I can't wait for summer again lol! Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Couple of questions about the setup there. Are there going to be track medics? What kind of facility is this place? Are you going to have a base of some sort (eg a first aid tent) or will you just be roaming? Having worked a few times out at Bandimere Speedway (1st aid at the 4th of July Family Fun weekend; water station flunky at Grand Nationals) I know what it's like to face a rather large crowd with minimal supplies. Now, a few pointers.... If a car goes into the crowd it should be the jurisdiction of A: the track medic team B: Local EMS C: DEFINITELY NOT YOU. You're not prepared to do more than help direct traffic away from the incident if this happens, and maybe assist under the *direction* of whoever is in charge in doing other things. If you're there as a "favor" to this individual, you might want to think REALLY hard about what kind of coverage you've got. If something goes awry (as it so often does) where does your coverage come from? Your crew that you normally go out under? Do they know that they're taking on this liability? The Aussie equivalent of Good Samaritan? The event organizer? Think really hard about it, Tim. Truly. Don't risk your future on a "favor". Now, let's assume that you have coverage of some sort from somewhere and you're still going to be at this event. The presence of alcohol there as well as (assuming here) hot temperatures makes your number 1 priority having a means of treating for dehydration. Water coolers and paper cups would be a good idea. Which would also make a base station with an awning and chairs a good idea. Radios. You have to be able to talk to your teammates, especially if you three get separated or decide to do a rotating wandering type of patrol. Hopefully decent ones. Will you have a means of communicating with the organizer? How will you reach patients or discover their existence? What's your method for contacting local EMS? Do you go through the organizer, or direct dial yourself? As for the rest of what you're going to see... the worst, potentially, is someone falling down and breaking a bone or getting a concussion. Especially if they're going to be completely snot-lockered. So carry a few splints (SAM splint comes to mind), some Kerlex and a good cell phone. It's not really likely for you to see a whole heck of a lot other than scrapes, minor injuries and dehydration. Keep a couple of the bigger gauze pads around for nosebleeds (potential for fights at this?) and cleaning duty. I'll tell you that in 3 days of the Grand Nationals, (where I was expressly forbidden to provide care without a track medic present) I personally witnessed a syncopal episode off of the grandstand, a puker (too much kool aid) and a few falls in terms of serious incidents. The rest was band-aid city and handing out cups of water. Good luck! Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B EDIT: man, I must be tired.. used the wrong form of "themself".. pluralized it needlessly. Edit X2: Themself isn't a word, is it. Fixed that one.

I support it... and I'm currently 2 quarters away from my bachelor's in biology. Then headed for paramedic school, which I know my bio background will significantly help with. I know I understand big picture a lot better and can operate on my intuition a lot better as a basic because I've got that extra knowledge kicking around my skull contributing to my assessment of things even if it's a subconscious process. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

seastrat, thank you so much for teaching us about some of the realities of TEMS. I now know a LOT more than I did. Excellent. Sounds like the way TEMS should work... and I think it's a great thing that you weed out the hyper wannabees. I certainly wouldn't put ME in one of those situations... not the right personality type or maturity level yet. Glad to have you on the forum! Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Well, that is her business... PM her maybe she'll tell you. She might not want to yell it across the whole forum, y'know? Caca occurs sometimes. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

No. I don't do well with the northern cold humidity crap as I'm discovering in Michigan. While it might be interesting to learn another country's system of providing medical care, I'm already established far enough along the path here in America, going thru P school probably next January while I'm waiting for my slot in an accellerated nursing program for those who already have Bachelor's degrees. Besides... I love my home state, and I love where I am right now educationally (still learning!). I cannot judge the validity of Canadian EMT education until I actually experience it, as much as I can read about it, the proof will always be in the pudding. Since I will probably never move to Canada and enter their EMS education there, I stand with no, I don't think I'll be working in Ontario. JP, your post made me laugh so hard that people came over to see what the heck was so funny. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Got a 23. I hate the numbers one... I had to visualize it in my head to keep from messing it up. Funny question.. do any of y'all actually have to visualize a sheet of paper to work through math sometimes? Seems to help keep me from switching digits sometimes. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

You know the egos exist on both sides of the line. Enjoy the music and the familiar imagery. And remember those of us who have FF friends. 2 of the men I trust the most in my life are FF/EMT's. Not everyone is the same. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

You sure know how to make a girl feel better! Thanks, Michael! Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Hydrogen peroxide... if it's a white shirt that you can easily remove the patches from, a bleach soak might do you some good... With the hydrogen peroxide, don't just pour it on then throw it in the wash... pour some on, scrub it together or with a brush, repeat, let it soak for a while with MORE hydrogen peroxide and THEN wash. Good luck! Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Both my real name and my net name came up with village idiot! :shock: My full real name came up with topless model!!!! Oh, dear.... Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

You really allergic to latex? Just curious... because I actually am and it's because of gloves... Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Education does NOT equal confidence. It can help. But by no means is it the ultimate factor in confidence. I know plenty of well educated people with very little EXPERIENCE who have no confidence when starting out- in ANY field, let alone the medical field. Good education, good training + experience: excellent provider. Decent training + experience: CAN be an excellent provider. Isn't always. Good education, variable training + no experience: Mediocre provider, more than likely. Poor training + no experience: Got a loooong way to go... try not to kill anybody while you're trying to learn something. Also remember it depends on the person. There's docs out there with 10+ years of experience and a great education who don't listen for beans. I wouldn't trust them with anything worse than a busted arm. My own personal thoughts. If you are highly motivated (which it sounds like you are) and just a little rusty from your program, don't let it get you down. Re-read your book. Have your co-workers drill protocols and practice procedures with you- it will be good for everyone involved. Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know somthing- pretending that you do will only get you and your patient into trouble. Hang in there, and don't be afraid to ask us questions in here! Most of us will help you as best we can. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

If you've got an accident out on the highway and there's no way to get to it except through the backed up traffic, then yes, by all means drive in the breakdown lane. Lights only, and preferably at a speed less than 30mph. Might consider using judicious use of the horn to alert drivers who are sticking out into the lane to any degree. If there's a scene BEYOND the traffic jam on the highway and you're stuck in traffic, consider advising dispatch to send a unit that's not on the highway, and advise that the new unit remain off of the highway if at all possible. Don't fly down the side to get to something that might be nothing at all; all you will do is risk your life and the lives of those around you. If there's nobody else and you're still the best option for reaching the scene, repeat above procedure. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

That isn't funny. Think about it. It's a good concept in terms of washing a kitty w/o getting cut to pieces, but did you watch that poor animal freak out? That's a small space... and it's wet to boot. What if the cat landed wrong? You could have limb injuries, spinal injuries, etc.; what about washing its ears and other things like that? Also, what if the E-stop fails and the door jams? It does happen. Fail-safes fail. I didn't think it was particularly funny... just mean. Puts a lot of stress on the cat that isn't necessary. Think about it. Would you like it if someone shoved you into a closed box and jets of water shot out of the floor? I certainly wouldn't do this to a child, and neither would I do it to a cat or a dog or any other living being. It would be different if it were a shower type system, with an open top and a trained handler... oh wait. That's called a pet groomer. If you can't bathe a cat without getting damaged, turn your pet over to someone who can. (If I owned a cat, believe me... it would be groomer city.) Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Oh my gosh... $45.00. Looking at everyone else... I guess I *am* still a good girl, lol... I don't know whether to cheer or blush! Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Day off? What in the hell is that? I like to watch movies and read... and I like hiking. Outdoorsy stuff. On a side note, I'm so jealous of you types that get to play with horses... I'm allergic to the poor beasties. No trail rides for me! Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Ok. So we've got some more ideas coming out of this... across the board standards. So does this mean we want to move away from privatized EMS? Or do we want to keep privatized or 3rd service EMS, but make everyone conform to the same protocols? Thoughts? Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Who's scouts in here? I had a flashback of morning flag ceremony this summer, chanting the 12 points lol. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Well, despite the meanderings, I do see some good coming out of this thread. Should've seen the volly debate raising it's ugly head as I was entering the post, lol.... But again, some good suggestions. I hope everyone is paying attention and reading between the lines... obviously, professionalism has different definitions for every individual, but there are some broader concepts here that can be taken in and mulled over. How can YOU improve YOUR personal professionalism? I've got a few suggestions... one of which is listen to the patient. Yea, we can't believe half of what we're told.. but how many of us have ended up saying "oh oh.. I should have listened to that part" when we turn care over and the doc looks at us like "How in the heck did you miss that?" I've seen patients being ignored. And not ignored because the caca was hitting the fan and there were several higher priority things going on. This is at all levels of care, including doctors, both ED and not. At any level of training or education you MUST accept that you have limits and you MUST figure out what they are. This involves critically and dispassionately looking back through your books and thinking about your training level, years of education and what kind of background knowledge and job exposure you've had. I look at it this way... you can be well trained and very experienced and be a good provider; you can be well educated, and inexperienced and be a not so great provider, and you can be both well educated and trained, which when coupled with experience, will make you a great provider. Note the coupled with experience part. Let's not overlook that part. It's invaluable teaching that doesn't happen in a classroom. So the EMT-B's with 30 years of experience and a wide array of exposure will be good providers- TO THEIR LEVEL! I'm a wet behind the ears pup. I'm still learning. I'm not even close to done learning, and it will be a long time before I'm a great medical care provider, if ever. Compassionate competency is what I'm striving for at this moment. I really think that learning the boundaries of what you can or cannot do and realizing that every different level has different, but valid things to offer patients is a must. I think some of the nurse vs. EMS feud would be dispelled if that was something that we thought about more often. Are they doing what YOU would do? Nope. Why are they doing what they're doing? Is it benefitting the patient? Is it good medical practice? Ask each other questions and don't just look at it from behind your blinders of whatever cert level or degree YOU have hanging on your wall. Side notes, welcome to the City, LauraAnne. Sorry I've been absent for a few days. Life happens. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

It was more a sarcastic jibe because anyone who reads this forum knows that you and Asys wouldn't ever truly get into a pointless "catfight"... I should learn not to post when I'm exhausted. I was laughing at it more than anything else and there's nothing wrong with professional rivalry... hence why I said to the forum in general not to take it as a gospel truth gut fight. :wink: Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Do you think that a higher level of education for EVERYONE prehospital would help us figure out what it truly means to be a professional? Do you think that education leads to critical thinking skills? Truly an open ended question here. How about a philosophy of medicine course? Do you think that might lead to a more professional demeanor, and hence, better patient care and utilization of training and skills? Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

*trying not to giggle* The BUCKET FAIRIES? I love it! =D> :blob6: I now know what's going to kill me... I'm not going to be able to restrain myself around my FF buddies and that'll be all she wrote... I can see it now... *opens door: Hey, it's the bucket fairies! Come on in, guys...* Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

Ok, so this thread is intended to be a place to offer suggestions for improving our efficacy and professionalism as EMS providers. You want to crack parafiremonkey jokes, there's a wonderful thread going on in the Funny Stuff area right now. *waves the traffic onwards* From either side, ED or field, let's have key problems that are affecting our professionalism and patient care pointed out; be fair, realize that not everyone's going to agree, and I ask that for every problem you point out you offer the glimmer of a solution. The solution doesn't have to be detailed or well thought out, but it does have to be thought about. *sighs* Like I said in the twin to this thread referring to our ED cousins, I think I give this one about 3-4 days before it descends into complete uselessness and gets locked, but in the meantime, let's try to get some good ideas flowing now that people who actually might be able to help improve things are paying attention. Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B

*meow... snarrrrlHISS* Whoa! Sarcasm catfight! You gotta admit... there's funny stuff on both sides of this debate. And no matter where you go, someone is going to be an idiot... in either profession. Doesn't mean that someone's never going to be you, either... I think there are a lot of things that could improve professionalism for everyone involved here... and I would also add, don't take any of the sarcastic remarks said by either party (see above) as end of the world oh my god they hate us statements. Y'all did notice the title of this forum area, right? I thought it was funny. So let's start a dual thread in non-ems discussion... Titled "How to improve the ER's professionalism" and cover things like interacting with EMS, and my own personal beef of the moment, reading my chart before you walk back into my room. Asking me what my vitals were, even on Christmas day when it's my second visit, is NOT a good way to instill confidence. Especially because I was sick enough not to remember. Let's title the second thread "How to improve EMS professionalism" and let's not disintegrate into another whack the res-q-goof session; we know whackers are not a particular asset. This is not a protocol war... so let's cover things like interacting with the ED and medical control, and tactfully handling situations that *really* didn't need our attention. Not everyone is smart and so... we have to learn how to deal with it. Hmm... now that I think about it maybe I'll start those threads. Let's see if we can brainstorm some good ideas now that we're attracting attention from individuals poised to do more with the information, so maybe something will start changing. Can you tell I'm in a hopeful mood today? Wendy CO EMT-B MI EMT-B