call to doctor's office

[mstovall]

I still don't know what to be more outraged at though. I sit and wonder if they were this way because of his situation and just wanted us to make him go away or did they not really see something wrong that they could do something about. I mean, at a methadone clinic you probably see many things, but we do to. I might be tired of hauling someone in dozens of times a month, but I still haul them in and take care of any needs they might have. If they are going to do these things they need to be in a different setting.

Still frustrated and am not happy to see others are experiencing the same thing, but do appreciate the comments.

Michael

[CBEMT]

Bear in mind that those who do clinic/doctor's office care usually see more chronic problems or milder acute illnesses. If you don't deal with your adrenaline reaction on a daily basis, and something happens, it's going to be more difficult for you to react appropriately...

To wit: brought in a friend who landed on her shoulder on the soccer field to the college health center. I put her in a sling/swathe because it was *hurting* her... let me tell you, the RN flipped out when I asked my friend if she wanted me to go wait in the waiting room. Here I was thinking "privacy issues!" and the nurse was going "don't leave! Don't leave me with this! Don't leave her without a ride!" mentally... we had a good talk about it after she calmed down, lol. But you see? Not her cup of tea. Not what she does on a daily basis.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

And here our campus health center nurses have dressed burns, treated asthma, stabilized anaphlyaxis while we responded from the hospital... And done it all without completely losing their shit.

Whatever your friends are paying for their Health Services fee, it's too much. :?

[Eydawn]

Mm, our docs are good and the health fees are included with full time tuition. Asthma and anaphylaxis are actually easier for this one nurse from what I gather.... just the physical trauma thing wasn't her cup of tea.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[jmp6753]

I was called to a similar situation at a clinic, No lights or sirens for a "sick person needing transport". Patient was critical, no blood pressure and a heart rate of about 30. The RN was very proud of the 22 ga lock she put in the AC. But, to kind of humble them (and amuse myself), I made the RN and Dr ride to the hospital with me. After all, I needed the extra hands.

[firedoc5]

I was called to a similar situation at a clinic, No lights or sirens for a "sick person needing transport". Patient was critical, no blood pressure and a heart rate of about 30. The RN was very proud of the 22 ga lock she put in the AC. But, to kind of humble them (and amuse myself), I made the RN and Dr ride to the hospital with me. After all, I needed the extra hands.

That's what I requested, and most times totally denied. There were two docs that always rode in with their patients, no matter how busy they were or how full their waiting rooms were. And one of those docs almost always rode with us if he had a patient from ICU/CCU being transferred to another facility. It was always great to "pick his brain" on the return trip.

[firespec35]

It really depends on their training and experience. When I worked the road we would always get calls to these Dr. Offices in Detroit where neither the doc or nurses could speak very good english and they have the person struggling for a breath on a N/C at 2 lpm. Now I worked with the Red Bull Air races 2 weeks ago and they brought a medical staff with them out of Austria who according to the crews that worked with them were spot on. Translation was difficult at times but when we figured out what they were saying it was exactly perfect.

Now at my f/t gig we are technically BLS non transporting but since we have a 6 sq mile facility, we respond, treat, and transport onsite. There are a lot of us that are medics and almost all of us work other "EMS" type jobs whether it be POC FD, Full time FD, or a PVT company. We have a medical dept that we have to bring patients to. They also do physicals and treat minor walk ins ect... They scare me. They scare me less since the one doc retired but they still scare me. My first week there (10 years ago) the nurse goes to start a line on a diabetic (don't know why they have no D50) she proceeds to take off the cap, take the cath off, (now I'm standing in the corner silently freaking out), when the Medic for the transport unit walks in and gives a giant GASP!!!!, the nurse looks down and says Oh I grabbed the wrong thing. Another time they let a new onset CP 8/10 diaphoretic go to the ER with his wife- He died a mile away. They seem to get annoyed when we give them the indepth oral report just like you'd give when rolling in to the ER. It definately is mostly a 1st shift thing though. 2nd and 3rd shift seem to understand that they aren't good at emergencies. Normally if there is a critical patient they actually listen to us. It seems if there is a full arrest any more one of our medics (Our chief if he is here) will go and actually run the arrest. Can't be too bad we are 2 for 3 in the last 10 years on saves. It was kinda funny on the one we didn't save and also taught us we should learn what they have. One of my guys was going to start ALSing the guy (We assumed they had ACLS drugs). Our corprate medical direction says we fall under the medical dept if we are in the medical dept and have an RN or Doc available. He asked for Epi and the nurse handed him an epi pen. Luckily the ambulance was a minute away. This is how we found out even though in MI all Paramedics must have ACLS not all RN's do because none of ours do.

[firedoc5]

But on subject, Nursing is like any profession if you dont use the skills you loose them. But that doesn't excuse the rude comments and the lack of them doing anything to help this patient.

The first time I broke my nose, (long story, motorcycle when I was about 13) went to the doctor's office and the nurse told my folks that I couldn't stay inside because she was afraid I might bleed on the carpet, and she wouldn't take me back. So my father said that they'd just go ahead and take me to the ER. She said he couldn't do that. He said, "Watch me!" When the doc heard about it through the ER he flipped. He didn't know I was at his office in the first place. That nurse was gone.