Jahism Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 I will be starting my EMT course next month. I have been working as a Patient Care Technician in a Hospital setting for about 11 yrs so I'm excited about the change. any advice to get me through the training and my carrear.
spenac Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Study hard. Go deeper than what is required to pass. Also begin your plans to enter Paramedic course.
emtannie Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Congrats on starting your course! A few things... If you have your books ahead of time, read them ahead of time! Make your notes, and then you can use the class to focus on what the instructor is saying, not on finding stuff in your book and possibly missing things. It will also prepare you to already have questions on things that you don't quite understand, so that you can ask them during that session, not later. Like spenac said - go deeper - I am assuming you are taking EMT-B, which scratches the surface... learn more than the minimum.. Don't just memorize.... learn the material - you will remember it longer. Ask yourself "why"... just knowing that air goes in and out, and blood goes around and around, is the minimum.... but knowing why it does, and how illnesses and injuries affect it, makes you a better EMT, because you have a better understanding of your patient's condition. When you are tempted to shortcut, and not really learn something, ask yourself... if it was me or my family member... do I want the EMT who did the minimum, or the one who excelled? Be the one who excels! Once your course is over, don't quit learning... continue to read, research, review, and ask questions.. You have already worked in a patient care environment, which will help - you can draw from you experiences there. .... And that concludes my lecture for today..... all the best in your course!
n0ssb Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Hey congrats on the course--be yourself, Have fun, take good notes, for the quizes and things, read the book well..........But most of all have fun in the clas, learn alot...
firedoc5 Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Study, listen, learn, ask and answer questions. Use good old fashion common sense. Relax and have fun with it.
Just Plain Ruff Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Yes, good luck on your EMT class but please remember it's not rocket science. Go deeper in the items that are giving you trouble. You will find that EMT class is not as hard as you are making it out to be. For every 1 hour of class time spend at least 1 hour studying or better yet 4 hours. That's the number they use in college. If you need additional resources I can probably find them for you on the net so pm me and I'll try to help. If they are talkking about the heart you should learn about the cardiovascular system but don't go overboard and try to learn EKG's and such. That's extraneous crap you won't need until medic school oh yeah, make sure to have fun. And one other thing, post questions here often if you ahve them. Don't be afraid to pm those you trust with questions.
Chief1C Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Do yourself, your patients and EMS a favor, and develop a true passion for your skills and always be willing to give a little bit more than what is expected of you. Once you can see that it's not just what we can do medically, that helps people, you've got it. Be yourself. If the patients can see that you are applying your skills with a little personalization, calmness, organization, respect and compassion, they'll be more apt to open up, feel comforted and taken care of. Not all, mind you, but a lot of the stress that accompanies injury and illness, or just having to be in an ambulance; can be cured with compassion and a professional demeanor and attitude. It's okay to have some 'omg' moments, you can't calm every patient, but if they feel taken care of, it helps. EMS today lacks a lot of the human to human aspects, communication, touching lives, etc skills that Ambulance services grew upon in the past. Not every provider brings those qualities, it's okay to be cool and funny, as long as it doesn't affect professional, patient care.
Don1977 Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Yes, good luck on your EMT class but please remember it's not rocket science. Go deeper in the items that are giving you trouble. You will find that EMT class is not as hard as you are making it out to be. For every 1 hour of class time spend at least 1 hour studying or better yet 4 hours. That's the number they use in college. If you need additional resources I can probably find them for you on the net so pm me and I'll try to help. If they are talkking about the heart you should learn about the cardiovascular system but don't go overboard and try to learn EKG's and such. That's extraneous crap you won't need until medic school oh yeah, make sure to have fun. And one other thing, post questions here often if you ahve them. Don't be afraid to pm those you trust with questions. Its not rocket science??? Aw man....
dahlio Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Ask lots of questions, and don't be hesitant to answer questions and be wrong. This is the time to be wrong, not when you need it in a real situation. Good luck, you'll be fine.
Upton4785 Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Never, ever be satisfied with the amount of education you've received. There's always more to learn, and just when you think you've learned all there is to know, there will be new protocols, new drugs, new diseases, new equipment and technology. Don't get stale. Try to avoid sticking around as a Basic. If you can't afford going to Paramedic school but still want to advance, you can pay the money for the Intermediate class, although there's a lot of people that would say that's a waste of time and money (but I'm still doing it!!!) Avoid the Medic Mills at all costs. If a program says it can get you to be a Paramedic in any time less than 2 years of school, it's not the best education for you, which means you're not giving the best care to your patients. Take any and all classes you can. If you find out that you'll never use it at your job as a Paramedic (or maybe even a doctor), at least you'll have more interesting stuff to talk about. Maybe you can use it to distract a patient from their pain, or stop an annoying colleague from talking. Keep the profession in mind. Remember that your actions reflect positively or negatively on an entire group, not just yourself. We're a big family. It's not saying that if you make a mistake, you're solely responsible for bringing the profession down, but if you conduct yourself like a jerk, then we all become jerks in the eyes of the public. Try your best, be courteous and honest, and the family will take care of you. And like the others have said, don't be afraid to mess up at this time. Ask plenty of questions, even if you're worried about them being dumb questions. Now is the time to make mistakes, because the worst that can happen is you'll have to do the whole scenario over again. Don't sweat it. You'll do fine. Just keep breathing. You gotta make sure those ABC's are functioning on you, too! One last edit: Keep coming here to the City. There's some of the best and brightest on this site, and they're always willing to give advice.
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