Taking Vitals

[jonas salk]

AH, okay.

Seriously, everyone who complains of abdo pain aren't allowed to walk down a flight of stairs? Damn, that's a restrictive policy. Also tells me that you guys aren't really trusted, are you?

[tskstorm]

AH, okay.

Seriously, everyone who complains of abdo pain aren't allowed to walk down a flight of stairs? Damn, that's a restrictive policy. Also tells me that you guys aren't really trusted, are you?

NYC has lots of sue happy people. Protocol is written that way to protect the provider in the long run, it encourages getting a signature for protection of liability.

[Chief1C]

EMS Student Pet Peeve!

Holy cow, nothing pisses me off more, than someone fudging the vitals. If they do it in the classroom, they'll do it in the field. I was the "patient" at a class several years ago. Every student, I was 120/80, Pulse 80, Resp. 16. First, I intentionally slowed my breathing to 10. Second, my pulse was running about a hundred because I had a cold/fever. Third.. My BP prolly went up, every time I blatantly knew they lied. Used to be, I ran 108/70 range. Anymore it's prolly 140/90. But when I hear someone say 120/80, I tell them to check it again on the other arm. But on the ambulance, I'd sooner do it myself, than rely on NIBP, just personal preference.

[Don1977]

We had an EMT at my company that the made "mentor" he was telling the new hires that were new EMT's to "make up vitals" if your unsure or can't do them. This kid was drunk often and had many fights with is ex that got him arrested, but they liked him. meanwhile, I sat there and fought to be a mentor, but then realized is it worth it for 50 cents more an hour???

[Aussieaid]

Just want to clarify a point here Snoopy, not related to the issue of your partner fudging the vital signs (absolute shame on him!). Is it standard on these transports for the EMTs to take the vital signs? And why would he be giving report to the receiving staff when there are 2 RN's and possibly an MD and/or RT?

Inquiring minds are wondering...

Cheers and don't let YOUR standards fall,

Edited June 2, 2010 by Aussieaid

[tskstorm]

EMS Student Pet Peeve!

Holy cow, nothing pisses me off more, than someone fudging the vitals. If they do it in the classroom, they'll do it in the field. I was the "patient" at a class several years ago. Every student, I was 120/80, Pulse 80, Resp. 16. First, I intentionally slowed my breathing to 10. Second, my pulse was running about a hundred because I had a cold/fever. Third.. My BP prolly went up, every time I blatantly knew they lied. Used to be, I ran 108/70 range. Anymore it's prolly 140/90. But when I hear someone say 120/80, I tell them to check it again on the other arm. But on the ambulance, I'd sooner do it myself, than rely on NIBP, just personal preference.

Yea, no benefit in that, If they never learn to take them they never will.

[snoopy911]

Just want to clarify a point here Snoopy, not related to the issue of your partner fudging the vital signs (absolute shame on him!). Is it standard on these transports for the EMTs to take the vital signs? And why would he be giving report to the receiving staff when there are 2 RN's and possibly an MD and/or RT?

Inquiring minds are wondering...

Cheers and don't let YOUR standards fall,

Yes it is standard to take vitals. They have to be filled out on the state forms, and also on the forms for the companies.

And we are talking about 2 diffrent things, what I am currently doing; mostly interfacility transports, with an EMT partner, and what I will be doing once i get my driving experience: Working with the Critical Care transport team for the peds hospital.

EMS Student Pet Peeve!

Holy cow, nothing pisses me off more, than someone fudging the vitals. If they do it in the classroom, they'll do it in the field. I was the "patient" at a class several years ago. Every student, I was 120/80, Pulse 80, Resp. 16. First, I intentionally slowed my breathing to 10. Second, my pulse was running about a hundred because I had a cold/fever. Third.. My BP prolly went up, every time I blatantly knew they lied. Used to be, I ran 108/70 range. Anymore it's prolly 140/90. But when I hear someone say 120/80, I tell them to check it again on the other arm. But on the ambulance, I'd sooner do it myself, than rely on NIBP, just personal preference.

Completely unrelated to my thread, but to what 4c said,

One time in EMT school I had a slight heart attack, cause people had just gotten in trouble for faking vitals, and it was my final exam practicals. The "patient" was one of the instructor's father, he was about 83 at the time. When I took his BP and pulse, I was terrified to tell them what I had gotten, for fear that they would fail me. His pulse was around 44, and his BP was about 80/50 if remember correctly. After asking me if I was sure that was what I had heard, with a totally straight face, they explained. That is completely normal for him, and they always used him as the patient for that section, to weed out the ones that faked vitals. If you came up with 120/80 for him, you fail! But boy was I freaked out for a minute!

[tskstorm]

Completely unrelated to my thread, but to what 4c said,

One time in EMT school I had a slight heart attack, cause people had just gotten in trouble for faking vitals, and it was my final exam practicals. The "patient" was one of the instructor's father, he was about 83 at the time. When I took his BP and pulse, I was terrified to tell them what I had gotten, for fear that they would fail me. His pulse was around 44, and his BP was about 80/50 if remember correctly. After asking me if I was sure that was what I had heard, with a totally straight face, they explained. That is completely normal for him, and they always used him as the patient for that section, to weed out the ones that faked vitals. If you came up with 120/80 for him, you fail! But boy was I freaked out for a minute!

We had an instructor that used to play patient, that only had one lung, for the students that faked lung sounds.

[snoopy911]

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with HR over an unrelated issue. I think I am going to bring up the fact that i worked with a partner who didn't take vitals, and see where it goes from there.

[tskstorm]

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with HR over an unrelated issue. I think I am going to bring up the fact that i worked with a partner who didn't take vitals, and see where it goes from there.

Be prepared to follow through, with telling them who the partner was, when it occurred etc... and to put it in writing.