Is it just me? Or do we seem to be getting some wicked strong new members?

[DwayneEMTP]

You know, it seems like the new membership, or at least the posting membership goes through waves..

Posts will be many, smart, confident, committed to learning! Life is good all around...

And then things kind of peter out a bit, get slower, people that want to learn have a hard time getting others to respond...

Then we'll have the wave of "I juSt wnt a P;ace to chill dood, & not be jugdged!!"

But sometimes, like now I believe, we get a wave of new posters, younger posters, and those that have been here a bit but have just begun to post for whatever reason, and the board kind of comes alive! New blood, new questions, young people that don't need anyone to tell them to check their spelling and grammar before posting, folks that just want to participate, get better, and try and make everyone else better with them. I really, really love these times!

I've posted this here, as I believe that this is where it belongs. I mostly wanted to say thanks! to our new members, or those not used to posting. Thanks for being brave enough to participate. Thanks for having enough self and professional pride to present yourselves intelligently, and thanks for reminding some of us that are a little older, like Annie and Herbie, that we need to continue to step backwards and remember the important things.... It's just cool as hell...

And to our new members...Welcome to the City. Thanks for allowing us to learn from you.

Dwayne

[WolfmanHarris]

Agreed Dwayne.

I'd stopped posting a lot recently for many reasons: It had started getting really slow around here, repetitive topics thriving while good ones flounder, but mainly I was trying (and failing) to do more non-work related things on my time off. But, in the last bit as it's picked up I've been findings myself drawn right back in and enjoying it.

[Richard B the EMT]

Somebody just stop me if I start calling new members of the EMT City as "young whippersnappers!" (LOL)

It is a 2 way street, here. Long-timers like me can sometimes show the older, tried and true ways to the newjacks, while they might be able to show us the newest change in a protocol, or even protocols never experienced by us, as both BLS and ALS skill sets and requirements are increased.

[Lone Star]

I have to say that I AM impressed with the majority of the new faces around the place!

I've always figured that learning is a 'two way street', the pups can learn from us 'old dogs' and we in turn can always learn something from the pups.

I have to give credit to the pups that were willing to brave the teeth of the beast so to speak, by jumping right in and letting us know they were in the yard. It gives us time to size them up and evaluate them.

I like that there are some really 'solid questions' coming out of the new crop, and that they're appreciative of the wisdom us 'old timers' have to offer. Keep up the good attitude, kids!!

*NOTE*: Terms like 'pup' and 'kid' are not meant in a derogatory way, rather, it's a term of fondness.

[KyleKIR]

I'd like to thank you all for listening and responding to not only my posts, but everyone else who posts here as well. I'm glad I can come here to ask questions, read other topics, or ask for advice, and get responses, which by the way are pretty helpful & inspiring to me most of the time. I've actually learned quite a bit from being here already by talking to some of you and reading different posts. I can't wait till I start my schooling to learn even more.

So again, thank you all for being so helpful to us all. I appreciate it for sure.

You guys also probably don't know but I look up to you all. You guys are who I hope to be someday. (with my own personality, thoughts, and all that of course) lol.. but you know.. EMT wise. I will study hard and do my best to succeed.

[Bieber]

Thanks for providing such a warm and friendly atmosphere to come to, and for your guidance, suggestions, and insight. Every day I learn a little bit more about EMS and how to be a paramedic, and it's great to have another route to share stories and learn from people with as much experience as you all. As far as the "youngins" comments, I don't mind. The other day at the ER one of the nurses asked me how old I was and they said, "Eighteen... but only because I assume you have to be at least eighteen to be a paramedic." So I don't mind.

[EMT City Administrator]

All the "Old Timers" could also show your support to the newbies by giving them some positive reps when deserved.

[Lone Star]

All the "Old Timers" could also show your support to the newbies by giving them some positive reps when deserved.

Some of us already have...

[Timmy]

Likewise, thanks to everyone for there support and advice over the years. I’ll use Richards analogy here, remember all those years ago when that little annoying 15 year old ‘whippersnapper’ was the perile of your worst nightmares and made you sit bolt up right at night? Well 5 years later I certainly hope things have improved dramatically!

Even though I’ve been lurking around these parts for some years I’m still the fresh faced, green 20 year old who’s hopefully on the right track to becoming a competent and educated health care professional. I hope to be the recipient of some extremely welcoming news within the next few weeks (exam results) and I hope to be completing my last year of this blasted nursing degree next year and hopefully move onto the paramedic degree in the not to distance future, which is were my passion lies.

I sometimes feel a little out of my depth on here as the Bachelor of Nursing course I’m currently undertaking is a little behind the eighth ball when it comes to acute and emergency care, while we do have a few subjects that relate to acute patient care we do have other subjects such as mental health, health promotion and it appears to be more of a general overlook of health care rather than a straight focus on emergency care like the paramedic course. Our in-depth acute and emergency care is delivered within a post graduate diploma course, so at times I find myself not in a position to contribute effectively to the discussion and certainly find myself researching information that is posted here on a regular basis.

I also continue with my first responder standby gigs as I feel it keeps my finger in the pie when it comes to managing incident scenes and providing that first line emergency care (even though were just at a BLS level) which is just something nurses are not regularly exposed to. I also got a job as an LPN in a busy, regional emergency department which is quiet exciting and I enjoy it very much. It’s very challenging and a very steep learning curve, I sometimes wonder why they employed an inexperienced, young LPN because my education and knowledge is dismal compared to the other RNs and Doctors who I work with. When things get busy I’m left to deal with some very sick patients which is extremely scary (I sometimes come home shaking) but everyone is very supportive and incredibly more than happy to answer any questions I have or go that extra mile to show me how something works. I’m very luck to be employed in such a job considering the other 3 LPNs who work there have like 30 years experience and a lot more education than me.

In conclusion I thank you guys for all the advice and at times stern wake up calls that have influenced more career decisions, answered my sometimes silly questions and motivated me through the tough times. Hopefully I can be a success story and fortunately I haven’t burnt out as many of you feared all those years ago, the spark is still well alight!

[Lone Star]

As I sit here following the postings of some of the new pups here in the forums, it occurs to me that this is the mentality that EMS needs!

I’ve also had several opportunities to speak to some of the new EMT students at the college I’m attending, and have taken the opportunity to show them that the current EMS curriculum isn’t ‘all that and a bag of chips’.

It’s my observation that the new members here, and the students I’ve personally spoken to; are highly receptive to the fact that higher educational standards are just what EMS needs. Many have also been receptive and supportive of the concept that EMS needs a standardized scope of practice on a national level as well.

As fragmented as the current EMS framework is; it’s amazing that it even stands, let alone functions on any level! I realize there are some important changes slated to be handed down from the mount of the NREMT, but we all agree that even more changes are in order. This new generation of EMS providers are poised to not only recognize the shortcomings of the current curricula, but are in a position to demand more; and I hope that they will do just that!