Precepting New Medics

[DwayneEMTP]

It appears you have got some great, broad, ideas to begin.

I would only add along the lines that have already been mentioned, it really depends on who you are a preceptor for. If it's a student, you will probably need to focus more on basics. If you have a new hire that perhaps worked elsewhere before, you want to focus more on your policies and procedures.

The thing to remember is many services out there suffer what I call intellectual inbreeding. It might be something you and your co-workers don't even recognize... typically you don't in fact. But you continue to do something just because "that's the way everyone does it". Try to get out from under those paradigms and offer instruction in such a way that you never forget there are several ways to get a desired result, and the fastest isn't always the best.

As for R-E-S-P-E-C-T... never lose sight of that. Dwayne made several great points. Use a mistake as a teachable moment. No reason to berate or belittle (although there is a time and place for that... think knuckle draggers who need to be policed and ran off).

And finally... patience. It's hard for me to sit back and observe/assist but that is often what needs to be done when evaluating where someone is at. Get involved the second you need to, but allow them to grow. And growing is a process. Your humble Paramaximus wasn't born great... it took time.

Man, I wish that I could give this post more than one point. It's awesome! +5 in spirit.

Great post Ugly. I learn from you every time you post brother, you're more my teacher than me yours.

Man, there have been a ton of great threads on the City lately!! Thanks to all for participating!

Dwayne

[zippyRN]

lots and lots of good ideas in this thread there is not a lot I can add extra,

I'd echo what Dwayne and paramaximus have said about respect and treating your preceptee as an equal and peer - because after all once they are signed off that is exactly what they will be.

there are 2 reasons to intervene in another practitioner's care

1. they are going to harm the patient.

2. they are going to harm themselves or another member of the team.

personally i'm a fan of 'hot debriefs' and getting the preceptee to relate the rationales for treatment decisions while it;sstill nice and fresh , but without turning it into the Spanish inquistion

Edited December 19, 2010 by zippyRN

[ERDoc]

Lots of great ideas, especially Dwayne and paramaximus. To repeat Dwayne, always show respect. The way I look at it, training a new paramedic is like training a new doctor. They have the knowledge they need, now they just have to know how to use it. The best way to do this is to throw them into the fire but be there to get them out. Let them start running calls on their own with no intervention on your part. The exception to this is if they are going to do something that will harm the pt. Let them develop their own ways and style of doing things. After the call, review it with them (kind of like a little pimp session) and ask them questions about it that make them think. One of the biggest troubles I had going from a resident to an attending was letting the residents do things on their own and not jumping in right away when they did something different from the way I do it. Sometimes it is best to put your hands in your pockets so you can resist the urge to jump in before it is necessary.