hatelilpeepees Posted May 29, 2011 Posted May 29, 2011 Get a part-time job in an ER, preferrably a specialty or teaching hospital, it will greatly increase your assessment skills.
m0nster986 Posted June 2, 2011 Posted June 2, 2011 Where is your locations? You can also obtain your Bachelors degree in related field.
hippiehotsauce Posted June 9, 2011 Author Posted June 9, 2011 I guess what I'm asking is what have you done to become better in the field? I've taken Biology, A&P, and all that other stuff before (awhile ago). I think taking 1 or 2 courses would help refresh a lot of stuff as opposed to just reading my old text books. I like the idea of part-time job in ER. However, those positions can be pretty hard to come by. I'm wondering if people out there have bought a certain book/workbook that has helped them become a very strong street medic. Appreciate all the help, hopefully this thread helps out other people, too.
paramedicmike Posted June 9, 2011 Posted June 9, 2011 Ok. Then go take the 1-2 courses you think you want a refresher in. I'm not sure I see where your problem is. If you want to take some classes then go take some classes. There is no one book/workbook that will help anyone become a better street medic. If you want to become a better street medic then go back to school, learn as much as you can, then go back out and apply that knowledge to the streets. When I graduated from college the first time I swore I'd never go back to school. In the years since that graduation I've been in school or taking classes on some subject or other almost continuously. I'm still in school today. Everything I've learned, whether medicine related or not, I've been able to apply to working as a paramedic. Some of it is general knowledge that'll help me interact with people better. Some of it is technical knowledge to help me understand operational aspects better. Some of it is medical knowledge to help me better understand just what the hell I'm doing. None of it is wasted. If you want to refresh, and I'm going to have to refer you back to Dustdevil's comments in this discussion, then you first need the foundation. Go take the classes you want to take. Earn the knowledge. Build from there. There is no easy or quick way to do this. If you want it that badly you'll work for it. If you don't want it that badly, well, then please find something you do want badly enough to work hard for it. Good luck.
NYCEMS9115 Posted June 10, 2011 Posted June 10, 2011 There isn't one book. Doctors are always reading, viewing, and listening to new studies. Medicine is ever-changing. That's why we refresh/re-certify. Things change. Besides working elsewhere: how about getting the ultimate ABC Certification for Paramedics? The CCEMTP. If you do not have a degree; get your AAS in Paramedics. If you have a Degree go for a Graduate Degree. All in Health Related Majors like: RN (then you can take the Program to be a CRNA, ARNP. With that you can go for the DNP), PA, or MD/DO. Allied Professionals like: RRT, PT, OT, etc... I don't know your educational background, other than being an EMT-P. The Paramedic Certification alone is just a big step in "Medicine". Unfortunately, you are restricted to the "Ambulance" field. If you want to be a better Paramedic? Work/Volly, attend CMEs, attend workshops in EMS Conferences, read EMS Magazines, debrief with fellow EMS Providers, check up on patient's conditions after the call, speak to Nurses and Practitioners about the patient you brought in, watch how the ER assesses and treats the patient you brought in, read other Medical Journals, QA/QI sessions, do rounds with Practitioners, do shifts in Telemetry, teach in an EMS Program, teach AHA Programs, when your in the ER and another crew brings in an interesting case; watch and listen, attend Call Review, look up conditions and medications, do practice exams online, watch medical Webcats, watch Grey's Anatomy (I'm kidding), etc... There's so much out there to make you a better EMS Provider. There's so much to learn; no matter how long you've been in EMS, there's a lot to learn. If you think you've seen it all, you're mistaken... "You" meaning EMS as a group; not you... http://www.google.com/m/products/desc?oe=UTF-8&source=desktop&client=ms-rim&q=secrets+of+emergency+medicine&hl=en&cid=16358601769357554021 Awesome book... This would be a book you're looking for but no books are absolute... Good reading....
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