things they didn't teach you in school

[Vorenus]

All emergency calls will wait until you begin to eat, regardless of the time.

How true.

Also, there is no upper limit on how often you can heat your pizza in the microwave again after coming in, while getting a call right after you try to sink your fangs in there - AGAIN!. (though my record is 5)

[Richard B the EMT]

Returning to "turning on" a steth, considering most, cheapest to most expensive non electronic, is usually a "Y" shaped tube, or two tubes, between the "bell" and earpieces, what's to turn on? If the poor fool forgot t incert the earpieces into the ears, THAT might explain things.

[DFIB]

We always crap on about some obscure patient presentation or some kind of cool intervention that you *might* get to do someday (i seriously want to try a beta bloker OD with glucagon), but seriously, we never talk about, or does it form any part of our education (that im aware of) about looking after ourselves physically, but more importanlyt, psychologically.

I hear you friend,

We get to see and interact with the best and worst of humanity on a daly basis. We are constantly aware of our own humanity, suffering we cannot ease, pain we cannot control. If we are true "healers" we will carry the weight of those we could not heal. It makes us better I think, but it is still a weight.

[DwayneEMTP]

"In any accident, the degree of injury suffered by a patient is inversely proportional to the amount and volume of agonized screaming produced by that patient."

Truly, though I hate the passed around sayings, that may be the most important one of all regarding patient care...The more screaming and thrashing there is, thus masking any active/accurate patient participation in care, the more you have to tune it out and get busy getting your own information.

Silly quote with a really valid point I think...

Dwayne

Edited August 12, 2011 by DwayneEMTP

[akflightmedic]

"In any accident, the degree of injury suffered by a patient is inversely proportional to the amount and volume of agonized screaming produced by that patient."

Truly, though I hate the passed around sayings, that may be the most important one of all regarding patient care...The more screaming and thrashing there is, thus masking any active/accurate patient participation in care, the more you have to tune it out and get busy getting your own information.

Silly quote with a really valid point I think...

Dwayne

I agree almost 100% to this however I made one judgement call which turned out to not be in the patient's best interest. 18 person MCI remote area, we were closest unit and it took us almost 30 minutes to get there (semi versus southern baptist church bus)....one lady screaming for jeebus over and over...my thoughts were "great she has an airway" I already had her lined up on side of road rapid triage style waiting on help to arrive while I tend to all the other obvious criticals...me and my partner literally walked down the line starting IVs, performing interventions and making notes for the incoming.

That lady screamed upon every name she knew from her religious book and was actually becoming quite annoying to us. (This is an entirely different tangent which they dont teach you in schools, but yes you will find yourself angered and annoyed many times over and sometimes you will allow your own emotions/stressors to take precedence over a patients). Anyways as the 5 helicopters and 20 other apparatus arrived...she was flagged as the last to be loaded via helo if at all, possible ground.

The medics put her in their ground unit to drive to helo LZ and she coded. Oops, she had internal bleeding, she probably should of been one of my first patients to go, instead I kept her on the ground for a good 40 minutes after my arrival all because she had a very loud airway...it never diminished in strength, tone or volume....that was my indicator for her as I was treating all the other people who made no sounds and were indeed critical.

[DFIB]

"In any accident, the degree of injury suffered by a patient is inversely proportional to the amount and volume of agonized screaming produced by that patient."

Truly, though I hate the passed around sayings, that may be the most important one of all regarding patient care...The more screaming and thrashing there is, thus masking any active/accurate patient participation in care, the more you have to tune it out and get busy getting your own information.

Silly quote with a really valid point I think...

Dwayne

Thanks for making an exception on the passed around quotes. Us new guys haven't heard them that much.

[BushyFromOz]

I hear you friend,

We get to see and interact with the best and worst of humanity on a daly basis. We are constantly aware of our own humanity, suffering we cannot ease, pain we cannot control.

Yeah, but its not even all that. The biggest tressers in this job is the sleep deprivation, dealing with the benality of shitty management and boredom that comes with extended "routine" or low volume work.

[DFIB]

The medics put her in their ground unit to drive to helo LZ and she coded. Oops, she had internal bleeding, she probably should of been one of my first patients to go, instead I kept her on the ground for a good 40 minutes after my arrival all because she had a very loud airway...it never diminished in strength, tone or volume....that was my indicator for her as I was treating all the other people who made no sounds and were indeed critical.

Seems that she was indeed critical as well, The triage call was good. Even teh secondary assesment team might have missed a bleed in an active, vociferous patient.

If you could do over would you have tagged her yellow or made the same decision based on the information you had at the time?

[DwayneEMTP]

Thanks for making an exception on the passed around quotes. Us new guys haven't heard them that much.

No disrespect meant to you brother. I love to see you participating! Not many do...

My comment was in reference to those that repost the 'fireman's prayer' and such shit. You know, the one that ends with, "You've done your time in hell.." What a bunch of crap.

They see that fire and EMS are in the 'hero' business, get a basic cert and then suddenly every bullshit cliche' in the book applies to them. They are over worked, over tired, covered in blood, yadda yadda, or at least will be if they ever get off of the couch and actually go and get an EMS job some day.

Your post certainly didn't fit this criteria, I only made the comment because I've made it before and didn't want to look like a hypocrite by turning around and doing it myself.

Yours were appropriated, and even if, in my opinion, they weren't? Screw it...mine is just one opinion.

Thanks for participating man...it's cool to have you here.

Dwayne

[DFIB]

Muchas gracias Mister Dwayne.

Sometimes posting on this forum can be a risk. I do it anyway you know, no pain no gain.