Best food for the road?

[DFIB]

Geeze, I didn't realize that some people would be so up in arms that I want to make sure I keep my BLS skills sharp when I start working ALS. Just out of curiosity, are all those offended/ those who posted Paramedics?

But I digress, who knew that working at both an EMT and a Paramedic would cause so much hostility... I thought that working both would perhaps close the rift between the two. Guess not.

Thanks everyone for the food suggestions! Making myself a nice sandwich for the long week tomorrow.

I don't see the rift and really didn’t perceive hostility, just some no frills comments. I hope you are not offended. Sometimes a post hits a nerve and seems harsher than it was intended.

Assessment shouldn't change that much. Everyone at all levels begins their initial assessment the same way. BSI, Scene Safety, MOI, Number of patients, additional resources, consider c-spine immobilization and so on and so forth. We all start at the same place and work towards the limits of our scope of practice. Some treatments will be more advanced and outside our scope of practice. As basics we may even know how to do them correctly but cannot because we are only basics. As medics many use their judgment of the situation and perform advanced skills before others would normally do it, but in the end we all are dependent on our basic training as a foundation to build on.

This is evidenced by the fact that EMT-B can participate in a forum like this and keep up just fine until the case moves into cardio and pharma.

I think Medics understand the reasons and repercussions of basic skills better than us basics and they should as they are more schooled than we are. In Texas before you take the Paramedic Skills test we have to retake and pass all basic skills.

If you are actively working EMS I think you will use your basic skills intermittently with advanced skills on every call. They do not run parallel to each other but are both intertwined in patient care.

[Eydawn]

Seriously.

WTF do you do "BLS" that you'd have to "keep sharp" running as an ALS provider? (I'm a BLS'er, by the way.)

BLS/ALS is a really ignorant way to think about medicine, and it's unfortunate that it's been institutionalized into our perception of EMS providers.

That's what a lot of us are trying to say. What are you going to do, simply "open skull, remove brain" when you're working with your BLS agency? Just because you can't initiate ALS interventions doesn't mean you can't apply your knowledge to more effectively figure out what's going on with your patient and then communicate that to the higher level you are delivering to.

If your ALS practice is such that you don't use "BLS" skills while working as an ALS provider, you're not building your knowledge base very well. You simply have more physical options in the toolbox as an ALS provider; your thinking, based on the education you should be getting, should be building from your initial understanding of things and integrating things you didn't understand previously. Therefore, it shouldn't matter whether you're working under your BLS licensure or ALS licensure... there's nothing you should be "keeping sharp" between EITHER of those.

Nobody cares that you want to practice as an EMT-B with one agency and then practice as a paramedic at the other; that's not where people's frustration is coming from AT ALL.

Now, to answer your initial question... I generally take a lot of shelf-stable munchies with me. Baggies of pre-cut veggies, tupperware of hummus/ranch, wrap sandwiches, fruit slices with nut butters, dried fruit, pita chips, granola bars... ready-to-eat soups that just need a microwave are good as well. Roasted almonds or other nuts are a good bet too. Tuna salad kits are a tasty change.

I'm used to taking stuff in my SAR pack, that can sit there for quite a long time (packets of tuna, candy bars, CLIF or similar bars); then I throw in some fresh things when I launch for a mission, like a quick PB and J sandwich, hard boiled eggs, etc.

Bento boxes are a fun way to pack lunches and keep stuff separate- ever heard of them? There's a livejournal group that posts up pics and ideas pretty frequently.

Good luck and happy eating!

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Asysin2leads]

I agree there are times when ALS can help before doing BLS... But if you gave meds before doing the ABC's then perhaps you've shown the point I was trying to make.

I think you're a bit confused. BLS stands for Basic Life Support. While hard to write a definition for BLS, generally speaking it involves patient assessment, first-aid, CPR, BVM, and use of basic adjunct devices. Non-invasive stuff.

The "ABC's" on the other hand, stand "Airway, Breathing, and Circulation". They are part of a patient assessment. I do a patient assessment on all my patients. I would put myself in for a CAT scan if I started an IV and started giving pain medication to a person who had a compromise off the ABC's. I mean, something would be wrong with my ability to properly interact with reality if that happened.

Besides making sure the person has and airway, checking if they are breathing, and making sure they have a pulse, I also do a through primary and secondary assessment including medications and allergies. I need to know that stuff before using a medication. If I find that the person has a simple extremity injury, I'll start an IV and give pain medication before splinting or realignment. Splinting and/or realignment is a BLS maneuver. But I did ALS first. OMG!!! WTF?

You say ALS vs. BLS, I say proper medicine vs. half-assed barbarianism.

[FireMedic65]

to get back on topic... beef jerky is always quite awesome for the road! grades, oranges (peel before hand and put into wedges maybe).. pretty much any other fruit!

[paramedicmike]

Geeze, I didn't realize that some people would be so up in arms that I want to make sure I keep my BLS skills sharp when I start working ALS. Just out of curiosity, are all those offended/ those who posted Paramedics?

Yes. I am a paramedic. No, I am not offended. I'm simply trying to point out what appears to be a falsehood incorrectly ingrained in EMS. Unfortunately, it's also one to which you seem to have subscribed to.

I agree there are times when ALS can help before doing BLS... But if you gave meds before doing the ABC's then perhaps you've shown the point I was trying to make.

Asys has touched on this point well. I think this statement also demonstrates that you have no idea what you don't know. Assessments are not interventions. Your statement suggests that you're not able to distinguish between the two.

I haven't started my paramedic program yet. I'm getting road time and making sure that I'm the best EMT that I can be and 100% comfortable with that before I start.

I'm not sure how much you've perused the discussions that we've had here in these forums. But the more you look and read the more you'll see discussions and debates regarding the value of being an EMT prior to paramedic. There are widely differing opinions. I'm not trying to rehash those discussions here. But what I'm getting from you with your statements is that you think being an EMT (and staying an EMT by staying with your volly squad) will form a solid foundation to being a paramedic. What I'm saying is that if you want to be an EMT then don't go to paramedic school. If you want to be a paramedic then you need to open your mind, acknowledge that you don't know what you don't know, and embrace what's coming without holding on to what you used to be.

And that means changing a lot of the ideas that you seem to be closely holding on to.

But I digress, who knew that working at both an EMT and a Paramedic would cause so much hostility... I thought that working both would perhaps close the rift between the two. Guess not.

I'm not sure where you're sensing hostility. There's certainly none intended from me. Nor am I picking up any from the other commentary presented. Might I respectfully suggest you're feeling a little threatened by us challenging the ideas you have heard from people you otherwise might trust?

Making myself a nice sandwich for the long week tomorrow.

I hope that's a big sandwich if it's going to last all week.

edit: thought clarification; no content changes.

Edited January 3, 2012 by paramedicmike

[EMT-B 55]

If your leftoversare like soup, stew, etc, thenI recommend a wide mouth thermos and some disposable flatware