First EMT Job

[YoungEMT95]

I just landed my first job on an ambulance as a 17 year old EMT-B. I am starting in a few weeks and i was wondering if any of you had any advice that you could give me in regards to doing the best job possible.

[paramedicmike]

Learn as much as you can. Never, ever, *EVER* stop learning. You will forever be as student.

Lights and sirens are not cool. They are dangerous and create a hazard to the driver, the patient, the provider in the back and every other driver/vehicle on the road. It is my sincere hope that you will not be put in a position where you are the driver. Use them wisely and, if possible, sparingly. This will be difficult to do because there is a certain amount of excitement inspired by using lights and sirens. Don't buy the hype.

This job is mostly about compassion and hand holding. Sure, you'll get your traumas and the like but they will be few and far between. Learn quickly, like yesterday, how to talk to people including those who will be much older than you. Learn quickly, like yesterday, how to talk to those who will look at you with a fair amount of skepticism because you're still a baby. (Sorry, kid. You're 17. You're still a baby.)

Never, ever, ever, *EVER* stop learning.

Go to college.

Come back here when you have questions. The resources available to you here, from physicians to nurses to respiratory therapists to paramedics to other EMTs, in combination of our international members, will prove to be invaluable to you. (If they're still invaluable to me after all the years I've been in EMS they will be the same to you, too.)

[island emt]

Welcome.

You are just beginning a long journey through life in EMS,use the time wisely to learn every day and never stop improving your knowledge.

All of what Mike said + read and learn your protocol book. Know it inside & out

.

Listen to what the other members of your crew have to say and how they do things.

Hopefully you will have an experienced partner to learn the street smarts part of the job.

Take the State AVOC course

Where in Maine are you?

[Bieber]

Go ahead and throw away all of your spine boards, C-collars, and most of your oxygen cylinders... =D

Haha, jk (you know, unless your service is cool with that, in which case you should without a doubt). Everybody else has given some pretty good advice so far, so I'll just add a few things:

-Don't trust your education: Pardon the hyperbole of the title. The point I'm getting at is that you need to remember that medicine is a constantly changing practice, and that EMS education has historically been full of inaccuracies, inadequacies, and anecdotes. Don't just believe your book or instructor when they say give X treatment to Y patients for Z complaints because it's "what's best" for them. Go out and do your own research and really delve deep into the treatments we give, and find out for yourself whether or not the treatments you give are really are all they're chocked up to be.

-Don't trust anyone else's eyes but your own (and maybe your partner's): I've seen/heard of a lot of providers get burned for failing to do their own assessment. A lot of times, this seems to occur when EMS responds to a patient care facility (nursing homes, etc) where they're given a report by staff who claim they already checked X, Y, and Z and it was all normal and then the provider fails to confirm it independently. Always do your own assessment, no matter WHO it is that's telling you all findings are normal. You don't want to be the guy who picks up an altered mental status at the local nursing home and gets told by staff that they already checked the patient's sugar and it was normal and not check it yourself only to arrive at the hospital where the ER staff discover the patient's sugar is 20. And don't trust that the treatment that patient's received from anyone but yourself is correct either. The way I like to remind myself of this is to just tell myself before going into any patient care facility "The goal of the staff here is to lie to me and to kill my patient." It may sound harsh, but you'll save yourself a lot of grief and may do your patient some good by never accepting anything other than what you can confirm yourself, independently.

-Like Mike said, lights and sirens aren't cool. They kill people. Don't ever get into the mindset that you can race a patient to survival. Good medical care saves patients, and good patient care is administered in a low-stress, calm environment where everyone can think clearly and rationally. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Good luck to you, and welcome to this great profession!

[lsabat1023]

below is the best advice I can give, It worked for me. Being in the field for 33 years, I used this and strived for quality every year that I worked. Good luck!!!

If you work for a man, for heavens sake work for him. Speak well of him and by the institution he represents. Remember an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. If you must condemn and eternally find fault, resign your position and when you are on the outside damn to your hearts content. But so long as you are part of the company do not condemn it. If you do the first high wind that comes along will blow you away and you will never know why.

[emtdennis]

Congrats to becoming an EMT

Welcome to the big city, Lots to learn here, from some really great people.

Take you time with the patient, ask questions, and do no harm.

If you get driving duty, take your time, and make the turns slowly. Rigs are top heavy and will turn over. Also remember, even though you have lights and sirens, use them very sparingly.

Edited October 19, 2012 by emtdennis

[YoungEMT95]

Welcome.

You are just beginning a long journey through life in EMS,use the time wisely to learn every day and never stop improving your knowledge.

All of what Mike said + read and learn your protocol book. Know it inside & out

.

Listen to what the other members of your crew have to say and how they do things.

Hopefully you will have an experienced partner to learn the street smarts part of the job.

Take the State AVOC course

Where in Maine are you?

I am working for Lisbon Emergency

[Just Plain Ruff]

Are you going to be driving?

What kind of EMS system are you working for?

Remember, the patient knows more about themself than you ever will, so don't forget that. Don't assume that in your treatment and listen LISTEN to what they have to say.

If they tell you something is wrong, listen to them.

Remember that the family that is there is also your patient by proxy so include them in your discussions. Nobody likes to be in the dark and a family member who doesn't understand what's going on is a failure on your part. (certain exclusions apply of course)

Remember, all little dogs, BITE, no matter how friendly they seem.

NEVER NEVER stand directly in front of the door when you arrive at any scene especially a scene where you are unsure of the occupants of the house. Always stand to the side of the door.

Remember, rodeos are some of the most DANGEROUS places you can work. From pissed off bulls who just had their nads zapped and a cowboy riding on their back, to a bunch of drunk cowboys who get pissed at you for not running into the arena to help the downed bull rider. Even though the bull is still in the arena.

Always wear your yellow safety vest and ALWAYS wear bunker gear if you are going to be inside or extricating someone from a car. (this assumes you are issued bunker gear). If no bunker gear, make sure you stay away from the extrication area unless you are in the car. Wear safety goggles or a face shield to keep your eyes safe.

Always try to stay with your partner. Go off alone and you are asking for trouble.

Become friends with law enforcement in your area and the fire services in your area. You need a amicable relationship with them. Alienate them and you can expect some major issues on getting help.

Always keep a couple bottles of water in your ambulance for you and your partner.

One thing I found one day was the need for water to mix up formula for a non-injured baby. I had one bottle of water and was able to use it to mix up formula. So it's not just you that might need the water.

Make sure that you are supplied with good boots and pants.

Don't cross the street or walk to a street scene without looking both ways several times. Not looking both ways might just get you killed.

And finally, if you see something that you feel is wrong, speak up. I know you are a new guy but if it's wrong you have every right to speak up and make yourself heard. To keep silent is cowardly.

[island emt]

I am working for Lisbon Emergency

You're not far up the road from me. Might run into you at the hospitals in Brunswick.