Second Ride Along

[hannahblumel]

Hey guys,

Haven't been on here since class started. Three weeks from finishing my EMT-B course. Had my first ride along. Very uneventful. Didn't even get to take vitals. My second one is coming up on Thursday. Any suggestions? Hope I get more calls so I can test my skills. Hope to be EMT-B certified by January. Any suggestions would be appreciated for the ride along or anything else. Its strange to see how much i understand on this forum now vs before I took this course.

[emtdennis]

Keep in mind, you will find shifts that are uneventful. Sometime you feast and sometimes you famine. Then there are times when the fit hits the shan and you wish for the quiet. My first couple ride a longs were quiet, just hang in there and be open to learning by observing. Do stick with the forums, cuz there is a lot to learn.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Well unfortunately the EMS gods will either shine on you or say "nope aint gonna give you shit" and let you just sit around and watch TV in a recliner at the firehouse.

Just do what you did last shift and observe and be there to do what they need you to do.

Tell the medic or the emt in charge that you are willing to do whatever they need you to do. Remember it is their job to keep you safe, but your job as well so keep your head on your shoulder.

Don't be an idiot like one of my students and go off into the basement of one of the houses we were at looking for the overdose victim and nearly become a victim themself. That was a bad scene. STICK WITH YOUR PRECEPTOR. GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But in all seriousness, do what they tell you to do, perform what you have been taught and soak up the learning atmosphere because one day soon you will not be in the learning sphere anymore, but in the patient care in charge sphere and what you learn on your ride time is that important.

[hannahblumel]

I know better than to go wandering around a patient's house. The only interventions they allow basic students here to do are vitals and CPR. But if I get a call I'm sure I'll learn a lot just by watching.

Thanks guys good advice!

[Just Plain Ruff]

I know better than to go wandering around a patient's house. The only interventions they allow basic students here to do are vitals and CPR. But if I get a call I'm sure I'll learn a lot just by watching.

Thanks guys good advice!

Really, That sounds like they use you as glorified eye candy and part time help. No splinting, no bandaging? How the heck do they expect to help you learn skills that you should learn? Any chance you can get with a better more progressive learning environment?

Have you had a discussion with your instructor about the limitations that you are under at the EMS Agency you are riding with? Could it be that someone at the class you are in ruined it for the rest of you by screwing up royally or does that service just not trust you students.

When I had students they were allowed to do whatever their scope of learning (to that point of their class) allowed them to do. If they had learned bandaging and splinting then they did that, if they hadn't gotten to that point, then they didn't get to do it.

Sounds like your ride service is behind the times.

[hannahblumel]

Well in the class they told us we could do whatever we felt comfortable doing that we learned in class, but the emts I ride with are a little less open and I didn't even get any good calls. One was transfering a Schitzophrenic from one hospital to another where I wasn't allowed to take vitals at all, and the other was a diabetic who overdosed on her medication and by the time my station got there another station was already there and had already handled the situation so I wasn't allowed to take vitals on that call either. I basically just rode around on the engine and studing at the station.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ahhh that sheds more light on the situation. I suggest that you just let them know you are willing to do whatever they allow you to do. If there is a skill that they are going to perform ask them if you can do it, as long as it's in your scope. All you can do is ask.

It they don't allow it, document it on your evaluation sheet that you turn into your instructor. If you don't have one of those, make sure you let your instructor know that you had skills that you could have done but the crews wouldn't let you do them.

You are there to learn and if the people you are riding with aren't letting you do them, then they really don't need to have students ride with them. You are being robbed of valuable skills time that some other crew might let you practice.

But maybe all the crews are like that, I don't know.

good luck and just be available to the crew.

[Kaisu]

I got to agree with the Captain here. Sounds like the service you are riding with is not on the ball. When we have a student come in, we all recognize that at the beginning is where we all started. A kind word and a welcoming attitude goes a long way to helping a student begin their learning experience. On a busy shift, there is not a lot of extra that we need to do except keep an eye on the kid and make sure they don't get into trouble. There is time getting to the scene where we encourage the student to be pro-active by asking questions based on the tone out information about what they expect at the scene, what they should make sure gets taken in to the scene, etc. After the call, we go over what was really there and monday morning quarterback the call.

If there are few calls, then the student gets taken to the back of the rig to explore where everything is and what its used for. We have gone as far as scene playing where one of the medics is the patient and the student runs the call.

It is an honor to precept students. We are usually the only experience they are going to get and it behooves us to make sure that student gets the most out of the situation that they can.

I am sorry that a lot of students do not get this.

[MikeEMT]

I don't want to bash on students, but what do you expect to happen. You don't have a basic cert yet so anything you do will be under the cert of the EMT's you are riding with. It would depend on how comfortable they felt with you as to what they let you do if anything.

Me personally, I would have a hard time letting an EMT student touch my patient. That doesn't mean I wont explain things to the student and I might let them listen to lung sounds or get the second set of vitals. But, ultimately my name is attached to that patient and I am responsible.

Sit back, observe what the EMT's are doing, ask appropriate questions AFTER the call. If you are lucky enough to get hands on experience, great. That means they trust you and your abilities. BUT, if you don't get hands on experience don't sweat it. Just pay attention and learn what you can. Ride out time is meant to give you first hand experience as to how we operate in the field.

In a perfect world students could get hands on time. However, legally speaking it is not in the best interest and can get people in trouble.

Good luck to you and enjoy your ride along. Remember to thank the crew.

[medicgirl05]

I am also very leary of basic students assigned to me that I haven't even met previously, I have them show me their skills in the station prior to touching a patient. We start out checking the truck together, I am surprised how many of them don't have a clue as to what some of the equipment is, much less how to use it. I have them take vitals of people in the station to ensure they are competent, then we do some splinting and run through some scenrios and what I expect of them on the truck. It may take your preceptor a few shifts to become comfortable with you.

My advice is to ask questions when the time is appropriate. If you don't know how to do something just ask, we don't expect you to know everything. I would rather you ask than fumble aroud not knowing how to use something.

Good luck!

I did double the required clinical hours trying to get my calls. I know how frustrating it can be to have a slow day as a student.