What Are You Anal Retentive About in EMS?

[UMSTUDENT]

People who believe experience is the ultimate judge of a person's skill. I know paramedics who couldn't tell me what insulin actually does in the body. I've seen "experienced" paramedics do some really stupid stuff.

While the field can never truly be mastered, I think someone can come reasonably close with the scope of practice of our profession. There is always room from improvement, as there is with any profession, but I don't think it takes 20, 10 or even 5 years. Depending on your call volume and patient demographic I think an intelligent, well educated paramedic could compete equally with someone of 20-30 years. Especially if that person has done absolutely nothing to further their education or general knowledge. Depending on where the individual paramedic received their education and their current level of maturity and humility, I think someone could be considered VERY good after 4-5 years of high call volume EMS.

[ffemt819]

four things i am anal retentive on

1) clean rig and restocked equipment

2) a partner that works with you not against you including assisting with restocking and pt care. That keeps similar ideas as me that you treat every pt as if you would want your own family treated

3) portable suction that works and is clean and battery is recharged since we use a suction that runs off of life pack batteries

4) that when we set up stretcher a blanket a sheet and towel is on the stretcher every time every pt

I hope that doesn't scare any partners off but this is the way i feel

[Dustdevil]

4) that when we set up stretcher a blanket a sheet and towel is on the stretcher every time every pt

And NOT strapped down! I hate partners who strap the pillow down to the cot! :roll:

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[akroeze]

And NOT strapped down! I hate partners who strap the pillow down to the cot! :roll:

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huh?

I just want clarification... you don't want the straps over the pillow when it's sitting empty? Why?

[Eydawn]

Useless radio traffic... if it isn't the location of your patient or you going off duty, stay the *hades* off that channel. Especially at scouting events, when all my First Responder young'ns (who are really just eyes to locate patients and holler for help) decide it's a good idea to chatter over the FIRE DEPARTMENT (for this past New Year's, our transporting agency and only source of ALS) about who is switching to what team and where the marshmallows are. :shock:

Idiots who mess with *my* kit... I know where every piece of my equipment is, you keep your grubby paws out of it unless I specifically direct you to dive in and grab me something I need. Especially moving my kit out of my field of vision because FD says "get this area clear!" leaving me with no BP cuff and no tape.

People too stupid to watch out for their own safety, creating more patients and less staff. Thanks, folks!

People glued to their cell phone to the extent where I find out waaay more about their personal life than I ever wanted to know. Really.

The back of the rig must be organized and there must be both tape and gloves available at all times.

I'm sure I'll have more soon....

[Just Plain Ruff]

I cannot believe no one has said Leaving sharps on the floor after a code or a bad call. They have sharps containers for that. For those who have been stuck you know what I mean.

Also fast driving

not stopping at intersections and stop signs

no restocking the units

instructors having relations with students

supervisors having relations with the supervised

not being able to read a map and get me to where I want to go

GRAMMAR AND SPELLING especially on patient run reports.

Drug Errors

inappropriate statements made around patients. "We only drop people on thursday" silly

Lying to Patients

those are a few that I have

Oh one other not taking responsibility for your actions. "I didn't do it"

[Dustdevil]

I just want clarification... you don't want the straps over the pillow when it's sitting empty? Why?

Why would you? I don't do anything without thoroughly thinking it through, considering all pros, cons, and choosing the most logical option. On an emergency ambulance (as opposed to a non-emergency transfer ambulance), only about a quarter of my patients need a pillow. Either they are on a backboard, or they are in bad enough condition that the pillow is just in the way. Consequently, it gets in the way, takes up an extra hand we don't have, or gets left on the scene, never to be seen again. When I or my partner go retrieve the cot for the patient, we can very quickly toss the unneeded pillow off the cot and onto the squad bench if it is not strapped down. Saves time and effort and costs you nothing, and you don't end up replacing near as many pillows.

Strapping the pillow down is one of those silly things we do simply because "it's the way we've always done it." But operationally, it makes no sense. It serves no purpose and is a potential pain in the ass.

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[Guest DELETED]

DELETED

[Guest]

OK i work on a 911 responce truck and i do strap in the pillow... I don't strap it SO tight that i would accually have to unbuckle the strap to get it off ... it just holds it on the cot and keeping it off the floor. Nothing complicated but yes thought through. My strap at the head of the cot is quite large for the "large" patients we frequently transport so the pillow accually helps take out slack that would also be dragging or tangled on the cot. it all good, just a difference in opinion.

like i said its not so tight that i would have to unbuckle it .. if its not needed then just slip it out and toss it .. no more effort than otherwise.....

anyway thats how i do it

[Dustdevil]

That works for me, so long as both partners understand the procedure. I have found it a lot easier to break basics of the habit of strapping the pillow altogether than I have getting them to stop strapping it tightly. Full steps are easier to take than half-steps. If they strap it down, their instinct keeps telling them to do it tightly, so to greatly simplify it, we just don't strap it at all. But hey, whatever works for you. So long as you are actually thinking things through instead of just doing what everybody else does or what you've always done, you're ahead of the game.

The ones I REALLY hate are the ones who want to cross-strap the pillow down with both straps. :roll:

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