HELP! Back injury and I'm still a student!

[HERBIE1]

Reread the initial post here and have one big gaping question: why the frig were students starting with near full weight first time out? In my program, first week, the stretcher, stair chair, even backboard were kept empty until we were practiced with coordinating our lifts, working the trigger mechanism, walking with another person. We then slowly added weight until at the end of first semester we had to lift with 150lb dummy, then 175 at midterm, 190 at 2nd semester end and finally 210lbs for third semester onward. A LOT of people can't lift anywhere close to the final weight safely at the beginning of the program. I think it's really unsafe to start students lifting that high a weight before they been trained on the equipment and have practiced. Sure many will be fine, but those that won't be are a huge potential liability for the school and instructor.

Good point. Maybe they use it as a method to weed people out? Stupid- maybe, but I also never had a gradual increase in the weight of the cot. I think it's a valid issue- the job is very physically demanding and that certainly needs to be addressed early on- for the sake of the rest of the class and the student. IMHO, the jump between 150lbs to 220 pounds isn't huge. If a person has trouble lifting 150 pounds, then lifting anyone with real weight is going to be a problem.

Think about it- a stretcher can easily weigh 40, 50, 60 lbs or more. Unless you limit your patients to pediatrics, how many of patients only weigh 90-110 pounds? Now add a backboard, maybe an O2 tank, a monitor, and I don't think 150 pounds is an accurate example of the physical demands of the job.

[WolfmanHarris]

Good point. Maybe they use it as a method to weed people out? Stupid- maybe, but I also never had a gradual increase in the weight of the cot. I think it's a valid issue- the job is very physically demanding and that certainly needs to be addressed early on- for the sake of the rest of the class and the student. IMHO, the jump between 150lbs to 220 pounds isn't huge. If a person has trouble lifting 150 pounds, then lifting anyone with real weight is going to be a problem.

Think about it- a stretcher can easily weigh 40, 50, 60 lbs or more. Unless you limit your patients to pediatrics, how many of patients only weigh 90-110 pounds? Now add a backboard, maybe an O2 tank, a monitor, and I don't think 150 pounds is an accurate example of the physical demands of the job.

No disagreement here from me Herb. I do think it's important to ensure that students know how to work the cot before you add any weight to it. I've done a lift with someone in class who started fumbling with the trigger (cot's fault, not theirs the thing ended up going for maintenance) but they lost their focus and rather than put it down almost tipped the thing over. This was a 4th semester student, imagine someone on the first day, with no grasp on their own physical abilities, no experience with how the stretcher works? That's really my issue, don't give them the weight until they know the equipment. It's not just their backs on the line it's their partners too. I had classmates I refused to lift with given their history of dropping the stairchair and failing every lift they'd done to that point.

[Just Plain Ruff]

You mean in your class you got to use the stretcher and learn about it? The class I was in (1990) we were lucky if we even saw a stretcher on our first day of work before we saw one in class.

[mobey]

You mean in your class you got to use the stretcher and learn about it? The class I was in (1990) we were lucky if we even saw a stretcher on our first day of work before we saw one in class.

Hey Ruff

Not only did we have a new Ferno, and Stryker, we also had stairchairs with tracks AND an ambulance which we actually loaded our co-students and assessed while moving!!

[HERBIE1]

No disagreement here from me Herb. I do think it's important to ensure that students know how to work the cot before you add any weight to it. I've done a lift with someone in class who started fumbling with the trigger (cot's fault, not theirs the thing ended up going for maintenance) but they lost their focus and rather than put it down almost tipped the thing over. This was a 4th semester student, imagine someone on the first day, with no grasp on their own physical abilities, no experience with how the stretcher works? That's really my issue, don't give them the weight until they know the equipment. It's not just their backs on the line it's their partners too. I had classmates I refused to lift with given their history of dropping the stairchair and failing every lift they'd done to that point.

I agree that an empty cot should be used until a person understands the basics on it's operation, but as soon as possible the point should be made that lifting- especially with the 2 man stretchers- is a HUGE part of the job. Once someone is familiar with it's operation, they should be made aware of how much weight they will be responsible for lifting. If they cannot do it in a controlled environment, on a level surface, with a static load, then a real lift, with a real, wiggling patient would be impossible for them.

For the first 20+ years of my career I used a 2 man cot and only in the last few years did I get a one and half man bed. I could have used this thing a LONG time ago- it's great.

I know this will upset the ladies, but I HATED working with women with that 2 man stretcher, especially since back then, too often we had no lifting help. Women and men lift differently, women simply do not have the same upper body strength. Yes, there are exceptions to that rule, but countless times, women I worked with were able to get the cot from off the ground, up to near the level of the rear of the ambo(essentially a dead lift), but that last movement- bringing it to the ambo floor and into the rig was tough for them. I was usually left to wrestle it in essentially on my own. That was a big reason my back is in the shape it's in today.

[EMTLT1]

I am extremely upset and disappointed right now.

Today was the first day of my EMT course, at the end of the day, the instructor loaded the stretcher, with not quite all of the 250 lbs we are supposed to carry...and told us to go see what it feels like to lift. Granted, I know that it was alot of weight for me, I have just started a weight lifting program to help me out. However, with my first attempt, the girl on the other end of the stretcher cranked her half way up at the count of three, I was not able to lift it that fast. Therefore, the weight was leaning down on my end, so of course I couldn't lift it from there. I tried again, she did the same thing. So, now I sit here wincing in pain as I totally wrenched my back during this. :crybaby:

I had a previous back injury from last year and it was just starting to feel better, now I'm back, no actually behind where I started from.

We are not able to go on our practicum until we can carry the weight up and down two flights of stairs. But now because I've screwed up my back, I can't start lifting weights until this subsides(likely a few weeks).

What experiences have others had with back injury? Am I kidding myself that i can do this job? I want this more than anything, but I'm scared as hell that I'll fail with the physical part of my course and waste $10,000 on a career I can't possibly do?! Do I back out now and take a course in dispatch? Any help on the issue would be greatly appreciated....I'm desperate and totally discouraged.

(Also, does anyone have clarification about the weight of a stretcher? I heard they were 70lbs alone, loaded with 4, 5gallon jugs, which i heard were 50lbs a piece-10lbs per gallon, If those calculations were right, then we were deadlifting 285lbs -as they also had a 15lbs weight on it as well. And the full weight to lift is that plus one more water jug=335lbs up and down 2 flights?!?!? What the hell? Am I wrong, or are they wrong?)

Proper body mechanics is very important. Stretching, and yes doing some weight lifting would help. I do not know the weight of a stretcher. I lift a 180 lb man 5 times a day dead weight, (quad) I have been caring for him for 4 years. I also have an inversion table, I have been a nurse for 15 years and an EMT for 5 years. It takes a toll on your back no joke but take care of your back..