I'm Finished . . .

[NickD]

Hi Everyone,

An update on me since I haven't posted much since I intro'd myself back in January.

It's here if you want to read it: http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7091

I completed the EMT-B course at UCLA in Los Angels, California and it was both good and not so good. Someone else here termed UCLA's course as "disjointed" and I must say I found that to be the case. The reason, I believe, is the large mix of didactic and skills instructors. The classroom (lecture) instructors were all very good, old hands all, and each had a good grip on the material and also the fundamentals of good instruction. On the other hand the skills instructors (the ones who did the labs) were, as a group mostly young (and surprisingly no longer working in the field) EMTs, or UCLA undergraduates, and on their way to something else. That was the hit or miss part. Overall however, it was a good education.

My main purpose for this is aimed at the "older" students. I'm 52, in shape, and as hip as I was at twenty, no scratch that, I'm hip-er. At no point in all of this did I find my age (oldest in my class) as any kind of deterrent. If anything it was the opposite. So don’t ever let anyone tell you "life experience" is anything but a plus in any endeavor.

However, age alone, won't do it. No matter what age you are when you start an EMS career don't expect anything handed to you. I've spent the entire course, buried in it, I ate with the Brady book, slept with the Brady book, and sat on the toilet with the Brady book (a good time to brush up on the vagal nerve).

I did a clinical shift at the UCLA ED in Santa Monica and when I came home I remember feeling if I never did another thing in EMS all the schooling and effort was validated by that one night. I left after 12 hours (stayed two extra hours) feeling I made a difference in some people's lives. Sure, I know it’s a simplification to the more experienced, but there was a great crew in the ED that night and they just turned me loose. And the more I did the more they heaped on me and I loved it.

I did the usual stuff, getting vitals and making up beds, but I also held the hand of some who needed a hand to hang onto. I did the simple things, bringing a warm blanket, and sometimes just listening. I also don't want to diminish the feeling of for the first time working with "real" people. That is an experience, after "playing" with other as students in class, that is not to be passed by too quickly. I also stepped in the way and took a punch square in the jaw that was aimed at a nurse from a belligerent drunk who had wreaked his car. Later, an ED doctor thanked me in front of everyone saying, "Nick here, took one for the team."

Along the course of the night many EMTs were bringing in Pts. and I always tried to sidle up and see what was happening. I have to say while a few of them were impressive there were some that were not. I'll always remember the two, after handing over their Pt. still trying to figure out what to write in the PCR as the chief complaint. I'm not too surprised, and I'm sure, it's a gritty world out there in the street but somehow it was a hiccup in how well everyone else was handling their jobs. I all of sudden wanted to work here in an ED.

I transported a few admitted Pts. up to their wards and it’s a remarkable contrast between the ED and the rest of the hospital. In the ED its constant movement, a new surprise at every corner, while up in the wards it's dark and everyone moves in slow motion. ED RNs seem ready for whatever comes and the ward RNs seem to want to get through their shift. No rocking the boat please.

With the clinicals and practical's all done (we did the latter as part of our Basic course at UCLA) I signed up for the NAEMT exam. I took two weeks, buried in the books, between the time I finished school and picked a date to take the test.

I bought every EMT test booklet there is in the world and took test after test after test. We, all of us now, are sort of caught in the vacuum between the paper and pencil test and the CBT. Of all the test booklets, the most up to date one is the "Kaplan" EMT-Basic Exam." It's 2007, ISBN # 13: 978 1-4195-5095-9. This one acknowledges the CBT and, it was, the closest to the format of the actual NAEMT exam.

So Saturday at 2:00 PM I presented myself at the Person-Vu facility in Pasadena, California to sit the exam. And yes, they are anal about security to the point of foolishness. You are fingerprinted coming and going and they take your picture. I don't get this. Are there actually professional EMT-B test takers out there? Man, I'd get a job bagging groceries at Von's before I'd take that up. However I must say they were professional, but friendly.

There were full up so they put me in a small room all to myself. That was fine, they closed the door and it was quiet and a perfect environment for test taking. I did note the camera on the wall and reminded myself about unconscious nose picking. The exam kicked me out at 71 questions. About 20 percent of the questions were scenario based and the rest were straight forward questions and very similar to the ones we had in our class quizzes. However, the "deceiver" answers were trickier, and it was harder to choose between the two answers that "sounded" right.

I know each student gets a "different" test, but mine was weighted more toward respiratory and cardiac questions. There was only one "scene safety" question and a few on Pt. assessment, and those few were all on the differences between medical and trauma Pts. I had three questions on medications and two were on Nitro and one was on the Inhaler. I didn't notice any "adaptive" nature of the exam and it seemed to me none of the questions were either getting harder or easier. However, I did leave the exam having no idea if I passed or failed.

If I made one big mistake it was this; I'd been reading here, and on other EMS forums that most successful candidates were kicked out of the exam at about 60 questions. So when I passed question sixty I started to sweat. I actually thought to myself, "okay, the computer has me on the bubble and the next ten questions are going to make or break me." That was Saturday, and today, Monday morning, the results were posted in the NAEMT website. I passed . . .

On the age question, it worked for me. The point being, whatever your age, make it work for you . . .

NickD

EMT-B

[spenac]

Congrats on the passing. Now your education actually begins if your going to be good at this profession.

[dblueyes]

Congratulations on passing the exam!! Way to go!!!!

Now let the real fun begin! Good luck to you!

[baseflight]

Welcome BASE brother and fellow EMT.... :wink:

base587

[Dustdevil]

Plus 10 for the most informative post of the week! =D>

In the military, we occasionally see that exceptional enlisted man who stands out from his peers and is obviously destined for greatness. These are the guys who are promoted ahead of the others, and sometimes even moved into the officer ranks because of their outstanding potential. I think you are that kind of person. I doubt I have to tell you this, but please... do NOT sit back and relax now. You're not a worker bee. You're a leader! Go STRAIGHT to paramedic school! Unless, of course, you lack the basic sciences (A&P, Microbiology, algebra and psych), then get right on that. Your maturity, intelligence, and communication skills are sorely needed in EMS to help lead our image for the twenty-first century.

I wish you had a blog. I would read it and recommend it to other students.

[EMSm0nster]

So you took the two week course at UCLA? You are nuts!!!

I am over on the other side at Mt. San Antonio College.

Where do you plan to work at?

[NickD]

So you took the two week course at UCLA? You are nuts!!!

Nope, my course was three days per week (nights) spread over three months (January 9 - March 20.)

I never considered the shorter time frame course as I wanted the opportunity to study and digest.

NickD

EMT-B

[itku2er]

Congrats NICK

terr

[katbemeEMT-B]

Congrats Nick and welcome to the trenches!!

I too made the decision to start my education later in life and have now found my calling. I started out wanting to be an RN but have now decided when I go back to school it will be paramedic school. Right now I am getting my field experience. Most people have said do this for about six months before moving on to the paramedic program. Unless you are in a high volume area I suggest at least a year to allow exposure to as many different experiences as possible. A medic that I work with told me not to go until I have experienced an MCI and a full arrest. I think there might be something to that. I recently had my first MCI and it was crazy. Much different then clinicals in school.

I wish you the best and good luck in all that you do. EMS needs more people like you.

Kat

[Eydawn]

Welcome to the field! I hope you find a lot of enjoyment and worthwhile experiences while you're here!

May your education never cease, inside of the classroom or out. Congratulations!

Best of luck to you!

Wendy

CO EMT-B

MI EMT-B