National Registry Paramedic Trauma Practical Failed-help

[vicky02]

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Hi everyone,

I am new here. I took my national registry practical yesterday and passed everything except for the trauma assessment station. I am not sure what I did wrong.

Does anyone have any advice or comments on their practical.

I do get to retest (first time); but not for another 3 weeks (next available testing site).

thank you in advance

[spenac]

Verbalize decap btls, touch everything, gun shot one hole front one back cover both, abc's, expose them to the level your testing site allows. ask lots of questions, is trachea midline, jvd?, etc. Ask if any spurting bright red blood anywhere as you walk in. Just a few ideas.

[vicky02]

Thanks,

That is the scenario I had.

I don't remember if I asked about heavy bleeding.

I covered both wounds with an occlusive dressing.

I believe I went over on time. When I said I was done, he asked me if there was anything else I wanted to do and I panicked....I rewent over stuff in my head and mumbling to myself before I said Yes, I am finished.

I think my assessment may have been disjointed too.

[vicky02]

Was I supposed to decompress on this scenario...I know I didn't.

What are the other possible scenarios?

[BEorP]

Was I supposed to decompress on this scenario...I know I didn't.

What are the other possible scenarios?

Rather than worrying about the other possible scenarios, maybe you should just work on getting your standard trauma assessment down. It will be more or less the same approach regardless of the scenario. If you know other possible scenarios this may just end up confusing you if there is a slight variation from what you are expecting during the testing after walking in and thinking that you are doing a certain scenario you read about on here based on the dispatch info.

[vicky02]

You are most correct!

I guess I really don't care what the possibilities are.

My practice practicals in my paramedic class went fine and I passed all of them. This was my first station and I was really stressed.

[Ridryder 911]

The trauma station is pretty simplistic. The examiners are supposed to ask..."Is there anything else, you would like to add?".... If you scenario included a tension pneumo, yes you were supposed to decompress them, as in real life. Remember, upper airway and lower airway are to be corrected in the primary or initial assessment.

Review the skills sheet that is on the NREMT web site. It goes step by step, and as well the critical criteria that cannot be missed.

Good luck, and study hard...

R/r 911

[spenac]

Just relax and do your rapid trauma assessment, just seems harder because you have to ask what you would normally see or feel, and cover the points mentioned. You'll get it.

[vicky02]

Thanks everyone!

I am a old cardiac tech that jumped into the bridge class to P. Because the class started from the basics over a year ago, they were not really practicing practicals when I entered the program in the last 4 and a half months.

I did what I would normally do (I run by myself with a driver only) and I know I didn't take advantage of my other available crew members during the scenario. Like, I took manual c-spine control immediately and did a quick head assessment while evaluating the airway. I measured for the c:collar, etc. and requested placement of the collar and I waited until the evaluator told me the collar had been applied.

My patient's lung sounds improved after I applied occlusive dressings and I didn't decompress; there was also no tracheal deviation. But, all of this doesn't really matter.

I do need to memorize the skill sheet and just do what you guys are saying....just relax and do an "organized" assessment....I know I went off track a couple of times due to something diverting my attention and had to waste time recovering stuff.

I had calmed down for the other practicals and passed them with no problems.

[Dustdevil]

...I took manual c-spine control immediately and did a quick head assessment while evaluating the airway. I measured for the c:collar, etc. and requested placement of the collar and I waited until the evaluator told me the collar had been applied.

Well, that blows my theory. I failed trauma assessment once on this exact same scenario, except that at the very beginning the examiner mentioned that the victim was found lying near a staircase. Of course, there was no actual staircase in the room to visualise, so I forgot that piece of information and did not c-spine. You had that covered, though.