Interesting interview question popped up today... Remove one piece of equipment

[Ridryder911]

we have those too. had that at my lst company as well over 500 miles from here...lol

it is not like I'm gonna wipe anyones butt on a call...lol...

Obviously you have never transported many patients that was given Lasix or Kayexalate, or even Activated Charcoal with sorbital. So you have a transport time of 30 -45 minutes, you going to allow them to lie in it?

Just remember, skin breakdown occurs fast and if there is any open lacs, lesions, abrasions, etc.. exposure is not a good thing.

Personally, I don't feel I am too good to wipes any one's behind if they need it. Again, it's about the patient and not me...

Is those in EMS really getting that selfish?

R/r 911

 

[EMT-G36C]

I've always liked you RR.

I totally agree!

I have wiped behinds, and changed diapers.

Some partners have told me that we dont have to do that, we arent CNAs.

I disagree. Pt. care (and IMO in IFTs this includes comfort) is number one.

You gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[Sasha]

Personally, I don't feel I am too good to wipes any one's behind if they need it. Again, it's about the patient and not me...

I don't feel that I am to good for it, as I often help nurses and CNAs change and clean up patients for transport. It just doesn't sound like a great idea to do in the back of an ambulance, it sounds messy. Perhaps it's my short arms, but I found it difficult to try and manuver a patient onto a bed pan solo while seat belted in. Then again, most of my transports rarely reach an hour and even more rarely exceed that.

 

[Buzz]

Air splints. Reason being that I've used an air splint only once, partially because I had never used one and had a situation where I could, and partially because I didn't want to fight with the board splints in the over-stuffed bench seat cabinet.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

I would say activated charcoal as getting anybody to drink enough and keep it down is pretty much impossible anyway.

Yeah that's in our protocol, but we don't carry it!

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Obviously you have never transported many patients that was given Lasix or Kayexalate, or even Activated Charcoal with sorbital. So you have a transport time of 30 -45 minutes, you going to allow them to lie in it?

Just remember, skin breakdown occurs fast and if there is any open lacs, lesions, abrasions, etc.. exposure is not a good thing.

Personally, I don't feel I am too good to wipes any one's behind if they need it. Again, it's about the patient and not me...

Is those in EMS really getting that selfish?

R/r 911

Agreed rid. If a pt is feeling cold, and its 90 degrees out, I'll shut off the back AC and turn on the heat if he still really wants it. I wasn't the one in the water for the past 20 minutes. My partners think i'm nuts, but i don't mind sweating a bit for all of 5 minutes to the hospital.

 

[Lone Star]

Personally, I'd leave the NIBP machines by the side of the road. I prefer auscultation as opposed to a machine. At least I can tell if my cuff is calibrated simply by looking at the gauge. Can you tell if the NIBP is calibrated by looking at it, or if all the lights come on when you power on the device?

 

[CAOX3]

That list would be quite long.

Thank god we dont carry bed pans.

 

[JPINFV]

Thank god we dont carry bed pans.

Why? I'd rather have and not need than need and not have.

 

[Shishkabob]

Why? I'd rather have and not need than need and not have.

Guess you could say that about everything we have which makes this whole thread moot, doesn't it?

 

[JPINFV]

Guess you could say that about everything we have which makes this whole thread moot, doesn't it?

Not really. There are a handful of useless equipment on the ambulance. Things I considered useless that I've had include a latex free kit (no latex equipment on anyways), hazmat gear (no real training or QI. One training session we had it took the 2 people who volunteered to put it on 10 minutes), binoculars, saran wrap, aluminum foil, plastic bags in addition to the biohazard bags, and an extraction kit (no real training on extraction).

While a handful of those are about lack of training, you don't need training for a bed pan.

 

[reaper]

Not really. There are a handful of useless equipment on the ambulance. Things I considered useless that I've had include a latex free kit (no latex equipment on anyways), hazmat gear (no real training or QI. One training session we had it took the 2 people who volunteered to put it on 10 minutes), binoculars, saran wrap, aluminum foil, plastic bags in addition to the biohazard bags, and an extraction kit (no real training on extraction).

While a handful of those are about lack of training, you don't need training for a bed pan.

I can agree on most of that, except for the Binoculars and Saran wrap! They are needed on the truck!

 

[Shishkabob]

binoculars, saran wrap, aluminum foil,

Binocs-- Role up to a over-turned semi with a HAZMAT tag on the back... You stay far away and look at what is in side the trailer (which is why you also have the HAZMAT road guide)

Saran-rap-- impromptu occlusive dressing

Aluminum foil-- making popcorn on the engine.

 

[djmedic913]

we recently had pet O2 masks added to the trucks and added to the protocols...

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Personally, I'd leave the NIBP machines by the side of the road. I prefer auscultation as opposed to a machine. At least I can tell if my cuff is calibrated simply by looking at the gauge. Can you tell if the NIBP is calibrated by looking at it, or if all the lights come on when you power on the device?

Yes, you can tell if they are calibrated correctly (at least some of them) as they will give a digital readout as they are inflating including when they are at 0.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Not really. There are a handful of useless equipment on the ambulance. Things I considered useless that I've had include a latex free kit (no latex equipment on anyways), hazmat gear (no real training or QI. One training session we had it took the 2 people who volunteered to put it on 10 minutes), binoculars, saran wrap, aluminum foil, plastic bags in addition to the biohazard bags, and an extraction kit (no real training on extraction).

While a handful of those are about lack of training, you don't need training for a bed pan.

Binocs are good at the scene of a rollover truck.

And if you took away my saran wrap and aluminium foil, what am i to wrap my sandwich in when we get called out during lunch? :-D

 

[mikeN]

I'd get rid of the axe and the ten pound hammer.
We don't carry MAST pants, inflatable/vaccuum splints, pulse ox

 

[djmedic913]

I'd get rid of the axe and the ten pound hammer.

you must be Fire based. If an axe is standard on your stand alone EMS deptartment......................

 

[PotatoMedic]

I can't remember where I heard this. Must have been from a guy I was talking to when riding along, but his old EMS company he worked for carried chainsaws, wedges, and axes to clear the road of downed trees.

Sorry I can't reference where. It just clicked in my mind when I saw the axes.

 

[medic417]

Saran-rap-- impromptu occlusive dressing

Aluminum foil-- making popcorn on the engine.

Nope. These both are used to retain heat in a newborn. Thought that was still a basic skill.