Just Started

[olegs]

Hey Guys
just started with a private, going through training. Now I am really starting to question if this is for me....it's like i just now am starting to realize how serious this job really is and im getting pretty scared. I also cant seem to find a part of the job that I truly like....i can deal with driving, I am scared of dealing with patients...doesnt really leave me much else
So the question is -- did anybody else go through this process?

 

[Diver911]

I can't speak for everyone else but NO! I did not have second guesses when it came to patient care.. I was an excellent student and new that if put in a situation I could help someone. But I thrive on these situations.. I want to be the one making the decisions and providing the care..

Is that everyone... NOPE!

Only you are going to know whether or not you can deal with it.. we do not know you and can only speak of our experiences.... you are going into patient care.. so no it doesn’t leave you with much else.. you can deal with driving.. good for you.. then maybe you should become a taxi driver!

Think about your motivation.. what is driving you to become an EMT? Because this is a serious "job" and your decisions are going to save peoples lives.. we cant answer whether or not YOU can deal with it.. only you can..

Dig deep down inside you and come up with an answer.. you might be surprised.... you started the journey... but can you finish it....

 

[ccems644]

It takes time to build your confidence and the only way to build it is to work patients and lots of training. I have helped out with a few EMT classed here is something I tell the students that is helpful. When you look at a patient just keep in the back of your mind they have all the same parts(in most cases) as you do. Relax Take a deep breath think about what is wrong and treat it. BSI, Scene SAFE, ABC's, SAMPLE, treat/transport..... piece of cake.

 

[Ridryder911]

Time for a reality check. As others pointed out, you need to check out your motivation. If you do not want to perform patient care, then you need to get a different career. I have seen too many get "sucked into" the system that never really wanted to perform patient care.

Driving is just one part of EMS and a very small part of it and should not be the "highlight" of it. Yes, it is natural to be apprehensive about the job as you learn more and more about care, but you described... "there is no part of the job, I can find I really like".... This concerns me because it points out that you not only do not like patient care, but other areas of the business as well. One will not last long or be a compliment to the system having that feeling.

My recommendation is to really think things through. There is no disgrace of leaving this field, especially before investing a lot time and money into it. This field and business is definitely not for everyone. I have even seem physicians that did not like EMS, so don't take it personally; many enter EMS only to leave it. I much rather see a person happy and fulfilled in a career than to always have a regret.

Good luck in your future.

R/r 911

 

[BossyCow]

I'm confused. You can't find any part of the job you like.. so what do you want from us, a way to turn something you don't like into something you do? If you truly don't like a job, why do it? EMS doesn't pay enough to have you be miserable while doing it.

While its natural to feel some discomfort or lack of confidence early in your EMS career, its not normal to dislike the job. This doesn't sound to me like something you will 'get over with time' it sounds like you are telling yourself to find a new job.

 

[emergmedik]

wow..... here's the thing, everybody isn't a pro at first when it comes to patient care, yeah you've got the training and the knowledge to treat, but how you interact with your patient that's something you develop over time and with more calls, it's not something that can be taught by anybody other than you! My problem is you said you're just now realizing how serious being an EMT is.... yeah you hold people's lives in your hands, pretty serious stuff!! we don't do this job for fame or fortune, if that's what you're in it for, then it's not the job for you. you've said there isn't one part of the job you can find to your liking.....sounds to me like you've already made the decision here.........if not you've got alot of soul searching to do, the job doesn't get any easier, and if you don't like it now, it's not something you're just gonna learn to love...... only you can make the decision, nobody can make it for you, hopefully you make the right choice.......
best of luck!

 

[Gbro]

EMS isn't for everyone,
You just can't always know how you will like Pt. care until you get your feet wet.
There are too many in EMS that just want to be the driver.
If its just being uncomfortable dealing with the injured, that can get better as you gain experience.
Good luck with your decision.

 

[olegs]

so what do you want from us, a way to turn something you don't like into something you do?.

lol....im not sure what I was looking for, just trying to get some stuff staight in my head....thanks for all your responses guys

 

[el Murpharino]

What is your level of certification (basic, or in basic class would be the obvious answer, I'm sure)? Also, is it the pace of a private agency that gets you, or is it the idea of not knowing what to do in a true emergency (or both)? I'm sure it's more than just "oh my god, this is overwhelming...", because I think everyone experiences a bit of that once they get out of the controlled environment of the classroom and onto the streets.

 

[JonathanGennick]

I am scared of dealing with patients...

There's a transition that you have to make from class to working for real. It really helps to have a good partner to back you up, to ease you into things, one who knows when to step back and let you run and when to intervene. If you've just been thrown into the fire, then that's a tough situation to deal with.

Are you a Basic? Is your partner a medic? Or are you a Basic/Basic unit?

A few things that have helped me:

1) Things are rarely as bad as they look. Most of the time you can afford to step back for a few seconds and think about what to do.

2) If in doubt, fall back on ABCs. You can't go wrong in doing that.

3) Debrief after each run, to see what you could do better the next time. Don't beat yourself up over a run. Just think things through once the pressure is off. It helps me a lot to replay a run and analyze what went well and what didn't.

4) Ask for help/advice from your partner. Bear in mind that some people are better than others at mentoring people who are new to the field.

5) Walk. Never run. It is never (at least rarely) as bad as it looks.

I remember when I began. It took me awhile to hit my stride and get comfortable in the job, and to gain confidence. Having the right partner to mentor you can make a huge difference.

You say you are uncomfortable with patient care. Can you elaborate on that? Which aspects of care are giving you trouble?

 

[TheMowingMonk]

yeah i remember my first couple calls i was scared to do anything with the pt. i remember the first time i took a bp in a real call during my clinicals i was so nervous that my bp was way off. but it was actually thanks to one of the fire fighters yelling at me to do it again that help me getting comfortable doing it again.

 

[emtgirl_2008]

Just thought i'd add a bit to this question. I am currently taking the full class for the 2nd time because my license lasped......and i personally never went through the scared phase...but there are people in the class that are going through that. I think again, like someone said you will be comfortable with the situation and patients once you actually get out there and see it all done, it probably won't be as scary as it seems in class. It is also hard to picture what you are supposed to do if you've never done it. It'll all click and you will be fine.....if this is for you!

 

[BossyCow]

I think there's a difference between being initially a bit scared or insecure of your skills and not liking the job. The original poster said the only part of the job he liked at all was the driving. Sounds like a great candidate for a job as a taxi driver. You still get the puking drunks, but you don't have to provide pt care to them, just drive them.

 

[emtgirl_2008]

great point! lol......

 

[olegs]

wow i didnt realize people were still responding to this topic, havnt been back in a while, sorry
I just finished my first couple of days as a 3rd rider for a private. Im working for a private company, but I dont really think that matters. Honestly, I think I got freaked out, because things were not connecting in my head -- it felt like I was given a lot of infromation, but I had no idea how to implement it. I feel more comfortable now that I have actually done stuff out on the field. Nothing major, just vitals and basic stuff like that (I am a basic). I was riding with an ALS rig, so I got to see stuff like IV's and Cardiac Monitor, and basically, right now Im pretty excited about the job. I was also pretty scared that I wont be able to be compassionate, that Im just not gonna care, or get angry or whatever. I understand that people get in this job for pretty much one reason, and I was doubting that I made the right choice. So, for now, Im gonna stick around and see whats going to come out of this.

 

[skyemt]

wow i didnt realize people were still responding to this topic, havnt been back in a while, sorry
I just finished my first couple of days as a 3rd rider for a private. Im working for a private company, but I dont really think that matters. Honestly, I think I got freaked out, because things were not connecting in my head -- it felt like I was given a lot of infromation, but I had no idea how to implement it. I feel more comfortable now that I have actually done stuff out on the field. Nothing major, just vitals and basic stuff like that (I am a basic). I was riding with an ALS rig, so I got to see stuff like IV's and Cardiac Monitor, and basically, right now Im pretty excited about the job. I was also pretty scared that I wont be able to be compassionate, that Im just not gonna care, or get angry or whatever. I understand that people get in this job for pretty much one reason, and I was doubting that I made the right choice. So, for now, Im gonna stick around and see whats going to come out of this.

ok... so you are a bit more comfortable now... but my question is....

do you enjoy caring for the patients?

 

[KillTank]

I thought the same thing sorta until i hit my clinicals. I loved it so much, i signed up for extra hours. just stick with it until you are for sure you cant do it. dont think as of it as someones life in your hands, think of it as you are there to help another human in need.

 

[firetender]

If you're like most of us, you'll probably go in and out of a love affair with the profession multiple times. It's good that you bring your questions here as you go because you've got lots of Brothers and Sisters to offer reality checks to you...and also ask you the tough questions you need to ask yourself.

 

[LucidResq]

Ok so I had this "oh :censored::censored::censored::censored:... can I really do this?" moment last year.

My SAR team does this wonderful prank on new members on one of our first trainings up in the mountains. They simulate the Captain basically dying. While we were doing another simulation we overheard a frantic radio call from a Lt. that the Capt had fallen a significant height off the rocks and was unresponsive.

I mean, they went all out... screaming GO GO GO, lights and sirens (we were in the boonies so it wasn't that dangerous), all the old members crying, they did it at night and moulaged him great so it looked realistic... they actually started an IV on him, somehow faked bagging him... blood... I mean for a second I wondered if it wasn't real but then I thought that they wouldn't do that to us.

Well I was on the litter team towards the back when we were about 15 feet from the truck when I tripped over a small tree stump. I didn't have time to react and brought down the litter with me. His IV pulled out, the BVM got pulled out... he had a nice jolt... it was awful.

It was then that I realized that in this field I am going to make mistakes, and those mistakes may hurt real people or even kill them. It's just a fact. I thought about that episode of Scrubs where they talk about how every doctor will kill at least one patient.

That realization made me reconsider my entire life. I had known that EMS was for me for a very long time, but for a while after that I reconsidered all of my plans and life goals. After deep thought I decided that yes, this is exactly what I want to do.

I still grapple with it somewhat, but I've come to terms with it. This is a very serious field to get in to, and your mistakes can have fatal consequences. If you really have a passion for EMS, that should just be the greatest motivation to work your hardest to become an excellent caregiver.

PS: that whole captain-dying fiasco isn't as cruel as it sounds. It's a huge bonding thing because you realize just how intensely you care about the people on the team despite only knowing them for a short time. The team has been doing it for over 50 years.