Practicals

[mcvey7218]

Hey guys! I passed patient assessment practicals and checked off on BP's in class yesterday. I had a 25 year old male who had fallen off a ladder and APPEARED to be unresponsive...that was the only information about the patient that I was given. It did take two attempts for me to pass patient assessment, as I forgot to check for responsiveness, so I had to repeat..... but I passed on the second attempt. Small feat I know, but it did alot to boost my confidence!

 

[emtwannabe]

What level are you testing for?

 

[firecoins]

It sounds like an EMT-B scenario and I received it on my practical on Sunday. I checked AVPU up top. I forgot to check the abdomin in my full head to toe assessment but checked it and was told it was rigid. I mentioned there wasn't much to do on the BLS level except continue what I had already been doing, an ALS intercept or nearest ER/trauma center. I passed.

 

[mcvey7218]

It was a BLS scenario. Went well other than my forgetting AVPU. Our next practicals are airway. Maybe I will not have a brain fart like I did Saturday!

 

[Tincanfireman]

Went well other than my forgetting AVPU.

Repeat after me: LOC, ABC; LOC, ABC; LOC, ABC. You're right, the lyrics aren't much, but the sweet sound of a successful assessment make up for it. Good luck on the airway stuff...

 

[Thanach]

Congrats...

My state practical was a nice semi-easy one like that, too

On the other hand when we were in class, my class had a particularly sadistic instructor for patient assessment. Our first time seeing it he throws us a no-win scenario, where no matter what we did the patient was doomed to die. In his own words "IF this happened in front of an ambulance, and IF it was less than 2 minutes from a Level 1 Trauma Center, and IF the ER doctor suspected what she had and rushed her into immediate surgery, she would have had a 10% survival rate."

The scenario?
17 yo Female, car accident, conscious, alert, complaining of slight pain in her chest, had bruising in the shape of a steering wheel...
Her problem?
Torn Aorta...

we were all nervous, so we were going slow, about 10 minutes after we started (remember, first time ever doing/seeing patient assessment) he simply stated "and your patient just stops talking, flutter her eyes a few times, and slumps forward, she's dead, BUT you did everything you could have."

All I have to say is thank god our course instructors couldn't be our testers when we went for our state practical...

 

[WannaBEMT]

It will get better I promise, get passed airway and adjuncts and then you will feel like you have made it through only to be knocked down by the next set of practicals...LOL It does get better but NEVER less nervewracking, are you at Dekalb?

Jenn Rock

 

[mcvey7218]

It will get better I promise, get passed airway and adjuncts and then you will feel like you have made it through only to be knocked down by the next set of practicals...LOL It does get better but NEVER less nervewracking, are you at Dekalb?

Jenn Rock

No. I'm in Swainsboro. Halfway between Macon and Savannah. These scenarios and practicals are definitely nervewracking, to say the least!

 

[mcvey7218]

Repeat after me: LOC, ABC; LOC, ABC; LOC, ABC. You're right, the lyrics aren't much, but the sweet sound of a successful assessment make up for it. Good luck on the airway stuff...

Thank you for the encouragement and lyrics. The lyrics sound sweet if they will help me remember!!

 

[Guitarplaya84]

you guys suck...jk... you guys only had one scenario for your practicals? i had 6. 1 cardiac 1 airway 2 medical 2 trauma. it sucked.

 

[Thanach]

you guys suck...jk... you guys only had one scenario for your practicals? i had 6. 1 cardiac 1 airway 2 medical 2 trauma. it sucked.

I dunno about everywhere else, but I know here in Mass the Basic practical has 4 stations, most of them with two parts

1a. CPR
1b. AED
2a. Upper Splinting - Randomly assigned injury
2B. Traction Splint
3a. Medical Pt Assessment
3b. Trauma Pt Assessment
4. Boarding - you either got ked or long

 

[Jay114]

Good to know Thanach, I'll be taking that practical in september.

 

[bled12345]

man you're lucky, my provincial scenario was a medical... 28 year old aids patient with pneumonia!! Not quite what I was expecting but oh well... I had him on high flow O2 NRB and transported him after primary survey in fowlers position, when we were on the "ambulance" en route to the hospital, he went into respiratory arrest, i put him down supine so I could BVM, then he went into v fib and I had to shock , but he stayed coded and I had to do CPR, and then he died..... but I passed lol, man, they are WAY more cruel with the scenario's up here in alberta by the sounds of it, the other people that got tested that day had a 7 year old girl hit by a pickup truck lying face down with a shattered pelvis.