# Bad day at work



## Wingnut (Jun 6, 2006)

Like Princess' this is another long one. So get comfy...

I almost quit Saturday, I had the Worst. Day. Ever. (at a job)

For a little backround...the last week I rode as a 3rd person for training and was with 2 really great people. We had fun, they both went out of thier way to teach me what I needed to do and make me feel comfortable doing my job. It was a really good experience, I couldn't ask for better FTO's. They happily approved me to be on my own from my last day with them on. We'll call them Sally (the medic) and Nancy (the EMT).

So...Saturday started off ok. It was my first day not riding as a 3rd person. I had a partner I never met before, we'll call her Psycho. I show up for work early as usual and start doing my morning routine with the truck, everything goes well, I didn't forget anything and hardly had to look at my cheat sheet, I was very proud of myself. I come back into the station and introduce myself to Psycho and she seems nice enough. She's a little thing, uses the f word a lot, but nice. I sit down with her and let her know where I am with things and ask her how she wants things done etc. She seemed fine with everything and then we get our first call.

4 y/o handicapped child having a siezure, Psycho wants me to only worry about getting the info so I always start out with my SAMPLE then get the billing info. The pt and his mother only spoke spanish but the grandmother spoke a little english so I was trying to get the info from her but it was taking a little time. Psycho came running out with the kid and put him in the back and she's screaming at me what info to get (duh that's the easy part). The fire guys are standing around watching this and she's even making them uncomfortable even though she was obviously yelling only at me. So I got the info I could, gave it to her as I got it and kept my mouth shut. I get in the truck to respond to the hospital, and she tells me to call medflight which I've never done before, I don't know anything about the kid in the back, she mumbled some of the info and when I asked her to repeat it she said "Never mind, forget it, I'll do it myself." (ok fine, works for me) So then I got turned around while trying to get medflight over the radio and got lost, I bit my tongue and told her, she promptly flipped out then finally told me which way to go. (Btw, medflight turned her down).

Next call comes in she's a little worse that time, call after that even worse. When we're transporting (it's a half hour transport from our zone to the nearest hospital) she says I turn too hard and hit the brakes too hard. (I'm very concientious of my driving especially with the medic treating a patient in the back). I apologize and try to be even more careful. But when we're not responding to call she says I drive to slow. So I figure I'm just going to drive like I normally do because I'm not going to make this woman happy.

Several hours and several calls later we're leaving the ER and I asked her to drive because I was frankly tired of it and just couldn't drive another half hour back. Well she drives like a freaking maniac. Tailgating, weaving, and I actually saw the speedometer at 90 mph... I almost had a heart attack.  Well something burst on our way back a line or belt or something and a bunch of alarms went off, we made back to the station, but we ended up having to swap trucks and have our towed back to motorpool, we went out of service and it took us about an hour to do that alone. And Psycho was super pissed that we had to do that. 

We come back with the new truck and on the way back she gets on her nextel and starts fighting with her husband. She's not doing it quietly either she's screaming and cursing her head off and I'm sitting right next to her trying to ignore it and give her privacy (which wasn't working out real well). Her nextel went dead and she asked to use my cell, I said fine thinking it would be one phone call. (it was more like 20). Somewhere in there she mentioned something about a battery for the truck we swapped into, I nodded my head thinking she was talking about the duracells we keep in a bucket in one of the cabinets.

Another call comes, we transport. She yells from the back, "Did you get the battery?" I said crap, I completely forgot I'm so sorry I'll get them as soon as we get back. She yells again how can we be in service without a battery? I asked what she was talking about, and she says the Lifepack battery! Crap I thought you were talking about duracells! I'm SO sorry!!!
Then she proceeds to ask me if I even know what a battery is..How can I be an EMT if I don't even know we need a back up for the lifepack, and this goes on for the entire transport, insult after insult. Again I keep my mouth shut, I'm new...if I got to being a smartass with her and she reported it I'd be screwed. Then while in the back with the patient she still has my cell, calls her husband and starts fighting with him again. I was in shock. 

Leaving the ER again we ran into Sally and Nancy who are very good friends with Psycho. Psycho already has a reputation for being a bit of a :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: but apparently she a pretty cool person otherwise. I guess I looked very unhappy and Nancy asked me if I was ok, I said I was great and Psycho who normally would stick around to talk to them jumped back in the rig and slammed the door. She said she'd "drive for me but she was behind on her tickets" in a rather condescending tone I might add. 

At that point we had just stopped talking to each other, the other medic-EMT team stationed with us said they couldn't stand to be in the same room with us because the tension was so thick. And she also killed the battery on my cell phone fighting with her husband.

We finally got to bed at 4:30am the calls were just coming in one after the other. I laid down and just wanted to pack my stuff and go home, I was almost in tears... I was sore, tired and mentally broken down from Psycho pummeling on me all day.

Finally I fell asleep. We all got up at 7:30 I got dressed and immediately went to the truck to wash it get away from psycho, she actually said "I'm sorry if I got frustrated last night" and then "bye" when she left and that was it. 

She also said other various and rather nasty comments the whole time we were together, but I've already typed so much I think you guys get the idea.

I sat down to have my breakfast and Nancy showed up. She sits at the table with us and we share a few pleasentries then she looks at me and says I hear you had an interesting night last night? I promptly laughed and asked her which part lol. She said that's why she drove out here was to talk to me about it. I'm like Holy crap Psycho already called the BC and told him what a crappy EMT I am...great, I don't even work here a month and have to deal with drama and get a bad rep. (for those of you that don't know, I HATE drama...HATE HATE HATE it.)

Nancy and I went outside to talk and I asked her what Psycho said, and she said nothing. So I ask well how did you hear about yesterday? Nancy then tells me that on that first pediatric call, one of the FF's remembered me from EMT school and was so furious and upset about the way psycho treated me on the call he called her BC and reported her. I was in shock again. I told Nancy that that was the best call we ran the whole day, it only got worse after that. Then she asked me about the rest, I felt bad, I don't want to rat anyone out and I told Nancy this, but her and I have become pretty good friends in the short time we've known each other so I felt comfortable filling her in. So I told her and she filled me in on how Psycho is kind of nuts, kind of *****y and for as long as they've been friends she's never seen her this bad or as bad as she's been the last few weeks, and our BC should never have scheduled a new person to her. 

So my reputation is saved, Sally also called to make sure I was ok, she was really afraid I might quit, I told them if you asked me at 4:30 the other morning I would have said yes but felt better after some sleep and being away from her a while. She also told me she was furious, she said I was so nice, I was fun, she's never seen anyone work as hard as I did to learn and improve myself and that she's told everyone how awesome I am. She even told me I was the best new hire trainee she ever had and she really meant it, I was beaming. The medic I rode with that day also told one of the big wigs who was working with us that my driving is perfect and there was no reason for psycho to say any of the things she did. I told them all later they had to quit stroking my ego because much more and my ego would be so big I wouldn't fit through the door lol.

SO that was my crappy day. The big wig said she thinks it's time for psycho to take a vacation and get her personal life straightened out before she makes some less durable EMT's quit.

I know this was long, if you read it, wow, thanks I just needed to vent yet again.


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## Jon (Jun 6, 2006)

Wow... sounds like a "fun" day...

And yes... I think I worked with her sister. Only good part of that was that our truck had an exhaust leak, and after 2 or 3 hours of CO poisoning, she started getting downright giddy, falling over laughing...

When I explained the exhaust issue to my boss, and told him that the partner who had cursed me out in front of the crew-room that AM was now hitting on me.... He agreed that we were getting WAYYY too much CO...


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## WhoMe (Jun 6, 2006)

I used to have a partner like that! Of course she had years more experince than me, so I couldn't say too much.

I finally took the issue to my boss and explained the whole thing... I haven't worked with her since!

You sound like you are a good EMT! Don't let just one person scare you away from your EMS job!


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## Ridryder911 (Jun 7, 2006)

Words of wisdom.. from old experience, control the situation don't let it control you. This is in everything in EMS. Your partner obviously does need to have a break... either to deal with some personal problem, clear her head, or to get the hell out! 
It does not matter.. being rude, obnoxious in non-excusable, especially to ones partner, if not provoked. 

She actually might be a good medic, even a good person, once she clears some things up. However; what you have described appears to be a pattern. There are medics (people) that have to many eccentrics to work close with people and should not be medics.. not because of knowledge, but people skills. One can be a good medic and a horrible employee and vice versa. 

I suggest that as a new person, you be sure to clarify things. Albeit, it might be hard, but to be sure you understood and are in sequence. This will help eliminate some confusion. 

I wish you good luck,

R/r 911


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## Chimpie (Jun 7, 2006)

Jenn, hang in there.  You didn't come this far to quit in the first couple of weeks.

With the rash of phone calls it does seem like it's something in her personal life that's causing her to act the way she did.  Afterall, you said that she is friends with Sally and Nancy.  And you are friends with them as well.  I can't see that two complete different personalities could have the same friends.

If you work with her again, kill her with kindness.  Buy her lunch.  Maybe get her to vent about her personal life to you.  Make it look like you are her ally.  Get on her side on her personal life and I'm sure things will work out between you two on the work side.

/random thoughts


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## MMiz (Jun 7, 2006)

Jenn,

Yeah, that probably wasn't one of your shining days, but keep your chin up!  Working in EMS, as with any job, you'll work with a lot of different people.  Sometimes they're great, and sometimes you want to put a pillow over their head when they're sleeping.  It just comes with the game.

Chimp gave you some good advice, as did the others.  I'll leave the advice-giving to them.

Take care,


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## MedicPrincess (Jun 8, 2006)

Hey Jenn.  I worked with her twin no so long ago.  You know its bad when people ask you who your scheduled with, you tell them, and they say something to the effect of "OH!  They assigned you to her since everyone else refuses to work with her?"  Or "Oh Crap!  I'm sorry!"

She does need a break.  If its gotten worse over the last few weeks, its time for her to straighten things out.

Good for you for not throwing in the towel at 4 am.  Couldn't say as though I would have blamed you if you'd of started having general illness symptoms.


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## rescuecpt (Jun 8, 2006)

I think everyone knows someone similar to psycho.  In my case, my psycho was one of my insubordinates, and it was a constant power struggle.

But anyway, it sounds like you handled it as well as anyone could, and it's great that other people stepped up to make sure you are ok and tell you that you're a good EMT.  Keep up the good work and just keep this as a memory in the back of your head - next time you have a bad day it will pale in comparison to your day with psycho!


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## Wingnut (Jun 8, 2006)

Thanks for all the support guys, I can always count on ya'll to bring a smile to my face  

She is taking a few weeks off work. I think things worked out really well in the end.


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## futuretoledoemt (Jun 9, 2006)

Apparently this medic has not only a twin but a triplet... It's amazing how long 24 hours can last when partnered up with these people.

HELLO, I realize I'm new.  I'm green.  I'm a little nervous... But I'm trying.

These people forget what it feels like to be new.  Everyone was new once.  

Hang in there, hon.  

April


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## FFEMT1764 (Jun 9, 2006)

I think this individual is in every EMS system in the USA now, we have 2 here...one is a fairly new medic, the other is older than dirt...I avoid them both by default, since I am a medic I DONT have to work with them...thats the plus side, the minus side is my poor EMT friends that do have to work with them...:unsure:


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## dizzymedic (Jun 20, 2006)

Greetings Jenn,

I feel really sorry for you.  This kind off situation should never happen to anybody, especially to someone new.  We got individuals (that is the only civil term I could find) in our service that are like that.  Once I worked with their "leader" and it was horrible.  You feel like you are walking on egg shells all the time plus everytime they get mad at you for something, you feel like you are sinking in quick sand.  It's a horrible feeling.  

But you know what, you came out of there the bigger person and it just shows that you will be a great medic.  Hang in there.

Marc.


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## Anomalous (Jun 20, 2006)

I think I was married to her.  Oops, wrong state.


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