# Information on typical first day on the Job



## HelpmeHelpyou (Jan 24, 2011)

I cant really find anything on how does a newly EMT-B that has never worked on a real patient, just dummies , start on their first day? Are they accompanied by a FTO (Field Training Officer) for a period of time? Or are they thrown into the wolves?


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## seanmh84 (Jan 24, 2011)

You will have to spend a few shifts working under an FTO. Once the FTO feels that you are confident and or compitent then you will be cleared to work your own shift.


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## Jon (Jan 24, 2011)

Depends. I've seen them ride 3rd, and I've seen them sent out with a senior EMT as a 2-person crew.


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## HelpmeHelpyou (Jan 24, 2011)

ok, I am just curious to know what they are looking for, as far as, when I am with a FTO are they immediately wanting me to do everything on my own right away? Like question medical patients, or does he go over everything before I start a shift or actual interaction with patients?

Also, sounds like I have a orientation to go to this week or next. Are there any tips or questions like, "Why did you chose this career?" type questions? Any advise for me when I do start? Trying to think of any questions that might come up. 

Is it normal for me to be nervous about treating real patients? I am shaking just knowing that I might be starting work as a EMT soon.


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## jjesusfreak01 (Jan 24, 2011)

HelpmeHelpyou said:


> ok, I am just curious to know what they are looking for, as far as, when I am with a FTO are they immediately wanting me to do everything on my own right away? Like question medical patients, or does he go over everything before I start a shift or actual interaction with patients?



This will depend on your system. In my system, we have 4 phases of third ridership before we get cleared. First is getting familiar with equipment and skills, second is patient assessment, third is driving, and then fourth is testing and interviews. Your FTO won't have the time to "go over everything", and should not throw you anything you can't handle. A very good general rule is, don't do anything you aren't comfortable doing. This rule should be relaxed when people's lives are not on the line, because some people will need to go outside their comfort zone. You should strive to learn the skills as well as you can when you have easy patients. 



> Also, sounds like I have a orientation to go to this week or next. Are there any tips or questions like, "Why did you chose this career?" type questions? Any advise for me when I do start? Trying to think of any questions that might come up.



Orientation will be to help you learn their system. They might want to get to know you during orientation, or they may do that on the truck in the field.



> Is it normal for me to be nervous about treating real patients? I am shaking just knowing that I might be starting work as a EMT soon.



YES, YES, 9001% YES!!!


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## Martyn (Jan 24, 2011)

Sorry if this sounds stupid but...did you ride on any ambulances? If you did didn't you 'handle' any pt's? Another stupid question (sorry) how can you pass an emt course if you haven't been hands on with pt's?


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## Aprz (Jan 25, 2011)

Martyn said:


> Sorry if this sounds stupid but...did you ride on any ambulances? If you did didn't you 'handle' any pt's? Another stupid question (sorry) how can you pass an emt course if you haven't been hands on with pt's?


He probably did. I don't know how much different it is in different states and companies they ride with, but in California, the minimum is a 10 hour ride along, and you are only there to observe. Anything more is up to whoever you are riding with and what their company allows. On my ride along, I only got to carry stuff, ask some questions, did a focus assessment after the paramedic did it, and the rest of it they quizzed me and did scenarios. When I start working, even though I've had patient contact, I'm still not going to count that 'observation' time as my first patients. I was simply there. When I introduce myself to First Responder students and EMT student, I tell them I have no experience. Should I really bother to say I have 12 hour experience (my class went above and beyond by doing a 12 hour ride along, woo). For him, it's probably the same.


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## Martyn (Jan 25, 2011)

Wow, I knew different states were different but...
Here in Polk County, Florida we have to do 110 hours hands on ambulance and 10 hours hands on ER, just goes to show, I guess. This is just for EMT-B.


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## Tizzy (Jan 28, 2011)

140 class hours. Zero hands on. South Central PA.


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## AlabamaEMT (Feb 1, 2011)

24 on the truck.... 24 in the ER


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## HelpmeHelpyou (Feb 1, 2011)

Tizzy said:


> 140 class hours. Zero hands on. South Central PA.



Are you working as a EMT-B right now? Just curious, I have some hands on but I don't feel confident or its mixed with just being nervous. Just wondering how you felt and what you went through if you are working now, I don't know if this is normal. We ran a scenario or Night skill drills at a local college with some of the local paramedics and FD. Real people, fake, but when I ran my scenarios is clicked in me, and I just flowed like ive been doing this for years. After that night, I felt like a badass.


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## Theone (Feb 3, 2011)

Here in South Florida it's 255 class work.
24hr ride and ER


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## cmetalbend (Feb 3, 2011)

AlabamaEMT said:


> 24 on the truck.... 24 in the ER



What he said, here in Kansas.


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## bigbaldguy (Feb 5, 2011)

We did 48 hours of ride along and 12 hours of ER and 12 hours of OB for EMT B here in Texas but I think that is more than required. In the 48 hours of ride along time I took exactly *one* BP and a lot of lifting so I can see why you would be nervous about your first day. Even though I technically had 72 hours of "experience" it was pretty much 2 hours of doing stuff and 70 hours of walking around, sitting in the ambulance, watching my preceptor smoke cigarettes in the bay, and trying to stay out of the way.


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## MikeEMT609 (Feb 7, 2011)

HelpmeHelpyou said:


> I cant really find anything on how does a newly EMT-B that has never worked on a real patient, just dummies , start on their first day? Are they accompanied by a FTO (Field Training Officer) for a period of time? Or are they thrown into the wolves?



Where I work you will go thru several steps after getting hired-
1-Orientation/EVOC (emergency vehicle operator course)
Everything is done during your orientation. Company policy and procedures, EVOC classroom and cone course.
2-FTO training-Patient Care
Your FTO will not move you into the next phase of training until they feel comfortable with your patient care skills.
3-FTO training-Non-Emergency Driving/mapping skills
In this phase of training you will start out doing most of the driving, but will be in the back when transporting a patient for two or three days, then when the FTO feels comfortable with your driving you will be doing all the driving.
4-FTO training-Emergency Driving (Lights/Sirens)
The final phase of training with your FTO will be in a 911 area running calls with LACoFD. In this phase of training you will be driving Lights/Sirens to the call, and working with your crew assisting fire with patient care. For the first several calls you will be in the back with the FD medic during transport.


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## BigPoppa (Feb 9, 2011)

For my particular EMT-IV program in Tennessee (each program varies slightly) we did 200 or so classroom hours, and clinicals of 16 hours in the ER, and 48 hours on the ambulance.

The clinicals must include a minimum of 10 patient contacts and 5 IV sticks.

Not enough....but better than the 10 hours of "observation" I see elsewhere.


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## rescue1 (Feb 10, 2011)

We had to have 5 patient assessments (vitals, SAMPLE, OPQRST, etc) over here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
It's nowhere near enough to make you comfortable as a sole provider, in my opinion.
So just learn as much as possible during field training, and remember that it's ok to be nervous the first time you're all by your lonesome.


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## EMTRyan232 (Feb 10, 2011)

rescue1 said:


> We had to have 5 patient assessments (vitals, SAMPLE, OPQRST, etc) over here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
> It's nowhere near enough to make you comfortable as a sole provider, in my opinion.
> So just learn as much as possible during field training, and remember that it's ok to be nervous the first time you're all by your lonesome.


In South Carolina, we have to only have 5 pt contacts. That is not nearly enough time.


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## LSalander (Mar 8, 2011)

jjesusfreak01 said:


> YES, YES, 9001% YES!!!


Nervous is 9001% normal?!?!?  Thank goodness!  I was nervous doing skills testing, and don't get me started on interviews....I was shaky just taking pulses during the skills portion of interviews.

I actually wasn't nervous when working with pts during my ride-along and ER clinical.  Figured the patient wasn't as critical as the instructors/interviewers.

Maybe that's bad...I should probably be more concerned about my pts than anyone else.


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## emtgirl26 (Mar 9, 2011)

my first day with my company was all orientation- corporate stuff. We then have 120 Hours with an FTO, we have the first 20 or so just watching and observing. the rest of the time was working along side my medic and the other EMT-I. After all that we have testing out on various machines and procedures. Our driving was thrown in the 120 hours where all we did all day was drive.


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## Vivian (Mar 17, 2011)

rescue1 said:


> We had to have 5 patient assessments (vitals, SAMPLE, OPQRST, etc) over here on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
> It's nowhere near enough to make you comfortable as a sole provider, in my opinion.
> So just learn as much as possible during field training, and remember that it's ok to be nervous the first time you're all by your lonesome.




Yes, same here on the other end of Maryland, good old MFRI.


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## pryor317 (Apr 20, 2011)

*Missouri*

Here in Missouri We have to have a minimum of 10 pt contacts and 24 hours of ER observation. Where I did my ride-alongs they also encouraged us to handle the patients. They made every student take vitals, blood sugar, perform assesments and anything else they felt the student capable of. I felt fortunate to do my ride alongs where I did they were more than understanding but you also got experience within your capabilities.


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