# Dos and Donts



## LoneStarSoldier (Jul 20, 2011)

Any advise as to what to look out for when starting to work as an EMT-B? Is there any advise anyone can give me on what to do, what not to do? Thanks


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## Shishkabob (Jul 20, 2011)

Do-- Ask questions of the senior person on your truck, learn from them.


Don't-- Kill anyone.  They frown on that.


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## VirginiaEMT (Jul 20, 2011)

LoneStarSoldier said:


> Any advise as to what to look out for when starting to work as an EMT-B? Is there any advise anyone can give me on what to do, what not to do? Thanks



Do- find people in your organization that are willing to take their training and use it to help others. Believe it or not there are paragods that think their crap doesn't stink and won't lift a finger to help, but these are few and far between. Ask questions and learn how you can best be helpful to the higher trained folks.

Don't- quit studying and learning. This becomes more and more fun with the more you learn and feel good about your skills.The paramedics and EMT-I's will search you out to run with them because they can trust you and know you won't be making up vitals, you can spike an I.V. bag for them when needed, know where to place the leads for a 12 lead, you know what the equipment is that they ask for and you can set it up, etc. If you are helpful, they will gladly teach you. If you become a thorn in their side, you will be left behind.

Always remember this:

When you know, and you know you know, confindence replaces fear......


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## Elk Oil (Jul 20, 2011)

Do:
Keep your eyes, ears and mind wide open.  
Gravitate toward people who are interested in helping you become better.
Eventually become a person that others gravitate toward to become better.

Don't:
Be afraid to ask questions.
Be afraid to ask for help.
Stop learning.
Forget what it's like to be a new EMT.


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## MrBrown (Jul 20, 2011)

Do not forget you going to be entrusted by society as a provider of medical care.

Not everything is about high flow oxygen, saving lives and adrenaline.

Ask the patient if they want the family present, ask Nana if she has somebody pop into her flat to see her, take your time to do a decent bloody exam and listen to what your patient tells you.  

Take your responsibility and the societal expectation of a medical provider seriously or Hippocrates, Joseph Lister, Willhem Rengoten and that Andreas Vesalius dude are going to be seriously pissed at you, and you don't want to get on the wrong side of dead people bro ... they have errie powers!


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## Sasha (Jul 20, 2011)

I can only echo what brown said. Bravo.


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## LoneStarSoldier (Jul 20, 2011)

Thanks guys, i'll put your advise to use


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## Melclin (Jul 20, 2011)

In a similar vein as brown, dont feel you need to rush all the time. You're not in an episode of ER and the vast majority of pts are not as time critical as you think they will be. Honestly, I sit down at maybe 60% of jobs I go to working as a paramedic in a 000 (911) system, for the same reason we never run. You can't help someone if you're more flustered than they are. Slow and steady wins the race. Take your time figure out whats wrong with your patient and importantly, what your patient and family actually _wants_ out of your attendance. The job is like 90% talking. 

"Amateurs discuss strategy; experts discuss logistics" (I will award the sum of 1000 internets to the super awesome podcaster who quoted Napoleon to make a similar point). Its really important to know what kinds of treatments are appropriate for what disease processes but its also important to know how you are going to deliver these in the real world. Early on I was getting too stuck in the moment and forgetting to plan ahead. So my CI helped devise this strategy. If you think about what your pt will need in 5 minutes and 15 minutes (and what you will need to deliver that to your pt) every 15 mins or so, then it helps you to not get too stuck in the moment, you always feel like you're 5 steps ahead of the game, and you get a whole lot less surprises.


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## johnrsemt (Jul 20, 2011)

Do:  check your truck at the beginning of EVERY shift; even if someone says they already did it.  Even if your partner said that already did it.
Do:  Never stop learning.
Do:  ask questions AFTER runs,  not during patient care.
Do:  learn your response area; and routes to all the hospital's; both on and off freeways.
Do:  be nice to co-workers;  never gossip about co workers or cut them down;  it will come back to them.

Don't:  don't stop learning
Don't:  ever hit the point of not doing shift duties.  
Don't: refuse to do a run (as a medic) because it is BLS.  You are an EMT-B also.


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## mycrofft (Jul 20, 2011)

*DO use EMTLIFE search fiunction*

DON'T take EMTLIFE personally.


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