# Gaining more confidence?



## EMTCop86 (Mar 7, 2009)

So I just finished my mid-term for my EMT-B class and now will start my ride outs. First one is in a week and I am freaking out. It's one thing to assess a dummy or your classmates but now I will be doing it on real patients. I am going through the "what-ifs" like I always do, like what if I freeze up, or screw something up, or can't get vitals blah blah blah... So is there anything I can do to build up my confidence before doing my ride outs? Or is it just something that comes with experience?


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## Buzz (Mar 7, 2009)

EMTCop86 said:


> So I just finished my mid-term for my EMT-B class and now will start my ride outs. First one is in a week and I am freaking out. It's one thing to assess a dummy or your classmates but now I will be doing it on real patients. I am going through the "what-ifs" like I always do, like what if I freeze up, or screw something up, or can't get vitals blah blah blah... So is there anything I can do to build up my confidence before doing my ride outs? Or is it just something that comes with experience?



It's something that comes with experience. Look at it this way--It's just a ride-out. If you freeze up, then there's someone to fall back on.


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## exodus (Mar 7, 2009)

All you will be doing on a ride-along is vitals, and seeing how to interact with the patient. So there's not too much to screw up.   And if you do, there will be someone else to save you.


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## reaper (Mar 7, 2009)

It will come to you, once you are out there. Hopefully you will get a decent preceptor. Do not be afraid to ask questions, if you do not know something!

Bring your text book with you. Look up any thing you have a question on, before hand. If you still do not understand something, then ask. This shows your preceptor that you are willing to learn, by looking up the info. That is a pet peeve of mine. Students that show up without their text book, then ask a million questions.

Do not try to BS your way through something. If there is something you do not know how to do, speak up and ask to be shown how.

Help out with all aspects of the shift. This means help wash truck, help stock truck and help clean up after a call. DO NOT let them make you do everything, just help the crew out.

Do not inject yourself in a conversation, if you do not know the answer. Sit back, listen and learn.

Most of all have fun and learn as much as you can from the preceptor.

If you have a bad preceptor on your first clinical, speak up to your instructor. I have seen students stay with a bad preceptor, because they are afraid to say anything. All this gets you is a bad taste of EMS and you will learn nothing.


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## reaper (Mar 7, 2009)

exodus said:


> All you will be doing on a ride-along is vitals, and seeing how to interact with the patient. So there's not too much to screw up.   And if you do, there will be someone else to save you.




If that is all you were aloud to do, then you had a bad preceptor. I make students help with all aspects of pt care. That is how they learn.

EMT schools do not teach you how to work on the street, they teach you how to pass a test. You need to learn the rest on your clinicals.

Also, do not do what hours are required. Try and get extra ride alongs. Learn what you can now!


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## Buzz (Mar 7, 2009)

exodus said:


> All you will be doing on a ride-along is vitals, and seeing how to interact with the patient. So there's not too much to screw up.   And if you do, there will be someone else to save you.



That greatly depends on the service and even the individual crews you are riding with. Some crews find the third rider to be a weird alien-like being and don't want them doing anything and some might let you place a combitube if the situation presents itself. When I did my Basic ride outs, the crew I rode with fell into the latter.


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## EMTCop86 (Mar 7, 2009)

reaper said:


> It will come to you, once you are out there. Hopefully you will get a decent preceptor. Do not be afraid to ask questions, if you do not know something!
> 
> Bring your text book with you. Look up any thing you have a question on, before hand. If you still do not understand something, then ask. This shows your preceptor that you are willing to learn, by looking up the info. That is a pet peeve of mine. Students that show up without their text book, then ask a million questions.
> 
> ...


 
Thank you I didn't even think to bring my text book with me, great tip!


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## Sasha (Mar 7, 2009)

I think confidence comes with time and practice. I am not a little ball of confidence yet (More like a little ball of nerves!) but I am more confident and vocal then when I first started in EMT School. On your rides, don't be afraid to look dumb. Chances are you will only see that patient once and for 15-30 minutes, and the preceptor has been in your shoes before. You aren't expected to be perfect, but you gotta put forth the effort. A good way to get confidence and comfortable with being an EMT is to not sit in the back ground, lead the BLS calls. If you get there and the patient isn't rolling around on the ground in pain, or tripoded and gasping, be the first to walk up to the patient, and say "Hello, my name is so and so and I'm an EMT student. How can we help you today?" And try not to stutter. It makes you look scared and nervous, and even if you are you can't show your patient! They lose trust!


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## phabib (Mar 7, 2009)

If you get to tech a call, just be calm and use your "jedi voice" when talking to your patients. An instructor of mine put it perfectly: cool and confident on the outside, mind racing through all possibilities on the inside.


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## Wee-EMT (Mar 7, 2009)

I’m in the same situation, and about to go on my ride alongs as well. What I have been told is to know your stuff (obviously..) Like your drugs, how to lift a stretcher, PCR's and defiantly know your equipment! Take time one day and just play with things like your scope stretcher, blood glucose, ECG, splints….ect. Everybody will be nervous and first, but I think those things will defiantly help with the confidence!


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## Epi-do (Mar 7, 2009)

When I have had EMT students ride with me, I always sit down with them at the beginning of the shift and find out where they are at in class, what sort of things they have found the easiest, what has been the most difficult, if this is their first ride along, etc.  Basically, just get a feel for where they are at.  

We go through the truck together, and I make sure they are familiar with the equipment and how to use it.  That doesn't mean I spoon feed them the information.  I expect them to be able to look into a cabinet and identify what is there.  However, if they see something they are unfamiliar with, I am more than happy to go over it with them.

You can't learn how to interact with patients if you don't do it, so I want the student to assess the patient to the best of their ability.  I will ask additional questions, as needed, or may request the student assist me in doing something that needs to be done.  While at the hospital, I do my paperwork while the student helps my partner with the cot and cleaning the truck.  I encourage students to give report to the nursing staff, but if it is their first ride along I don't expect it.  I understand that it does help to hear a few reports first.

Once we get back to station and the truck is restocked, I ask that the student write a narrative for the run.  We then sit down and compare it to the narrative I have written, and use it to review the run.  If I gave report at the ER, I will ask the student to also give me a verbal report just so they can get the practice.

You will be nervous.  That is completely normal and expected.  Each run will get a little bit easier.  Realize that trying to hear things in the back of an ambulance going down the road takes practice, just like everything else.  If you can't hear a blood pressure it isn't a big deal.  Just say that you couldn't hear it.  Ask if the tech will ride in the back of the truck on the way back from the hospital and allow you to practice taking blood pressures in a moving truck.  

Don't be afraid to speak up if you have an idea about something.  You never know - it may just work, or be something the crew you are with haven't thought of.  Don't hesitate to jump right in and do whatever needs to be done.  Like previously mentioned, do as many extra ride alongs as allowed.  The additional time will be good for you.


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## Sasha (Mar 7, 2009)

Miss Epi, I wish you were in Florida to be my preceptor! you sound like an awesome one!


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## Epi-do (Mar 7, 2009)

Thanks, Sasha!


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## LucidResq (Mar 8, 2009)

If your preceptor doesn't do what Epi does - take the initiative and go through the same stuff. I think it's critical that you have a sit down at the beginning of the ride-along and elucidate what you expect of the ride and have them explain what they expect of you. 

Don't just ask questions like "what drug did you give that guy?" or "what did you think was going on with that lady?" or yada yada yada. I always asked my preceptors about their background and their goals for the future and what they hate and love about the job. I asked every single preceptor "if you could give me one piece of advice about this field, what would it be?" 

I struggled with shyness coming into all of this. One thing I think you can do to boost confidence, outside of patient interactions and clinical time, is to make an effort to be more outgoing in your everyday life. Strike up a conversation with the guy sitting next to you on the bus. Approach that cute girl. Chit chat with strangers. Talking to an unfamiliar person is something that I have found to become easier the more I do it, whether in the back of the ambulance or just running errands or what not.


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## BossyCow (Mar 9, 2009)

Great instructor I had referred to the 'illusion of competence' even if you are scared, insecure, nervous, chances are your patient won't notice if you act like you know what you are doing until you actually do.


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## EMTCop86 (Mar 10, 2009)

Hey guys thanks for all the great tips! I talked to my primary instructor and he told me basically what you guys said and also added that everyone has gone through what I am going through and that I am not alone and to just relax. He also added that if I wasn't nervous then there was probably something wrong with me because even after being a paramedic for 21 years he still gets nervous on some calls. So 3 more days, will be doing my ride out from 1830 to 0630.


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## Shishkabob (Mar 10, 2009)

During my FTO time this weekend, my FTO threw me right in and made me in charge of every call, which helped a TON with getting less nervous.

I still get a bit nervous when the pt is conscious a/ox4 when I have to go hands on for something.  Unconscious pts are so much easier.  But I'm getting used to it...


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## xrsm002 (Aug 7, 2012)

I'm having trouble running the call from start to finish any suggestions


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## SubiEmt (Aug 11, 2012)

Depending on your location, the medics will be doing most of the questioning. High flow 02 transport is what you will be doing most if not all the time. Gl


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## xrsm002 (Nov 2, 2012)

I'm switching crews actually my other crew would just sit back in the chair and not teach me a dang thing. Sad part is they were instructors at the school also. I rode with another crew and now they keep asking me when I'm coming to ride with them again they taught me stuff and when they are begging me to come rife with them that to me means they want to see me succeed as I'm at the medic level


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## xrsm002 (Nov 2, 2012)

Ride*


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## ThatPrivate (Nov 13, 2012)

I see your post is from 3years ago. I just wanted to know how everything went (you might not remember) and what tips you can give to someone who starts ride-along in a month. I really enjoy my class and I'm really good at the scenario but I'm scared to death about doing a real assessment.


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