# First Shift tomorrow



## Pittma (Nov 19, 2010)

Well, it took a lot of work (and I'm still trying, haha) to get work and I found it in a little town in Massachusetts. I have my first orientation ride tomorrow, but from what I hear for the most part, you get right down and dirty and they don't third ride you too long- which is good, I think I'll learn better that way. Anyway, I'm really excited but also anxious. I've never been out in the field before, only done tons and tons of scenarios. What should I know before hand so that everything goes smoothly? Any tips/tricks you guys can give to a noob?


----------



## Shishkabob (Nov 19, 2010)

You most likely won't kill anyone.



Always good advice.


----------



## WolfmanHarris (Nov 19, 2010)

If you're unsure about anything, ask. You won't fool anyone for too long faking it and may get in over your head.


----------



## emtJR86 (Nov 19, 2010)

Pittma said:


> Well, it took a lot of work (and I'm still trying, haha) to get work and I found it in a little town in Massachusetts. I have my first orientation ride tomorrow, but from what I hear for the most part, you get right down and dirty and they don't third ride you too long- which is good, I think I'll learn better that way. Anyway, I'm really excited but also anxious. I've never been out in the field before, only done tons and tons of scenarios. What should I know before hand so that everything goes smoothly? Any tips/tricks you guys can give to a noob?



You never had to do ride-alongs with your EMT Class?!


----------



## C.T.E.M.R. (Nov 19, 2010)

ask questions. at an appropriate time of course, always be prepared and show up prepared, the way you present yourself is always key. Good luck!


----------



## feldy (Nov 19, 2010)

OP who are you working for and where? PM if you dont want to say publicly?


----------



## Pittma (Nov 21, 2010)

Upton Fire Department. Small town in South Central MA, just had my first call. It took 24 hours lol. I thought I would be prepared but then I got to the call and sort of froze. I was riding third, so I didn't get much of a chance to actually do a lot. I tried to keep on top of things, and ask my partner(s) what they needed,what I could do, etc. However, I guess you could say I felt pretty useless.


----------



## C.T.E.M.R. (Nov 21, 2010)

sorry to hear you only got 1 in 24 hrs. i got 3 in 12 hrs im just under an emt cert , and the emt i was working with let me do almost everything


----------



## Combat_Medic (Nov 21, 2010)

You'll get more calls than you care to run soon enough.  My first call was with my Vol. Fire Dept.  I was even issued a pager yet.  The same day my cert card came in the mail I hear the siern go off.  I get to the station first not knowing what the call was for.  Our asst. chief comes flying up and he tells me to jump in the Med truck with him.  I ask him what we got and he says "car vs. tree 3 pt. (1 preg.) unk condition".  He asked me if I got my cert card yet and I said yea today.  He was like great you are med command until EMS shows up.  Scariest 15 mins of my life.


----------



## Pittma (Nov 21, 2010)

Combat_Medic said:


> You'll get more calls than you care to run soon enough.  My first call was with my Vol. Fire Dept.  I was even issued a pager yet.  The same day my cert card came in the mail I hear the siern go off.  I get to the station first not knowing what the call was for.  Our asst. chief comes flying up and he tells me to jump in the Med truck with him.  I ask him what we got and he says "car vs. tree 3 pt. (1 preg.) unk condition".  He asked me if I got my cert card yet and I said yea today.  He was like great you are med command until EMS shows up.  Scariest 15 mins of my life.



I'd probably pee myself, but I'd rather get it out of my system early . I just hope I get more calls- I don't like feeling like a noob-padawan of EMS. NOTHING they taught me in school prepared me for calls, I learned today. And it wasn't like it was a serious call, either. Does that make me a weenie? Haha


----------



## Shishkabob (Nov 21, 2010)

Pittma said:


> Upton Fire Department. Small town in South Central MA, just had my first call. It took 24 hours lol. I thought I would be prepared but then I got to the call and sort of froze. I was riding third, so I didn't get much of a chance to actually do a lot. I tried to keep on top of things, and ask my partner(s) what they needed,what I could do, etc. However, I guess you could say I felt pretty useless.



To be honest, not knowing what your partner wants when you first start with them is not too big of a deal.


Being a Paramedic that usually works with EMTs, I'm used to running the show doing things my way.  Put me with another medic and it's their call to run, and I get lost as everyone runs their calls differently.... especially when both medics have different styles.


Just go with the flow.


----------



## feldy (Nov 21, 2010)

just go with the flow as linus said. You will also learn to anticpate what your medic wants at certain times. For me, when i know my medic is going start an IV with NS on a macro drip set, i get the saline lock ready and spike the bag (im allowed to do that as a basic for the company i work for). But also if you know you will have to bring the pt down steps, bring the stair chair up or ask if you should get the stair chair. Give it time, you will learn to adjust and be more prepared.

In the mean time get very familiar with the truck even if it means getting to your shift early that will help you be more prepared too.


----------



## Pittma (Nov 21, 2010)

Linuss said:


> To be honest, not knowing what your partner wants when you first start with them is not too big of a deal.
> 
> Just go with the flow.



Basically all I could do, especially since I literally hopped out of bed and raced to the station to hop on the ambulance (small, rural town), on my first call, with no prior training or orientation. I pretty much applied for the job, they gave me a beeper and told me to catch the ambulance.


----------



## FrostbiteMedic (Nov 21, 2010)

You'll get the hang of it soon enough. 
On a side note (and for those of you at work, who may or may not believe in superstitions, don't read this lol) if you want more calls, wait till everyone gets ready to eat next shift you work and say the following: "Man, it sure has been quiet today." Make sure the food is already on the table.....h34r::beerchug:


----------



## TransportJockey (Nov 21, 2010)

frostbiteEMT said:


> You'll get the hang of it soon enough.
> On a side note (and for those of you at work, who may or may not believe in superstitions, don't read this lol) if you want more calls, wait till everyone gets ready to eat next shift you work and say the following: "Man, it sure has been quiet today." Make sure the food is already on the table.....h34r::beerchug:



And run like hell cause your coworkers will be fully justified in murdering you


----------



## FrostbiteMedic (Nov 21, 2010)

jtpaintball70 said:


> And run like hell cause your coworkers will be fully justified in murdering you


Not superstitious are we now JT?


----------



## Pittma (Nov 22, 2010)

Haha, that actually happened! I was at my girlfriend's family gathering late sunday afternoon (same day as my first call), and we were sitting down for cake, and me and my girlfriend's cousin (who got me the job) pagers go off...diabetic seizure. Pt was in bad shape, but I was more comfortable with this other emt I rode with and tried to stay a step ahead of her and nailed it.


----------



## bigdude (Nov 27, 2010)

linuss said:


> you most likely won't kill anyone.
> 
> 
> 
> Always good advice.



lmao


----------



## rhan101277 (Nov 27, 2010)

Linuss said:


> You most likely won't kill anyone.
> 
> 
> 
> Always good advice.



If you stand around and do nothing someone could die though.


----------



## Shishkabob (Nov 27, 2010)

Meh, debatable.


----------



## lightsandsirens5 (Nov 27, 2010)

rhan101277 said:


> If you stand around and do nothing someone could die though.



Huh? Not most shifts I am on!


----------



## Phlipper (Dec 7, 2010)

If you haven't done this already, get a small notepad (pocket sized) and make notes and write down questions to ask after every call.  And be prepared to look stupid.  You will.  We all started somewhere and if your team members are even half way squared away they will remember what it was like.  They might rib you and yuck it up over something goofy you did, but they'll make sure you know what was done wrong and how you should have done it.

You will do dumb stuff.  If you're not making mistakes you're not doing anything.  They won't let you get hurt and they won't let you hurt anyone.  You're learning.


----------



## Bullets (Dec 8, 2010)

Like a cop, i carry a smart pad (a small top bound spiral notebook) in my left breast pocket. I write down the address, nature, transport decision(ALS or BLS) and destination(which of 5 Hospitals, RMA, DOA) and any other mitigating factors, combative, tough access, delay(traffic, caught at train tracks, ect). OH and the date. This way, if someone ever asks me about a call, i can pull my pad out and tell if i was on it, and what happened.

Otherwise, dont put your hands in the wet stuff


----------



## emtstudent04 (Dec 23, 2010)

I remember my first call, i was doing my assessment and i was doing it just like they tought me in class(National Registry style), totally was not paying attention to what the pt and bystander was telling me. I stuck to what i knew and then after the call i felt like a big dummy. My FTO asked me, "who tought you how to do assessments?" I replied saying "that's how i was tought." He told me well you did good in a sense, but(you got to love when people say BUT) you didn't really catch on to what the pt said or the bystander. I noticed that you seemed like you were just reading down a list of questions. I said well thats what we were tought to do in class. Point is that i felt dumb after the call bc i wasn't paying attention to what was really going on. So just my advice remember what you were tought, but just remember things are a lot different in the field then what you were tought in class. You will learn a lot more in the field then just sitting in a classroom.


----------



## John E (Dec 23, 2010)

*taught...*

taught, taught, taught

otherwise good post...;^)


----------



## fit4duty (Dec 25, 2010)

Breathe. Breathe dog, just breathe


----------



## uminchu (Dec 26, 2010)

*Congratulations*

Just take a deep breath before you do everything, but remember to let it out.


----------

