Recent content by Tunnel Cat

I'll say I don't start them for no reason. It's not like I'm sticking say, a sprained ankle or a simple cough or a pulled g-tube. I definitely don't stick peds unless I know I need it. I don't stick blind and when I've got someone who looks difficult stick I consider whether I'm likely to...

I have a pretty loose criteria for starting an IV even if I don't plan on doing anything with them. If I can justify it I normally will, not just for treatment but because call volume here can be a little low (usu 1-3 ALS calls per shift) and I'm still newish as a medic (less than a year) so...

Answer: the crap I'm too lazy to take out of my car after work. So shears, exam light, stethoscope, and random gloves that are stuffed into seat cushions or in the console compartment after I find them in my pockets after a shift. Funny enough, most of it is stuff I'm too lazy to take out of...

Thanks for all these recommendations. Being a paramedic in the PNW actually does sound pretty good to me, hence reading up on KCM1. I would be very happy to hear more about it, but it would obviously be awhile before I could even apply Okay another question: if I was looking for 911...

Close. I was checking out King County Medic One's requirements. Applicants have to have 3 years "prehospital" EMS experience.

Hey I figure this question isn't worth starting a new thread for: is pre-hospital EMS the same as a 911 service? Does that mean explicitly NOT an IFT service?

Hey I don't seem to be able to start a private convo with you but you wanted me to hit you up? I'm the new (older) EMT working in Dallas.

Thanks guys. Sorry I dumped all that here, I swear I wasn't looking for pity. I was feeling the need to justify myself while I asked for some advice. It's kind of scary starting over again, and even though I'm not technically 'old' I feel like I'm still way behind where most people are at...

Sob story time: I'm a 36 year old whose life slowly fell apart over the last decade (lots of family illness one after the other and me trying to keep them out of the nursing home while going to school and work and... etc). I got curious about being an EMT while taking care of my family and...

Whoa thanks for that Code 3! That makes sense.

Thanks STX. My bad, I thought the skills taught to me in class were part of some universal standard in Texas. Regardless, there is a defined scope in Oregon (it's on Oregon's public health website but the forum won't allow me to post a link). I never learned a few of the skills...

I'm a newly Nationally Registered EMTB in Texas looking to head to the west coast. There are some jobs in Oregon that don't only require my NREMT to start with the understanding that I'd get my Oregon cert soon after. However the scope of practice there is a little wider than Texas. Is there...

Thank you for the advice. I'll keep it in mind, but I really do want to get out of here. I'll widen my search, keeping CO and OR in mind. Looks like some decent jobs in OR or WA. I'm even tempted to look at Hawaii. Still happy (desperate, even) to hear suggestions.

I'm about to be a new-minted EMT in Texas (skills testing this week then NREMT then I'm done), thinking of using my license to leave town, hopefully somewhere on the west coast. Does anyone have any experience with this? Some questions: 1) I've heard practicing in Cali is weird, because you...