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I like to keep my training scenarios within the realm of possibility but also challenging. I pull some from actual calls with variations. One good one is a spleen rupture. Doesn't show up for a while, so if the pt denies belly pain initially but starts to manifest with symptoms during the walk...

...... and if he sees his shadow..........

Why would you be buying this pager? Are you allowed by your agency to have radio equipment other than that issued to you? In our agency this is forbidden because when you leave our agency, we only have the legal right to ask for the return of the radio/pager we gave you. If something ugly were...

You cannot be disqualified for employment based on a legal prescribed medication that you are taking unless it impairs your ability to perform the tasks assigned in such a degree that it cannot be assisted with reasonable accomodations for your disability. That's the legality. However, if the...

I have found that a good dose of humiliation is guaranteed to cement a lesson into my brain.

I think peds calls are the toughest on all of us because its just so damned unfair when a child dies. So, if the child died, someone or something has to be at fault right? We screwed up, the equipment, system, support, parents, failed the child.. right? Because unless someone or something...

I take a slightly different approach. You want to know how to better handle stress... that really isn't your issue. Education, training, practicing your hands skills, muscle memory, will lessen the stress of the event. Stress happens more when you are faced with something you are clueless about...

The infection control supervisor at our local hospital has been wonderful at providing a fairly intense class on what pathogens are out there and in what numbers. We have a lot of TB in our area but not nearly as much TB as MRSA and HepC. I do not get a false positive on my TB but I am...

Kids and the elderly are most at risk because they regulate body temp less well. Prevention is key. I would see if the park would be interested in lowering the instance by posting information regarding dehydration and hypothermia. A hand out at the gate with posters throughout might help, also...

I've actually done that.. but it was attached to the pt.

Fast moving water is more highly oxygenated and generally has a lower bacterial count. Also less sediment. A stagnant pond is going to contain much higher levels of sediment, bacteria and is also generally warmer depending on the ambient air temp. Cold water can cause hypothermia, depending...

First of all you can't deduce logically that the reason people use EMS as a stepping stone is because of the inherent faults in the EMS system. The reality of society today is that the average length of stay in a job is now under 6 years. Jobs change, careers change, people move, get married...

Hon, there are about a bazillion posts on this topic. Seriously, it has been debated to death. The best advice is to carry as little as possible and only if you are working with an agency that will require you to respond in your own car.

Sorry to leave you guys hanging. Wasn't my patient. From what I hear the guy was a third party call to 911. Family hadn't heard from him in a few days. He was not previously diagnosed with diabetes but is an end stage alcoholic with a history of pancreatitis. He doesn't get regular medical care...

Well.. first you find nemo and remove him from the thorax??????

The company that hires you will have to insure you. If you have a DUI on your record, you are well aware of the increased cost of insurance with that present. If the company has the option of hiring you at that cost, or hiring someone else who will cost them less.. who should they pick? In some...

It's not a matter of transitioning. If you are going to eventually work in a wilderness setting you will need wilderness training. They are very different. In an urban setting, you won't have to watch for the signs of a developing infection that you may see in a 3 day pack out from a wilderness...

Not around here. National Park takes care of its own EMS within the park boundaries. If the pt requires transport, the park personnel will transport to the boundary of the park where they rendezvous with a private ambulance service for transport to the hospital. They also do their own SAR. We...

Mark, around here the drill is generally for the park to put their rangers through either regular or wilderness EMT. Most of the park EMTs are not given any form of ongoing training to keep up their skills and they do not see a lot of patients. Consequently, their patient care in the park near...

We've run into this situation more than a time or two. We will generally verbally acknowledge that a weapon is present. We worked a code one time with a 44 mag about 4 feet from the guy's head. Apparently he just kept it on the floor behind his favorite chair. It wasn't a threat, we made...