Being a new medic

AnthonyTheEmt

AnthonyTheEmt

Forum Lieutenant
Messages
169
Reaction score
8
Points
18
I recently started working as a medic, after being out of my internship for a little over a year. Ive been struggling somewhat with trying to multitask and ask the right questions and get everything done before reaching the hospital. I have also noticed that sometimes I ask all the right questions, but get focused on getting things done, that Im not paying close enough attention to the patients answers. I never had these issues during the internship, and have experience as a first responder as well as working as an EMT prior to this, so its not like I just went straight in with no experience. But I have not had a lot of experience with bad calls. I do fine for the most part on the calls that are BS or non life threatening things, but on those more complex or bad calls, I find myself getting tunnel vision and forgetting simple things like checking lung sounds, or things like that. I have been studying hard, and really want to do well. Any and all advice is welcome. :)
 
Experience. That's really all there is too it.


Eventually you'll get to the point where it just happens fluidly without thinking about it. I've been a Paramedic for a little over 2 years and while I'll be the first to say I still have some length to go, that I'm also not a 'newbie'. Now my partner and I can do things such as a GSW or other major trauma, very few words exchanged but fluid in running. One medic is always doing one thing while the other thinks ahead and does the next.
 
You will find that the first year you work as a medic, you will spend a lot of time figuring out how to use all that information and all those skills you were taught. It isn't really about adding to that knowledge base yet, it is about figuring out how to be a medic. I was an EMT for 10 years before becoming a medic. Despite that, there was still a learning curve involved with the new information and skills. At first I felt completely rushed just to get an assessment done and start an IV. Now I do that and more, and don't even bat an eye.

The more runs you take, the easier it will all become. Before you know it, you will easily be getting everything done that you think/want to do, and still have time left over.

Like Linuss already said, it just comes down to getting the experience.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
How many "bad" calls have you actually had?

They are like anything else. The more you are around them, the easier they get.
 
Veneficus said:
How many "bad" calls have you actually had?

They are like anything else. The more you are around them, the easier they get.
Click to expand...

not really anything that is that bad. a couple strokes, and some minor-moderate trauma
 
AnthonyTheEmt said:
not really anything that is that bad. a couple strokes, and some minor-moderate trauma
Click to expand...

Then don't worry.

With experience will come proficency and confidence.
 
Like others have said, it all comes with experience and running calls.

I'm a newer medic as well, I've been on my own with an EMT partner for about 6 months now. I still have my good days and my bad days, sometimes I feel like I really did a great job on a call, and sometimes I just feel like crap about how I did, fortunately there are fewer and fewer of the latter situations. I used to have trouble multitasking on scene and felt rushed to get everything done, I found myself asking the same question multiple times because I wasn't paying attention the first time.

As time passes you'll start feeling more confident in your physical skills and will have to think less about them as you're doing them, allowing you to focus more on what the patient is actually saying. I guess I'm just reiterating the point that you'll gain more confidence a you start running more and more calls.
 
fast65 said:
Like others have said, it all comes with experience and running calls.

I'm a newer medic as well, I've been on my own with an EMT partner for about 6 months now. I still have my good days and my bad days, sometimes I feel like I really did a great job on a call, and sometimes I just feel like crap about how I did, fortunately there are fewer and fewer of the latter situations. I used to have trouble multitasking on scene and felt rushed to get everything done, I found myself asking the same question multiple times because I wasn't paying attention the first time.

As time passes you'll start feeling more confident in your physical skills and will have to think less about them as you're doing them, allowing you to focus more on what the patient is actually saying. I guess I'm just reiterating the point that you'll gain more confidence a you start running more and more calls.
Click to expand...

Hey man, Thank you very much. That is so encouraging, cuz that is where I feel I am at now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top