BLS questions

[traumahawk]

I agree you may be better served by perhaps retaking the course at a more reputable institution.

I would like to point out however, as I stated in another thread, there is considerable education and training in EMS that falls on the shoulders of the employer and requires considerable time to master.

I think this is one of those cases.

It is impossible to turn out knowledgable and proficent providers from a broken system.

I agree. The agency i work for i am one of the persons in charge of Q&A as well as training our new BLS providers and it does take time. It really comes down to the person. Can they learn and are they willing to learn?

 

[Anjel]

for BLS/IFT transports we would use the main entrance to the hospital.

Really? I don't think so. But maybe it's different where you are.

I don't wanna take sick grandpa hacking up a lung through the main entrance into the ambulance to take him back to hospice.

It's a separate entrance for a reason.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Really? I don't think so. But maybe it's different where you are.

I don't wanna take sick grandpa hacking up a lung through the main entrance into the ambulance to take him back to hospice.

It's a separate entrance for a reason.

the guy got out of surgery for cancer in his jaw and he also had a stroke. he was in an observation room. we transported him from that hospital to a non-emergency hospital for recovery.

 

[JPINFV]

Really? I don't think so. But maybe it's different where you are.

I don't wanna take sick grandpa hacking up a lung through the main entrance into the ambulance to take him back to hospice.

It's a separate entrance for a reason.

That's why when one of my local hospital built a new tower, they built a dedicated exit and parking area specifically for discharges. However, that tower, while connected, was not near the ED.

Also, why would I want to take my relatively not sick, but somewhat immunocompromised patient through the ED where they can be exposed to all sorts of critters in patients who haven't had treatment started yet?

 

[usafmedic45]

for BLS/IFT transports we would use the main entrance to the hospital.

In 15 years and visits to 100+ hospitals and more states than I care to count (as well as several other countries), I've never encountered that. We've always gone through the ED ambulance bay or a secondary ambulance specific entrance.

 

[Amycus]

Well, in the OP's defense, and no, I didn't read every post in here...

In this area, a Code 3 is the reverse of what it is to many. A Code 3 is a low-priority, non-life threatening, no lights/sirens transport. The basic BLS/IFT run for grandma who has a fever or such. I've seen hospitals with two entrances, so I can understand the OP's confusion

 

[johnmedic]

the guy got out of surgery for cancer in his jaw and he also had a stroke. he was in an observation room. we transported him from that hospital to a non-emergency hospital for recovery.

There's your answer. You didn't take him to the ER. In ER's (ED's) you go through the ambulance entrance yes?

Even those patients with toothaches who call 911 because the bus schedule "just doesn't work" for them, we bring them in through the Ambulance Entrance.. then past the doctors nurses & rooms, past the patients, to the clipboard at Triage.

 

[DesertMedic66]

There's your answer. You didn't take him to the ER. In ER's (ED's) you go through the ambulance entrance yes?

Even those patients with toothaches who call 911 because the bus schedule "just doesn't work" for them, we bring them in through the Ambulance Entrance.. then past the doctors nurses & rooms, past the patients, to the clipboard at Triage.

Yeah. If they call 911 then it's automatic they go thru the ER. If it's just a basic transport then it depends on where the patient is located in the hospital and the crews decision as to how to exit the hospital.

 

[WolfmanHarris]

Really? I don't think so. But maybe it's different where you are.

I don't wanna take sick grandpa hacking up a lung through the main entrance into the ambulance to take him back to hospice.

It's a separate entrance for a reason.

Here we're kinda prejudice, only EMS gets to use the Ambulance garages at the hospitals. Since the IFT industry isn't part of EMS (in Ontario; though EMS does some IFT's and quite a lot in some extremely rural or remote areas) and don't do transfers into the ED, they have to park in a separate area and go through the main entrance. With how many stable discharge IFT's that can be going on at one time they could easily tie up the bay at emerg all day.

 

[Anjel]

Here we're kinda prejudice, only EMS gets to use the Ambulance garages at the hospitals. Since the IFT industry isn't part of EMS (in Ontario; though EMS does some IFT's and quite a lot in some extremely rural or remote areas) and don't do transfers into the ED, they have to park in a separate area and go through the main entrance. With how many stable discharge IFT's that can be going on at one time they could easily tie up the bay at emerg all day.

Here we still go through the ER for a transport. Even if they are located on the 90th floor. We may park out of the way. Our ER's don't have garage. But never the less go through the ER.

I think the OP would been fit greatly from a few more ride a longs. And some better education. Not saying they are stupid, but a lot could of been left out in this "course"

 

[exodus]

Even if they're a candidate for triage, they come into the ER, the admitting RN does a quick AX on them to confirm they're triagable. Then they walk into the waiting room and wait.

And 90% of the time there's some kind of staff entrance you would go through for the hospital for discharge / direct admit... Things like that will be gone over with you on your FTO days.

Btw. I did 10 hours ER, 12 ambulance for basic.

 

[MEDIC802]

University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham has several entrances for ambulances, of course there is the ER/ED for 911 or nonemergency calls also can use for IFT if you chose, however you can also pull directly to the building that your IFT is going to, UAB is a large teaching hospital that covers several blocks, My hospital that I normally transport to all pt's 911 or IFT go through the ER/ED.
I don't remember how many clinical hrs I had to do as a basic, that was way before national registry was thought of.

 

[Pittma]

In the OP's defense, when I took my EMT course, ride time was not required...

...don't worry I still volunteered because I don't want to be the dumbass

We were all newbies/greenhorns once. Cut him some slack.

To the OP: As many people already said, some hospitals have different entrances and exits, depending on the type of patient. If you are a new-hire, you may want to request something like a ride-around with the field officer. You can drive from hospital-hospital within your service area, and really learn A) the differing paperwork/protocols/routines in transporting to different hospitals as well as B) learning the area pretty well. A few companies in the metro-Boston area (Cambridge, if I'm not mistaken) require this.

And to reiterate, I think CPR would be more effective on a LSB, think about it, would you want to do CPR in a bouncy palace/ball pit, or a cement floor? Note: CPR should not be needed in a ball pit. Nothing bad happens in a ball pit, and they should be noted as a place of frolicking joy.

-Nick

 

[Sasha]

No need to calm down. I'm not upset. I'm just stunned by how clueless you've painted yourself to be. I don't get upset easily but I also don't hesitate to be blunt. It's something of a rarity unfortunately because if we stopped coddling marginal students and providers then we probably would have far fewer problems in this trade than we currently face.

Back to your original question: Riddle me this Batman, but during your clinicals did you ever push the cot with an unstable patient heading for the ED through anything but the ambulance entrance?

Yes you do. Calm down dear, take your xanax all this anger is going to give you a heart attack. Then who would be the resident curmudgeon? Certainly not me. I'm the resident harpy.

There's a serious problem with emt classes not requiring significant clinical time.

 

[Sasha]

Here we still go through the ER for a transport. Even if they are located on the 90th floor. We may park out of the way. Our ER's don't have garage. But never the less go through the ER.

I think the OP would been fit greatly from a few more ride a longs. And some better education. Not saying they are stupid, but a lot could of been left out in this "course"

We get to go through one of the back hospital entrances. Thank god. It's a long walk from the ER to the staff elevators in some of the hospitals and I'm lazy.

 

[usafmedic45]

Yes you do. Calm down dear, take your xanax all this anger is going to give you a heart attack.

There's a difference between being wordy and maybe not polite and be being flat out blood boiling angry or upset.

 

[Sasha]

Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you when you're clutching your chest going 'Sasha, please help me!'

 

[usafmedic45]

Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you when you're clutching your chest going 'Sasha, please help me!'

Eh....it's all the exposure to high fat foods (gotta love having a German heritage and a love for kosher deli meats and being a cheese snob) and family history that are giving me the high likelihood of a coronary related death.