Brand New Medic

[E tank]

I’m sorry, but this is a load of crap. I hate when other paramedics pull the bravado card. Super pet peeve of mine. Carry on.

Eh...I think there are folks that never get (got) edgy about present or future patients. Some of them are OK at what they do but all of them lack self awareness, which completely nullifies whatever capability they have over the long term.

Broad generalization...but my experience.

 

[CCCSD]

When all else fails, pull out the pack of Marlboros, hit that Zippo, take a drag, then go to work...

 

[johnrsemt]

I have been a medic for 16 years; and I get nervous sometimes;
Last weekend I had an accidental OD on Novolog, she switched her Lantus and Novolog Pens, and took 30 units of fast acting insulin instead of 4. I had to call the hospital for advice, then transport her 2.5 hours cause we couldn't get a bird due to winds. Had to loop the city, also because of protesters.
Same weekend I was 1st medic (only medic) on an cardiac arrest, in a parking lot.

You will get nervous, on some runs. It happens, Take a couple of deep breaths, and remember it is not your emergency and review your protocols/guidelines often.

 

[hometownmedic5]

I have been a medic for 16 years; and I get nervous sometimes;
Last weekend I had an accidental OD on Novolog, she switched her Lantus and Novolog Pens, and took 30 units of fast acting insulin instead of 4. I had to call the hospital for advice, then transport her 2.5 hours cause we couldn't get a bird due to winds. Had to loop the city, also because of protesters.
Same weekend I was 1st medic (only medic) on an cardiac arrest, in a parking lot.

You will get nervous, on some runs. It happens, Take a couple of deep breaths, and remember it is not your emergency and review your protocols/guidelines often.

Did your medcon doc want her flown? Aside from a lack of dextrose with which to mix a bladder irrigation sized bag of D10, with the information provided I can't see a helicopter being appropriate; but I'm curious as to the thought process.

 

[Lemur]

I'm always constantly studying because I am literally in the process right now of knocking out my last science core classes to get into nursing school and to bridge from my medic to RN. I just need to figure out this self esteem and lack of confidence issue. I want to be able to see something and it pop right up into my mind and I can go I need this and this and explain why and then transport.

Plenty of great advice and wisdom in this thread. I agree that it just takes time and running calls to get more confidence. You’ll notice that once you have done twenty (arbitrary number here), respiratory distress calls the twenty first will feel a bit smoother. That’s because you’ve seen a small variety of how these calls present and go, and you’ve started to build your mental approach. And it will continue to get easier the more you do.

I have a question that’s a bit tangential to the original topic- but why nursing school now if your goal is PA school? That adds at least two years to achieving your goal. Your paramedic experience will be more than sufficient for any health care experience requirements. Feel free to DM me of you want to chat about PA school, I was medic to PA.

 

[hometownmedic5]

I have a question that’s a bit tangential to the original topic\

You must be new here. Conversations here aren't allowed to naturally reroute themselves to follow a train of thought. Here, we're required to jump cut every transition into a new thread because...reasons.

 

[LoadingCosta]

Plenty of great advice and wisdom in this thread. I agree that it just takes time and running calls to get more confidence. You’ll notice that once you have done twenty (arbitrary number here), respiratory distress calls the twenty first will feel a bit smoother. That’s because you’ve seen a small variety of how these calls present and go, and you’ve started to build your mental approach. And it will continue to get easier the more you do.

I have a question that’s a bit tangential to the original topic- but why nursing school now if your goal is PA school? That adds at least two years to achieving your goal. Your paramedic experience will be more than sufficient for any health care experience requirements. Feel free to DM me of you want to chat about PA school, I was medic to PA.

Hey Lemur,

I did receive a lot of great wisdom from this forum and from the great people here. I am very appreciative of there help and advice. Yes running a lot more calls can help with my confidence for sure. The crazy thing is as an EMT I loved it. There was no real burden on your shoulder and you were basically the guy that was told to do something and you completed that task. Now as a medic you have to watch what everyone is doing and making sure it is being done correctly. You have to keep communication with your patient and try to figure out what may be going on. On top of that you have to make sure you are performing the correct procedure and then you have to call in a radio report and then transfer your patient over to the emergency staff upon arrival and during all this you just hope you have a decent partner and I promise I do not. My partner never knows where she is going and she never helps. Its a real struggle right now.

Your not the first person to ask me this. I know it does sound a bit out of whack how I am going to obtain my goal. I guess my reasoning for it is due to I want a good back up plan in case PA school does not work out or if I fail or never get accepted. I don't consider myself dumb but I also don't consider myself the most intelligent person either. Also I saw NP as a secondary option to PA school if that makes sense. I can always get an easier online degree for my bachelors but it personally just doesn't feel right and I'm worried it would be a "useless" degree if that makes sense.