Combi Tube Recert is boring!!!

BossyCow

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We have to do a quarterly recert on Combi-tube and AED. It has become boring, routine and just a pain in the tukus! I'm looking for anything that you have seen or experienced that might make it something other than pencil whipping a cert requirement. Am I doomed to look at glazed stares and yawns or is there a way to perk it up?

Currently we go over the indications and contra-indications and then demonstrate skills. I'm thinking maybe more scenario based?

Any suggestions?
 

Pablo the Pirate

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wow that seems like alot...quarterly... i dont think there is a way to make it any better when you reveiw it that often. however, we go through combitube a AED yearly and usually as the "mega code" senerio. it's at least a little more bearable when you can go through everything else you can do to. try starting it out as chest pain and then goin into a full code. hope it helps
 

KEVD18

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who decided on 1/4ly? the state/county? the service? if its a service or corp level thing, draft a proposal to change that requirement. that's a little much. maybe biannually?

assuming that's not an option, breeze right through it as fast as you can and not endanger your inst card
 

jeepmedic

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You can never practice Airway enough. I practice at least once a month if not more.

Try using some stressful situations in the practicals and also some real world scenario's. You can change things up some to make it more interesting.

One thing I do is have some of the folks that want to go to sleep teach some if it.
 

KEVD18

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yeah, a little informal skill review on a frequent basis is great and one part of my personal coned. but requiring so frequent a refresher, a bit much IMHO
 
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BossyCow

BossyCow

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The quarterly is a mandate from the MPD since this small rural district doesn't get a lot of calls. Trust me, they need frequent refreshers.

I have had to take them one by one into a room for the actual skills performance because if left in a group, one or two will take charge and the rest sit back and watch. I've tried to get them to be mildly competitive with each other, just for fun (seeing who could get the combi-tube placed fastest) and that failed miserably. The few who actually would act immediately stopped so they wouldn't make the others feel bad.

We haven't done the mega code scenario in a while so maybe it's time to try that one again.

I pride myself in being a good instructor and I'm just really frustrated with this particular group of students.
 

jeepmedic

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I pride myself in being a good instructor and I'm just really frustrated with this particular group of students.


It is not you. We as a group are very hard to instruct. We go thru the same classes over and over. The students get to where they think they know what you are going to say and do before you do or say it. Sometimes it helps to get an outside instructor to come in and help with a topic that has gotten stale for you or your service. So do not get down on yourself.
 

Summit

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You can never practice Airway enough. I practice at least once a month if not more.

Try using some stressful situations in the practicals and also some real world scenario's. You can change things up some to make it more interesting.

One thing I do is have some of the folks that want to go to sleep teach some if it.

I think these are great ideas.

On the stressfull situation idea, have them do it in the dark with flashlights and loud music (preferably Slayer). Have them compete for the fastest safe and successful times with some sort of dinky prize.
 

DT4EMS

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I think these are great ideas.

On the stressfull situation idea, have them do it in the dark with flashlights and loud music (preferably Slayer). Have them compete for the fastest safe and successful times with some sort of dinky prize.

Agreed.

Here is a little fun trick we do...........

Take a manikin and strap it to the underside of a table. Tell the crew (participants) they are dispatched to a roll-ove MVC. Cover the table with blankets and place "safe" debris about.

Tell them they have to manage the airway just like in real life. When they look under the table (the upside car) you will inform them the patient is trapped. The patient has a good strong pulse, but is unresponsive.

They will see it is difficult to use the BVM, but it can be done.

It is little "games" that can make all the difference in world with experience providers.
 

emtbuff

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That sounds like an interesting way to challenge those off the squad.

I'll agree though that recert quarterly makes it redundent, I know we do it twice a year which gets old in its self.

Good luck with makeing it interesting I know how hard it is to get the crew to do something in training.
 

CGFD37

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if your ems is related with fire, practice 10-50's with fire and have members combi-tube while fire works on extrication. For example I have done a combi-tube scenario where the car is wedged under a semi and you have to (with help of fire) tunnel through the truck (since the rest of the car was under the "semi" (actually a tarp draped over the vehicle). Provided an challenging environment to provide airway skills.
 
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