Just to follow up with anyone who may come across this post in the future.
rode with BronxCare w Bronx Lebanon Hospital for a 12 hour shift. Crews were all wonderful and full of stories and knowledge, bringing some food or snacks goes a long way, such as a couple boxes of donuts etc and is a great way to meet people as most everyone came over to say thanks even if you sneak them in 30 min before shift to try and stay anonymous.
They generally have a high call volume, although this day we responded to 8 calls, which is quiet. Couple med interaction patients, some post Covid anxiety / respiratory, MCI / Building Structure Fire, EDP, Cardiac Arrests, and I missed a couple that we were not able to respond in time to.
Definitely was nervous starting out the day and to also be on the front of responsibility and care, and experiencing death and grieving families, it didn't stop me from getting up the 5 flights of stairs but I definitely needed to step away for a minute and catch my breath, thankfully we had a large team there and 4 FDNY members already doing compressions w 2 medics behind us, not fun in a mask.
Make friends, ask questions, speak to patients and their families, everyone was happy to talk with a student, I didn't speak much with the Arrest family. Get your hands (gloved) dirty, listen and take criticism and learn, always remember to speak up about anything you may be uncomfortable with etc (I discussed it at the beginning with checking inventory in the bus), and most importantly pay attention to both what's happening around you and in front of you, don't forget BSI (stuff your pockets with gloves at the beginning of your shift), and to sanitize your gear and hand wash between calls.
