First 24 hour shift.

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ThatEMTGuy

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Hi guys I have my first ever 24 hour shift coming up this week. Does anyone have any advice or tips? what was yours like? Background info: I'm a first time EMT, and this is my first ever BLS run. This run will be after going on a day shift run as a trainee.
 
If you're going to be even remotely busy, take naps during the day.
 
Bring healthy snacks to munch on. Fruit, protein bars, trail mix. Don’t rely on cookies, coffee/caffeinated beverages, donuts, etc… for an energy boost. Bring a complete change of clothes (including socks and underwear) just in case your first patient bleeds or vomits all over you. Ask questions, especially when you don’t know something. Try to get familiar with the truck, and where things are stored. Open up cabinets and look. Poke through bags. Look at their patient contact forms. Bring two pens. And a positive attitude! Good luck!
 
STXmedic said:
Disregard the comment about coffee. He's obviously a communist.
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Quoted for truth.

But I do agree with the healthy snacks. We don't work 24s, only 12s and 16s but on 16s I always will try to grab a nap if I'm caught up on paperwork and we get some down time.

One thing I will say about naps as the new guy is don't be the first guy napping, as the FNG you should be familiarizing yourself with the truck, cleaning up and if you've got multiple crews in the station and are doing "family meals" I'd highly advise at least offering to cook and if not cooking jumping in to help out with prep and what not as well as clean up afterwards. Being labeled as lazy early on will not get you far.
 
It's just like any other shift except you are there longer, with some added in station duties and stuff. I sleep 90% percent of my 24, 9% is watching tv and eating and there's that 1% call volume. My advice is, don't be the guy that comes to the station and goes right to sleep on their first day. Find stuff to clean or things to study. Treat it like your home and make friends with fire.
 
+1 for knowing your equipment and where it lives on the rig. If you have any questions about anything just ask, you'll get more respect asking before versus not knowing and messing up when everything is hitting the fan. Nobody knows everything and everyone was brand new once. Just continue to learn something new everyday throughout your career and you'll be golden
 
Eat when you can.

Don't try to hold it, pee right now.

Offer to cook.

Don't offer, just do the dishes, take out trash or whatever.

Don't be the first to pass out/no naps between 8a and 8p.

Set your alarm early, get up and start coffee.
 
Chewy20 said:
It's just like any other shift except you are there longer, with some added in station duties and stuff. I sleep 90% percent of my 24, 9% is watching tv and eating and there's that 1% call volume. My advice is, don't be the guy that comes to the station and goes right to sleep on their first day. Find stuff to clean or things to study. Treat it like your home and make friends with fire.
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You sleep 90% of your shift? Aren't you brand new at your agency? How does that go over? Even being a senior employee with the department's that work 24-48 hr shifts here that wouldn't fly.

Also, as far as the recommendation for a change of uniform from a previous post, you should have an extra uniform available no matter how long your shift is. It's actually required we have one in our locker where I work.
 
Handsome Robb said:
You sleep 90% of your shift? Aren't you brand new at your agency? How does that go over? Even being a senior employee with the department's that work 24-48 hr shifts here that wouldn't fly.

Also, as far as the recommendation for a change of uniform from a previous post, you should have an extra uniform available no matter how long your shift is. It's actually required we have one in our locker where I work.
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I'm sorry to hear that for you and your senior employees. I'm treated as a human here. I get what I need to get done, I study the things I need to study and then I sleep when I can. I am never the first one to sleep, I was told by my FTO to sleep when I can. I do all the dishes/trash before being asked, I do my station duties, I wake up early to make sure everything is good to go for the next shift.

Also 90% was probably an exaggeration, but it is one of the slowest stations we have. My following 12 hour shifts over the next two days start the same day I end my 24. That truck happens to be the busiest. If you are tired before you go to that truck then you are going to have a long night.
 
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We do 36 hour shifts, which I truly Like the best. I have worked the 24/48, the 48 hour shift, and the 12 hour shifts.

Now go in, introduce yourself, most likely you will be a third (I am guessing) So your partners should do a little introduction type thing for you, and show you what needs to get done. Rig Check is number one priority. Another thing is clean up after yourself. If you make a mess, just clean it up. Depending on how your partners are, you might be eating out, or you guys might make meals at the station. We split meal cost when we make food at the station. If possible, try and grab a nap when you can. If your partners are doing things around the station, is probably not the time to take the nap. I know Bueno said no naps between 8a-8p, but if you can grab a quick 30 min nap, get it, cause you might be running calls all night.

Coffee is a major thing that gets a lot of crews through shift, if you do not know how to make coffee, than I highly recommend googleing that.

Second uniform is always best, bring your own bedding (Usually sleeping bag) and dont forget about a pillow.
 
Give us some background... do you have a station? Are you on the truck for the whole shift? Private company? ALS or BLS?
 
Handsome Robb said:
You sleep 90% of your shift? Aren't you brand new at your agency? How does that go over? Even being a senior employee with the department's that work 24-48 hr shifts here that wouldn't fly.

Also, as far as the recommendation for a change of uniform from a previous post, you should have an extra uniform available no matter how long your shift is. It's actually required we have one in our locker where I work.
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Banning sleeping during certain times and running 24s is a recipe for disaster. I come in and get my ambulance checked out and do my chores and then we head out for food and errands. After that, unless we have training you are free to nap all you want, provided that you are in a bedroom and are in the ambulance in a prompt manner. I don't understand the mentality of forcing people to sit in front of a TV or computer when they could be getting actual rest.
 
Tigger said:
Banning sleeping during certain times and running 24s is a recipe for disaster. I come in and get my ambulance checked out and do my chores and then we head out for food and errands. After that, unless we have training you are free to nap all you want, provided that you are in a bedroom and are in the ambulance in a prompt manner. I don't understand the mentality of forcing people to sit in front of a TV or computer when they could be getting actual rest.
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Indeed sir a 24 hour shift with no sleep is crazy.
 
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