First Day in Newark, NJ

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EMTRabbit

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Soo tomorrow at 6am I start my first shift as an EMT in Newark(Ironbound). Any words of wisdom?
 
Yeah, dont wind up in a box :D
 
try not to kill anyone
 
And buy a round of coffee or whatever. It's a sweet gesture, and they'll be putting out extra energy helping you learn, so it just goes to show that you're thankful.
 
EMTRabbit said:
Soo tomorrow at 6am I start my first shift as an EMT in Newark(Ironbound). Any words of wisdom?
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Show up early to check out and stock the truck and stay late to clean it. Nothing sends me over the edge quicker than a new employee I'm precepting who shows up right at their start time(i.e. they roll in at 0659 for a 0700 shirt start).
 
EMTRabbit said:
Soo tomorrow at 6am I start my first shift as an EMT in Newark(Ironbound). Any words of wisdom?
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Several.

1. Always be kind to Lifestar units. Personal Care, Virgo or Amb care suck.

2. All drunks go to St. Michaels.

3. All sicks go to Newar Beth Israel

4. All trauma go to UMDNJ

5. Always pick the hospital closest to where you want to eat afterwards.
 
nothing major started out with 2 EDPs at penn station, then a no address chest pain, went out of service for bike run, got back in service decided it was time to eat...... dispatched to a sexual assault then on the corner of squad bay got dispatched to the airport for a plane landing with a sick pt. finally got to eat my 5 dollar steak sandwich. kinda like this stuff alot
 
I love the "don't kill anyone", hehehe.

I work in Newark during the night shift (non-EMT comp) and I would definitely say be careful. I'm not in a bad area but Newark can get crazy.
Good luck!!!
 
EMTRabbit said:
nothing major started out with 2 EDPs at penn station, then a no address chest pain, went out of service for bike run, got back in service decided it was time to eat...... dispatched to a sexual assault then on the corner of squad bay got dispatched to the airport for a plane landing with a sick pt. finally got to eat my 5 dollar steak sandwich. kinda like this stuff alot
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Oh man, what a fun day. Chest pain, sexual assault, and a trip to the airport. I wish all days were that exiting.
 
2 phone books and a BUCKET OF WATER
wet phonebooks dont bruise

keep your head down, keep moving, and welcom to the charlie foxtrot that is NJ EMS
 
EMTRabbit said:
Soo tomorrow at 6am I start my first shift as an EMT in Newark(Ironbound). Any words of wisdom?
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Follow Eddie's lead. He's an experienced guy in the Newark EMS world.

If you get bored, called dispatch and tell them if needed you can take city jobs. If they are backed up (which only happens about 20 hours a day), they will send some your way. But if they don't, don't take it personally.

understand that many many many jobs will be BS at penn station.

Don't jump jobs, based on what you hear over the scanner. However, if you hear another unit getting dispatched to your primary, ask REMCS if they want you to take it. More often than not they will, if they don't, they probably have a good reason not to.

Do not, I repeat, do not wait for ALS. If you have a sick patient, transport Charlie to the hospital, and don't forget to tell dispatch what you have. Also, if you are going to do this, go to the nearest hospital (generally St Mikes, but trauma's go to UMD). And, if the medics can't meet you until you are 3 minutes from the ER, don't wait for them, cancel due to proximity and let dispatch make the notifications.

Respect the UMD crews, and tolerate their crankiness. They handly the bulk of EMS in Newark, and are doing between 12 and 20 jobs in their 12 hour shift. and they don't get to call out of service for lunch. but also don't be surprised if they don't treat you like their equals.

keep your head down, esp when the more senior guys tell you to.

and welcome to Newark, now you get to see a taste of one of the busiest EMS system (calls per unit anyway) in the nation.
 
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Fox800 said:
:unsure: ???
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Simple: definitive medical care is an MD, not a paramedic. There are 3 hospitals in the City of Newark, and 3 more right outside the city limits. If you have a sick patient, it is often in the patient's best interest to rapidly transport to the ER, with the ER bring the nearest location of ALS. So if the nearest ALS unit is 10 minutes away coming from the other side of the city, and the hospital is 5 minutes away, it doesn't benefit the patient to wait.

Some people like to set up camp and wait for ALS. In Newark, due to the size of the city, and the locations of the hospitals (as well as the chronic shortage of ALS & BLS available), it's a frowned upon practice, because it doesn't benefit the patient. This also means meet the ALS enroute to the hospital. if the hospital is 10 min away, and the ALS is 5, if you start going to the hospital, and meet up with ALS, you have decreased the time until the patient meets definitive car
 
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Bullets said:
2 phone books and a BUCKET OF WATER
wet phonebooks dont bruise

keep your head down, keep moving, and welcom to the charlie foxtrot that is NJ EMS
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Good advice for a new provider starting out, any more pearls of wisdom you'd care to share? :wacko:
 
Best advice is to leave Jersey and don't look back.
 
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