GreenRanger55
Forum Ride Along
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First off, hello! I'm new here. I am currently doing ride-outs after having finished my EMT class. I am already enrolled in AEMT classes. This forum has been a great help, so far.
Anyway, on to my experience. This was my first ride-along after completing EMT class. I arrived about 20 minutes early, in hopes of helping stock the truck, get to know the other EMS providers and whatnot.
When I arrived, the new shift was not there, so I sat down at the main desk and listened to a few paramedics exchanging stuff about the day. A few minutes later, the crews for the next shift started to come in. I smiled, hoping to get at least a hello. No such luck. A paramedic I had previously met came in and I said hello to him. Next thing you know, the tones drop. No one has said who I'm supposed to be riding out with that night, much less told me their names. I would have introduced myself, but nobody had given me so much as a second glance, except those I knew. The medic I was familiar with asks another student to follow him, so I turn to the paramedics still at the table and say, "So I guess I'm with you guys?" No answer. Just a blank look. A minute later, tones go off, again. The 2 seated medics get up and go for the door. I follow.
Throughout the course of the night, I could barely hear the radio (I was in the back of the rig and there was only a small window to the front) and often had no clue what we were being called to. If that doesn't make a newbie paranoid, I don't know what will.
After the first call, I talked to the paramedic and asked what he wanted me to do. His answer was "Anything up to your level." l asked him if it was ok if I watched the next call to get a better idea of how they do assessments and the like (helping when he wanted me to, of course). He said that would be fine. I admit I'm a slightly timid person, but the last thing I wanted to do was be a wallflower. I am there to learn. I was very worried about getting in the way, though. I felt like I was more of a bother to those two than anything else.
First call down and we get back to the station. The two work on their reports, as expected, while I study. I wait till they are done and mention, "You know this is my first ride out." "Oh," was the reaction. I then asked if I could get a look around the rig, so I knew where things were. The AEMT directed me to the paramedic and said, "He'll show you after we finish the next call" (We were about to be called out, again). That never happened. Not in an entire 13 hour shift. I also made sure to say I wasn't very confident in taking BPs, yet, but they didn't seem to care. They never double checked me.
Next call comes in and it is of a serious nature, so I stay out of the way. On the way back, the paramedic asks me to hand him a nebulizer. I guess the panicked look on my face didn't get my point across. After asking where it was and a quick search through the area to find it, I set it up (took some trial and error to figure out exactly how to use the oxygen on the rig as it was different than the set up from class) and hand it over and watch him continue his work.
By the third call, I was getting annoyed (maybe they were just waiting for me to jump in there, but they really gave no indication). I asked if I could take the vitals on the call and was told it was alright.
Calls were pretty much all the same, after that. I took vitals on all the patients and was given no pointers on my work, so I assume I was doing it right. All the BPs were only 4 or less off from the hospital monitors, so I was pretty happy with that. Skills of the night consisted of putting a non-rebreather on a patient and a nasal cannula on the other. Most of the time, the medic would just reach over the patient for what he wanted, rather than ask me to get it. It was faster, I suppose.
The most awkward part of the night was during a break. I popped my dinner in the microwave and noticed complete silence. The two medics talked to eachother most of the night, so I knew something was up. I turned around to see both of them staring at me. "What? Did I do something wrong," I asked. They explained that when the microwave is working, they can't send their reports. It messes up the internet connection. I am supposed to know this, how? I apologized and slinked back over to the edge of the table.
By the end of the night, I learned virtually nothing (I did watch what they did, but they never said why they were doing particular interventions, unless I asked). The only things I learned were how to write a narrative (which was great, as that was the longest conversation I had with the paramedic, all night) and how to set up the cot for new patients, and that was only after I completely ignored the AEMT when he said, "I've got it." It's folding a sheet. I think I can do that. I just felt so left out of the loop. I know I was new, but ANY interaction would have been appreciated.
So, I guess my questions are: Did I do something wrong? Did I not show enough initiative? Is there anything I should have done differently? On the next shift (tomorrow) I intend to ride out with someone else, but are there any pointers you guys have for me?
Anyway, on to my experience. This was my first ride-along after completing EMT class. I arrived about 20 minutes early, in hopes of helping stock the truck, get to know the other EMS providers and whatnot.
When I arrived, the new shift was not there, so I sat down at the main desk and listened to a few paramedics exchanging stuff about the day. A few minutes later, the crews for the next shift started to come in. I smiled, hoping to get at least a hello. No such luck. A paramedic I had previously met came in and I said hello to him. Next thing you know, the tones drop. No one has said who I'm supposed to be riding out with that night, much less told me their names. I would have introduced myself, but nobody had given me so much as a second glance, except those I knew. The medic I was familiar with asks another student to follow him, so I turn to the paramedics still at the table and say, "So I guess I'm with you guys?" No answer. Just a blank look. A minute later, tones go off, again. The 2 seated medics get up and go for the door. I follow.
Throughout the course of the night, I could barely hear the radio (I was in the back of the rig and there was only a small window to the front) and often had no clue what we were being called to. If that doesn't make a newbie paranoid, I don't know what will.
After the first call, I talked to the paramedic and asked what he wanted me to do. His answer was "Anything up to your level." l asked him if it was ok if I watched the next call to get a better idea of how they do assessments and the like (helping when he wanted me to, of course). He said that would be fine. I admit I'm a slightly timid person, but the last thing I wanted to do was be a wallflower. I am there to learn. I was very worried about getting in the way, though. I felt like I was more of a bother to those two than anything else.
First call down and we get back to the station. The two work on their reports, as expected, while I study. I wait till they are done and mention, "You know this is my first ride out." "Oh," was the reaction. I then asked if I could get a look around the rig, so I knew where things were. The AEMT directed me to the paramedic and said, "He'll show you after we finish the next call" (We were about to be called out, again). That never happened. Not in an entire 13 hour shift. I also made sure to say I wasn't very confident in taking BPs, yet, but they didn't seem to care. They never double checked me.
Next call comes in and it is of a serious nature, so I stay out of the way. On the way back, the paramedic asks me to hand him a nebulizer. I guess the panicked look on my face didn't get my point across. After asking where it was and a quick search through the area to find it, I set it up (took some trial and error to figure out exactly how to use the oxygen on the rig as it was different than the set up from class) and hand it over and watch him continue his work.
By the third call, I was getting annoyed (maybe they were just waiting for me to jump in there, but they really gave no indication). I asked if I could take the vitals on the call and was told it was alright.
Calls were pretty much all the same, after that. I took vitals on all the patients and was given no pointers on my work, so I assume I was doing it right. All the BPs were only 4 or less off from the hospital monitors, so I was pretty happy with that. Skills of the night consisted of putting a non-rebreather on a patient and a nasal cannula on the other. Most of the time, the medic would just reach over the patient for what he wanted, rather than ask me to get it. It was faster, I suppose.
The most awkward part of the night was during a break. I popped my dinner in the microwave and noticed complete silence. The two medics talked to eachother most of the night, so I knew something was up. I turned around to see both of them staring at me. "What? Did I do something wrong," I asked. They explained that when the microwave is working, they can't send their reports. It messes up the internet connection. I am supposed to know this, how? I apologized and slinked back over to the edge of the table.
By the end of the night, I learned virtually nothing (I did watch what they did, but they never said why they were doing particular interventions, unless I asked). The only things I learned were how to write a narrative (which was great, as that was the longest conversation I had with the paramedic, all night) and how to set up the cot for new patients, and that was only after I completely ignored the AEMT when he said, "I've got it." It's folding a sheet. I think I can do that. I just felt so left out of the loop. I know I was new, but ANY interaction would have been appreciated.
So, I guess my questions are: Did I do something wrong? Did I not show enough initiative? Is there anything I should have done differently? On the next shift (tomorrow) I intend to ride out with someone else, but are there any pointers you guys have for me?
