First Shift tomorrow

[lightsandsirens5]

If you stand around and do nothing someone could die though.

Huh? Not most shifts I am on!

 

[Phlipper]

If you haven't done this already, get a small notepad (pocket sized) and make notes and write down questions to ask after every call. And be prepared to look stupid. You will. We all started somewhere and if your team members are even half way squared away they will remember what it was like. They might rib you and yuck it up over something goofy you did, but they'll make sure you know what was done wrong and how you should have done it.

You will do dumb stuff. If you're not making mistakes you're not doing anything. They won't let you get hurt and they won't let you hurt anyone. You're learning.

 

[Bullets]

Like a cop, i carry a smart pad (a small top bound spiral notebook) in my left breast pocket. I write down the address, nature, transport decision(ALS or BLS) and destination(which of 5 Hospitals, RMA, DOA) and any other mitigating factors, combative, tough access, delay(traffic, caught at train tracks, ect). OH and the date. This way, if someone ever asks me about a call, i can pull my pad out and tell if i was on it, and what happened.

Otherwise, dont put your hands in the wet stuff

 

[emtstudent04]

I remember my first call, i was doing my assessment and i was doing it just like they tought me in class(National Registry style), totally was not paying attention to what the pt and bystander was telling me. I stuck to what i knew and then after the call i felt like a big dummy. My FTO asked me, "who tought you how to do assessments?" I replied saying "that's how i was tought." He told me well you did good in a sense, but(you got to love when people say BUT) you didn't really catch on to what the pt said or the bystander. I noticed that you seemed like you were just reading down a list of questions. I said well thats what we were tought to do in class. Point is that i felt dumb after the call bc i wasn't paying attention to what was really going on. So just my advice remember what you were tought, but just remember things are a lot different in the field then what you were tought in class. You will learn a lot more in the field then just sitting in a classroom.

 

[John E]

taught...

taught, taught, taught

otherwise good post...;^)

 

[fit4duty]

Breathe. Breathe dog, just breathe

 

[uminchu]

Congratulations

Just take a deep breath before you do everything, but remember to let it out.