First Time Patient

[ffemt8978]

A couple of months ago, I got to experience a first time in my life event in the back of my ambulance. B)

I was the patient!

It was a completely different experience for me, since it was my first time in an ambulance without being involved in patient care. It was wierd, really, knowing what was wrong and not being able to fix it myself. I had to sit back and let my fellow EMT's do their thing. It really puts a new perspective on my patient care and empathy skills.

Have any of you been in an ambulance as a patient, and if so, was it with your ambulance service?

 

[ResTech]

Fortunately, I have never been in an ambulance as a patient. Hopefully it stay's that way

 

[rescuecpt]

I haven't, but my Dad and Grandpa have. The crew wouldn't let me ride with them either (and I'm SOOOO not the hysterical type). But it helped out at the hospital since the ER staff knew me, I could stealth in and out whenever I wanted with my FD jacket on, and they gave me full access to the pantry (my dad loved the jello).

 

[sunshine1026]

Just a couple of weeks ago I got to be the patient, (in the ER, not in the ambulance), and I found it INCREDIBLY frustrating. I knew where everything I wanted/needed was, but couldn't get to it because they kept me on the monitor all night long. I was not used to depending on others for so many things, and that made me quite cranky.

I agree that an experience like this reminds you to try to be more empathetic. It it sometimes very difficult to put ourselves in our patients' position, but BEING the patient brings the message home!

 

[MMiz]

Three years ago I was in the back of an AMR ambulance. I had come home for lunch after a huge snow storm. Of course the snow was plowed in the street, which was packed at the end of my driveway. Being the smart guy I am, I floored my Grand Am thinking I could break through it, I was wrong.

Then I had someone gas it while I pushed. I pushed a bit too hard, which resulted in a knee injury, one significant enough that required surgery.

I was on the ground in the most pain I've ever been in. The person, thinking they had run me over, immediately called 911. An ALS unit responded, and because I couldn't get up, they loaded me into the back. I think we got the oldest unit in the fleet, but they transported me the two miles to the hospital.

I wasn't an EMT at that point, but I can still remember how I thought the ambulance looked dirty. Now I make sure to clean my ambulance and make things look good, first impressions are everything.

In EMT class I hated being the patient. When they stuck my in the stair chair, I always stuck my hands out to grab the rail, even though I was told not to. I always thought they would drop me. I hated the feeling of being c-spined and backboarded, I'll never forget it.

I've thought about what I would do if I had to go via ambulance again, and I think I have it worked out. There is fierce competition among companies here, so I wouldn't say that I wasn't an EMT. I would just go with the flow.

Good topic.

 

[traumagirl1029]

thankfully i've never had to be the patient in the back of a rig..i've been in the ER enough times tho..2 surgeries and family stuff..but in my explorer post it somehow seemed to have gotten slipped in that my 'job discription' is always patient. i think its because i'm the smallest..5'6 120lbs..but i've been extricated and backboarded and collared so many times its rediculous..i could start a new job of 'perfessional victim'..the best is playing up scenerios becomming combative or unresponisve at random points and throwing off the crews Good Times...


-Liz

 

[ffemt8978]

Originally posted by traumagirl1029@Jul 5 2004, 12:50 PM
thankfully i've never had to be the patient in the back of a rig..i've been in the ER enough times tho..2 surgeries and family stuff..but in my explorer post it somehow seemed to have gotten slipped in that my 'job discription' is always patient. i think its because i'm the smallest..5'6 120lbs..but i've been extricated and backboarded and collared so many times its rediculous..i could start a new job of 'perfessional victim'..the best is playing up scenerios becomming combative or unresponisve at random points and throwing off the crews Good Times...


-Liz

It's because of people like you that we carry duct tape in our ambulace (as an additional set of restraints)

 

[traumagirl1029]

It's because of people like you that we carry duct tape in our ambulace (as an additional set of restraints)

its more fun to be combative when there ISN'T any duct tape lol!!!

 

[TTLWHKR]

...

 

[ma2va92]

hmm I have gotten a ride a few times.. twice for MVA's.. once I dropped at home home .. ended up having 10 hr's of nero surgery for a AVM... rode once with my son.. after he took a header down the stairs.... I like the this way better rideing in the back helping others ver.. being the pt.

jim

 

[MariaCatEMT]

I wasn't an ambulance patient, but some months ago did end up in the ER with a ruptured ectopic and had an EMT-I student with me for a while. The guy was incredibly nice, great empathy skills (missed his IV though - ouch - but it didn't make me mad - he's learning). The whole story about how my ectopic ended up rupturing and how it was missed is a whole different talk show subject LOL! I don't remember too much from the ER to surgery (shock-----now I have first had knowledge of how shock effects your thinking skills) but I do remember afterward...my doc, the nurses, the EMT-I student....they really went out of their way to make me comfortable and keep my frame of mind as positive as possible. So I was given a great example to go by with patients when it's my turn to be the provider.