Fun Times in Paramedic School

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awhiting

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11 Weeks into medic school....and loving every minute of it. I've been doing really well on our weekly tests and the info learned is actually staying in my head (for the most part).

I saw the post else where about practicing IVs on eachother, or not, in school. We did....and it was pretty fun. I ended up getting stuck about 5 times.

With my clinicals on the very near horizon I'm starting to stress a little about IVs on my future pts. I'm not worried about it in the long term... but more for my unfortunate first few pts. I did ok during our practice session...but still :).

How was it for everybody else?

Aaron
 
My first few clinicals after getting the ok to start doing IVs I was hitting about 50% of them. With each clinical it improved, and I now get them 9 times out of 10 on the first stick. Don't sweat it, you will do fine. The more sticks you do, the easier it becomes. Also, just remember that even the best of them (definately not me.....yet, anyway :P ) have a bad day from time to time and miss.

Glad to hear that class is going well for you!
 
Yeah, it can be a little nerve racking doing those first few IV's on patients that aren't in your class. Maintain your professional attitude, and act like you've done it hundreds of times before. Confidence is contagious; have some, and your patients will have confidence in you too.
 
We have a good time in class and get along great with each other which is nice because outside of three people, we were all strangers to each other. We press each other's knowledge, help each other through their weak areas, and are always finding something to laugh about. Even have our instructor laugh until he nearly gets tears in his eyes on regular occasions

Really helps to get along like that with each other....Then again, our class is now down to 6 students so that really helps with "face time" too.

We're done with sticking each other and have been moved along to actual patients. Be sure to go with confidence, if you let your nerves get the best of you then you will flub up somehow and that will eat at your ego causing a domino effect for the rest of the day. If you fail, find out if you did something wrong and correct it. If it was just a hard stick, then take it in stride. Just keep your chin up
 
Medics class for me was the best time ever. I never looked at it as tough, but more of an experience the whole way through. The camaraderie was really good in my class, especially when we neared the end with over 60% of the class gone. As far as IVs go, I was definitely shaky at first, but once you get that one good one you're 100x more confident from them on. You're always going to miss a few, but just remember everybody does B)
 
Stephen, where abouts in Missouri are you?? I'm up in KC going through one of the local FD's programs..
 
Week 14, here, and we FINALLY got to live sticks. I sat down first (I always volunteer to go first just to get the ball rolling--no, I never learn). Partner got it on the first go, like he'd been doing it for years. But... he has. Guy was a PJ for 15 years, just that PA doesn't recognize military, so he's gotta take this class: silly.

He let me give him a 20 in his hand. Stick, flash, advance... thought I had it. Smiled. Blew it. Grrr.

Got another go, different vict--- erm... partner... Stick, flash, advance, looks good. Hook up line... infiltrated. DAMNIT!

There's another class's lab running tonight. Already got permision from senior instructor to attend. I'll get one of 'em... eventually...



Later!

--Coop
 
We did IV's on each other every day of class, that being siad the majority of us looked like IV drug users by the end of class. I understand that it is not common practice anymore out here in cali...I don't know for sure. I thought that it was good practice and helped with my confidance before the clinical time. We also did IV's on each other during sceniors. Fun fun times I enjoyed medic school even though it was hard work.
 
The first time I ever started an IV in ER clinicals, I barely touched the needle to the patients skin, and she screamed so loud, the ER staff was convinced I was trying to kill her. All in all, clinicals were an absolute blast. Keep strong, keep safe, and have fun.
 
Getting ready..

:blush:Just stopping by, reading the forum... So here goes, I start class on Jan. 6th! Any tips for this soon to be Medic Student... come on guys be nice, I know my life is out the window for the next year!
 
what kind of medic program did you enroll in? is it a full time day 9-5 type program or is it a part time nite program. you can expect the first few weeks to be kind of slow. you will be getting to know your instructors and classmates during this time. then when you start to get into the meat of the program things will start to fly. study as much and often as you can. clinicals will be tough. its alot of hours and often you may be competeing with other students to get skills in. in my class the er often had med students and medic students there all trying to get their skills completed. what i ended up doing was i took the overnite shifts and often had the er to myself and got to spend alot of quality time disscusing cases with the docs and rn's. i also did my field ride alongs this way and was able to get all required field skills done, tubes iv's etc. before the end of class. i remember there were a few guys that did not have enough tubes by the end of class to get signed off because they couldn't get enough ride time during the dayshifts. the cardiology section will probably be the most challenging. anyway good luck and have fun.
 
Yeah the program is 9-5 Tues and Thurs with clinicals scheduled on your own time concurrently with the program. I am a very academic oriented person, and I've never had problems in school. As well as, I am a very hard worker and I don't like to fail (which can be a downfall at times). My biggest concern is that most all of my EMT time has been in the hospital setting. I have supervisor experience, 6 years of patient interaction experience, and since I worked in a hospital and was a CNA along with an EMT I was already taught Phlebotomy, IV starts, EKG positioning and some monitoring, etc. I've also already taken ANP 1 and 2 and Medical Terminology in college. The admission process to the program was pretty intense and detailed and I have to keep reminding myself that they chose me for a reason. Well, let me know anything else you think would be helpful.. I open to any kind of tips or advice. Thanks!
 
My advice (Medic student to a prospective medic student) is a Medical Terminology book/course, but you stated you have that. Your ER experience is a plus also. I worked ER and Ambulance concurrently for about three years and I believe that ER experience has really helped me. Thanks to my ER work, I already had a huge grasp on pharmacology compared to some of the other students.

That would be another thing to start reading up on, Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. I was always told it was usually the section see's the most students dropped from a program (voluntarily and involuntarily) and we did lose a student after that section.

I can't really say what I personally find difficult curriculum-wise because I entered the program eager to learn and am astounded at what I've learned thus far. Now I'm sure it's been beat into your head about "Say goodbye to your life", it really depends on the program hours, clinical hours, current job hours. My program requires 600+ hours of clinicals, plus class time, plus my job(s). I only have THREE days this month where I am off from school, work, and have no clinicals and only ONE of those days off is shared with my wife (Only to find out today from my instructor that I should be doing twice as many clinical hours a week than I am). Whereas a student in class get's by working only 6-8 days a month so he has tons more time. So it depends on lifestyle.

Will be glad to help with anymore questions
 
My advice, after completing semester I (out of IV):--

1) Get thee a good grasp of A&P and Pharmacology--if you don't already have this, and as was said earlier.
2)Assessment, assessment, assessment, and when in doubt, go back to what you know as BLS.
3) Carry a Sharpie at all times.


Later!

--Coop
 
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