Hospital V. Field, patient care time

[bunkie]

I've heard that if you work at a hospital it doesn't count to your patient care time needed to get into medic school. Can anyone tell me why it doesn't count?

 

[firecoins]

Its about using the skills ones uses in the field that have no place inside a hospital

 

[JPINFV]

It's also program dependent.

 

[johnrsemt]

It was explained to me in the following way:

Hospital patient care time doesn't not let you use your true patient care skills: you don't have to do anything besides follow written orders from Dr or Nurse: this patient needs blood drawn, or this patient needs Oral Tylenol. etc.

They want street time where it is you and you only (or mainly) deciding what needs to be done for each patient; even if it is a matter of making decisions of transport priority: how and where, and do we call for a medic

 

[JPINFV]

Hospital patient care time doesn't not let you use your true patient care skills: you don't have to do anything besides follow written orders from Dr or Nurse:

To be fair, especially with how many people frown at thinking critically about protocols and the progression of treatment through protocols, how is following the standing and oral (online medical control) physician orders that we call protocols any different?

 

[Scottpre]

In my opinion, working a scene on the street is much more stressful. The hospital environment is fairly controlled. There is lighting, heat, security, running water and sually supplies and extra hands galore.

On the street, it might just be you out in the weather, at night with only what you have in your jump bag or rig. Additional resources may be on the way, but they aren't there yet.

I think street conditions provide a level of chaos and unpredictability unmatched in the clinical setting that an EMT has to learn to deal with.

 

[RyanMidd]

My program involved 3 days (72 hours) clinical rotation in a hospital/ER, and 20 days (24 hours a day) with an ambulance service. As far as I know, all those hours are applicable toward any further training I might pursue.

 

[JPINFV]

I think street conditions provide a level of chaos and unpredictability unmatched in the clinical setting that an EMT has to learn to deal with.

Of course that carries the assumption that 911 work is only applicable. I'd argue that my experience with medical patients was far superior than the EMT-Bs in So Cal working 911, however the most stressful thing about my job was some of the SNF nurses. Of course, which SNFs had good or bad nurses was extremely predictable.

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

Of course that carries the assumption that 911 work is only applicable. I'd argue that my experience with medical patients was far superior than the EMT-Bs in So Cal working 911, however the most stressful thing about my job was some of the SNF nurses. Of course, which SNFs had good or bad nurses was extremely predictable.

did you work at a SNF?

 

[JPINFV]

No. I worked for a major So Cal. IFT company for 2 years. Of course one of the issues with where I worked was that there wasn't any paramedics with the private companies, so regardless of the complaint, if the SNF called for a transport to the emergency department, it was done by basics unless a CCT was required (e.g. vent dependent patients).

 

[bunkie]

It was explained to me in the following way:

Hospital patient care time doesn't not let you use your true patient care skills: you don't have to do anything besides follow written orders from Dr or Nurse: this patient needs blood drawn, or this patient needs Oral Tylenol. etc.

They want street time where it is you and you only (or mainly) deciding what needs to be done for each patient; even if it is a matter of making decisions of transport priority: how and where, and do we call for a medic

That makes sense to me, I suppose.

 

[MrBrown]

Its about using the skills ones uses in the field that have no place inside a hospital

Ouch mate, so, which of ambo's skills has no place in the hospital?? I am struggling to think of any

 

[Melclin]

Ouch mate, so, which of ambo's skills has no place in the hospital?? I am struggling to think of any

I think he meant that you don't get to flex certain muscles in hospital that you would in the field. Scene assessment and control; working well in an uncontrolled environment; working with only two sets of hands; assessing, triaging, treating and transporting, often all at the same time. Making provisional diagnoses without the help of teams of people, consults and fancy tests and equipment might also count.

For those of us that meaningfully apply the contents of guidelines, rather than ridgedly following protocols, diagnosis and the appropriate tailoring of treatments is not something that happens in a hospital placement unless you're following a doctor around.

 

[MrBrown]

I think he meant that you don't get to flex certain muscles in hospital that you would in the field. Scene assessment and control; working well in an uncontrolled environment; working with only two sets of hands; assessing, triaging, treating and transporting, often all at the same time. Making provisional diagnoses without the help of teams of people, consults and fancy tests and equipment might also count.

For those of us that meaningfully apply the contents of guidelines, rather than ridgedly following protocols, diagnosis and the appropriate tailoring of treatments is not something that happens in a hospital placement unless you're following a doctor around.

Mmmmm true I'd agree with you there I think they are all the same "skill" for example lateral thinking and multi-tasking just applied differently.

I'm not interested in starting some skermish but would like to know what the OP was thinking.

Anyway I've eaten too much fudge and I need to go to bed before my pancreas has some sort of infarct.

..... Brown away! h34r: