How many crews/providers actually RTFM?

[DrParasite]

This might be more of an agency question, but how many providers do you know actually read the manual on equipment they use? like, the actual user's manual that comes with equipment? IE, the stairchair manual, the cardiac monitor manual, the BGL manual... anything with moving parts or electricity... heck, even the recommended O2 amount on a neb treatment is different than what our protocols say.

There are some features that I never knew about the Lifepack 15 until I moved to NC (such as CPR/AED mode), and when we get new equipment, it rarely includes the manufacturer's manual; it's typically a demo from someone, which is passed on from crew to crew, and often based more on tradition vs what the vendor recommends.

 

[MMiz]

Would have loved if my provider had a library of manuals available.

It seemed that every truck had a different model stair chair, I was winging it every time.

I think it’s interesting in aviation that pilots are expected to know every plane system, feature, and how they interact. New plane, new training and test. Wish that was a thing in EMS.

 

[ffemt8978]

95% of the time the office took the manuals and threw them in the black hole known as the filing cabinet, never to be seen again

 

[NomadicMedic]

And most agencies write their own standard operating guidelines for how equipment is used, calibrated, maintained.

I didn’t see a cardiac monitor owners manual until I researched one.

 

[Aprz]

Not required, but I keep the manuals on my phone. When I was newer, I used to review these things frequently, but not as much anymore. My company would quiz us in some meetings, questions on online training, or have flyers/memos up eg "How much weight is the pedimate approved for?", "How long does the battery last on an Impella?", "Your getting a low oxygen alarm on the Hamilton. What's potentially wrong?"

 

[mgr22]

I usually read manuals for new equipment because they included possibly useful tips that weren't widely known (e.g., how to get a diagnostic tracing on a 3-lead monitor).

 

[DesertMedic66]

Each one of our bases is supposed to keep the operators manual for every piece of equipment at the base. So we have the manuals from simple stuff like our portable suction units and pedi-mate all the way up to our Hamilton T-1. I think we have 20-25 binders in our clinical office.

At one time all of the manuals were available on our company’s internal policy application however we just changed applications and I don’t think they transferred over yet.