I Need Ammo

[medic417]

KY isn't a medication, and I seriously doubt anyone would lose their license of glucosing the door handles.

My patient wasn't scared. Get over it.

You would be surprised at how state department of health views the abuse/misuse of any medication. And any chemical introduced into a patient is considered a medication.

You completely miss the point, I am trying to get you to think like a professional. In fact your comment about only an IFT tells me you do not have appreciation for your profession. IFT while not glamourous like the 911 has many unique challenges.

Please consider how your actions affect the view that people have of all future EMS people they meet. That lady even if she thought you were fun will never view you as a real professional. And any one else that takes her by ambulance 911 or IFT will be looked on as a non professional by her as well.

If you want to play go join a college frat but EMS should be serious business.

 

[RESQ_5_1]

Generally, we go with the old turn on the wipers/ lightbars / adjust the radio to white noise kinda thing. And, very rarely. Usually when someone has to move someone else's rig out of the hospital bay. Nothing that would impede our progress to an emerg call or create any loud noises. Just minor things that are easily remedied by turning off a switch.

And, As an EMT in rural Alberta, I get $21/hr. $24ish/hr in Edmonton.

It's hard to be taken seriously when we all engage in one-upmanship in view of pts/Drs.

 

[Sasha]

You would be surprised at how state department of health views the abuse/misuse of any medication. And any chemical introduced into a patient is considered a medication.

You completely miss the point, I am trying to get you to think like a professional. In fact your comment about only an IFT tells me you do not have appreciation for your profession. IFT while not glamourous like the 911 has many unique challenges.

Please consider how your actions affect the view that people have of all future EMS people they meet. That lady even if she thought you were fun will never view you as a real professional. And any one else that takes her by ambulance 911 or IFT will be looked on as a non professional by her as well.

If you want to play go join a college frat but EMS should be serious business.

I never said "Just IFT" I LOVE IFT. I like working on my patient assesment, I like learning about things I wouldn't learn about 911. My company runs both 911 and IFT. I choose to work on IFT. You said it could have cost cardiac tissue. I countered with the fact, I was on IFT. The only way the few seconds to wipe the goo off my hand would count is if someone was seriously behind on their job, and in which case the woman would have no business in my truck.

How can you speak for how my patient viewed us, or will view other people who transport and treat her? I wasn't aware that you were the universal opinion for all mankind.

Some people actually have this thing called a sense of humor.

 

[BEorP]

I never said "Just IFT" I LOVE IFT. I like working on my patient assesment, I like learning about things I wouldn't learn about 911. My company runs both 911 and IFT. I choose to work on IFT. You said it could have cost cardiac tissue. I countered with the fact, I was on IFT. The only way the few seconds to wipe the goo off my hand would count is if someone was seriously behind on their job, and in which case the woman would have no business in my truck.

How can you speak for how my patient viewed us, or will view other people who transport and treat her? I wasn't aware that you were the universal opinion for all mankind.

Some people actually have this thing called a sense of humor.

As I asked previously though, if you were working on a 911 ambulance would you engage in this type of behaviour?

 

[Sasha]

As I asked previously though, if you were working on a 911 ambulance would you engage in this type of behaviour?

It depends. It takes two seconds to wipe the goo off and people usually sit in the truck longer then two seconds finishing their reports before going back into service anyway.

I wouldn't have done a thing had they not done anything to our truck. They didn't even know who was on our truck yesterday, they did it to be jerks, not to be clever or funny, or mess with friends. So we rebelled.

 

[FF-EMT Diver]

Ok here's my second opinion, We have pretty much stated our opinions so lets let this one drop so the C/Ls dont have to wade thru all this.

 

[medic417]

It depends. It takes two seconds to wipe the goo off and people usually sit in the truck longer then two seconds finishing their reports before going back into service anyway.

I wouldn't have done a thing had they not done anything to our truck. They didn't even know who was on our truck yesterday, they did it to be jerks, not to be clever or funny, or mess with friends. So we rebelled.

But how do you know that you will not get dispatched to a 911. So you grab handle slides away your hand gets cut on something. You start cleaning hand and door so you can get in. All the while an emergent patient is waiting, dieing. Your little play just killed someone. A few seconds delay in shocking or doing CPR can mean there is no bringing them back.

Two wrongs do not make a right. Be the professional and stop the madness.

 

[boingo]

No wonder true medical professionals look down on EMS the way they do. I'm glad the patient thought it was funny, but had she not, you would likely be out of a job, especially after being sent home for being a wise *** on the radio only a week ago. Time to grow up kid. :glare:

 

[Veneficus]

without getting into specifics of what is acceptable and not, a little bonding might go a long way in EMS in the US.

 

[medic417]

No wonder true medical professionals look down on EMS the way they do. I'm glad the patient thought it was funny, but had she not, you would likely be out of a job, especially after being sent home for being a wise *** on the radio only a week ago. Time to grow up kid. :glare:

So if she has a history of being non professional is this a reflection on the place she works, the school she attended, or what? Some how she was corrupted. Perhaps her older experienced co workers instead of being good mentors taught her to play rather than to be a professional. I am not accusing just wondering outloud.

EMS is the laughing stop of the medical world. Most do not even acknowledge we are involved in medicine.

 

[medic417]

without getting into specifics of what is acceptable and not, a little bonding might go a long way in EMS in the US.

Yup sitting and eating a good meal together and getting to know each other would be great. It would build a bond of trust, not fear for what the heck will they do next time that could cost my patient their life.

 

[Sasha]

But how do you know that you will not get dispatched to a 911.

Because my company does not run BLS 911. So if they were going to pull an IFT truck for a 911 call, they would pull an ALS truck, not a BLS truck.

 

[Sasha]

Yup sitting and eating a good meal together and getting to know each other would be great. It would build a bond of trust, not fear for what the heck will they do next time that could cost my patient their life.

Stop being so dramatic.

 

[medic417]

Because my company does not run BLS 911. So if they were going to pull an IFT truck for a 911 call, they would pull an ALS truck, not a BLS truck.

Regardless of IFT or 911 this shows lack of maturity. Hey when the crap hits the fan they deploy every ambulance. The BLS ALS crap need to die as well this is a patient care service so give patient care the priority rather than playing childish games. Bad habits you develope now will follow you later.

 

[medic417]

Stop being so dramatic.

No drama I have seen the pranks go bad. Yes 9 times out of 10 no harm but the 1 time it goes bad someone is hurt or worse dies. Do not let your actions cost some one the ability to get proper patient care.

 

[BossyCow]

Ya know folks.. there's a lot of gray area between the two black and white positions being touted here. Yes there has to be the outlet of gags, jokes, and to a certain extent horseplay on shift. But we do have to make sure that the desire for revenge doesn't outweigh the ability to do our jobs safely and well.

A professional department/ALS with well paid employees played a joke on a co-worker who was leaving for a job back in his hometown. They staged a call, with the cooperation of the ER staff and a local business. The pt was coached on symptoms, the business was wired with cameras by the local independent TV station... when the medic got the pt on the cot and out the door, the medic unit was gone. He was only 2 blocks from the hospital with what he believed was an unstable cardiac pt so he hoofed it to the ER with the gurney.

Was this unprofessional? Was this a sign of the lack of pay of EMS workers in general.. could someone have lost an eye? Were animals hurt or abused during the making of the prank?

The union reimbursed the city for the time lost/equipment used and had the ER been busy or another call come in the prank certainly would have been aborted or at least postponed.

I mean I understand going on record with your opinions of the prank... but 6 pages of diatribe on something so trivial???? Choose your battles folks!

 

[Sasha]

No drama I have seen the pranks go bad. Yes 9 times out of 10 no harm but the 1 time it goes bad someone is hurt or worse dies. Do not let your actions cost some one the ability to get proper patient care.

You're so right. Our slippery glucose fingers could have KILLED everyone in the area.

 

[Levinoss]

Ya know folks.. there's a lot of gray area between the two black and white positions being touted here. Yes there has to be the outlet of gags, jokes, and to a certain extent horseplay on shift. But we do have to make sure that the desire for revenge doesn't outweigh the ability to do our jobs safely and well.

Very well said Bossycow.

 

[medic417]

Ya know folks.. there's a lot of gray area between the two black and white positions being touted here. Yes there has to be the outlet of gags, jokes, and to a certain extent horseplay on shift. But we do have to make sure that the desire for revenge doesn't outweigh the ability to do our jobs safely and well.

A professional department/ALS with well paid employees played a joke on a co-worker who was leaving for a job back in his hometown. They staged a call, with the cooperation of the ER staff and a local business. The pt was coached on symptoms, the business was wired with cameras by the local independent TV station... when the medic got the pt on the cot and out the door, the medic unit was gone. He was only 2 blocks from the hospital with what he believed was an unstable cardiac pt so he hoofed it to the ER with the gurney.

Was this unprofessional? Was this a sign of the lack of pay of EMS workers in general.. could someone have lost an eye? Were animals hurt or abused during the making of the prank?

The union reimbursed the city for the time lost/equipment used and had the ER been busy or another call come in the prank certainly would have been aborted or at least postponed.

I mean I understand going on record with your opinions of the prank... but 6 pages of diatribe on something so trivial???? Choose your battles folks!

Bossy I am sorry to see that someone in charge of a place such as this would be involved in actions that did take equipment out of service. Yes I am sure you picked a slow time but we all know that slow times sometimes become fast times. Had a bus crashed the time wasted restoring ambulance back to service could have cost lives.

As far as trivial theses trivial matters are what lead to so many major black marks that keep showing up in the news. We trivialize then next thing we know we develope the bad habits that cost lives.

I'm sorry at no time should any equipment be used in practical jokes. Yes blw off steam, have fun but that should not involve equipment that our patients could need.

I'm beginning to recall why I do not frequent this site.

 

[Sasha]

Didn't you know, BossyCow, an MCI can occur at any time, anywhere. We should not even be allowed ot leave the truck unless it's to pick up or drop off a patient. Those precious few seconds ordering you food, rushing through Circuit City or the Mall, could be life or death for the bus load of catholic school girls that careened off the cliff.