Im feeling a little lost

[reaper]

Did I stutter?

If you believe that a 2 week EMT course can produce a qualified person to treat any injury, then I want to make sure my family is not close by.

A monkey can pass a test, doesn't mean he knows what he is doing!

 

[Sasha]

Did I stutter?

Nope, I was hoping you were above personal insults.

 

[reaper]

It is not an insult. I just want my family safe and treated by EMS professionals that think education is a good thing.

 

[Sasha]

It is not an insult. I just want my family safe and treated by EMS professionals that think education is a good thing.

You see? Insult, at least the way I take it.

I do think education is a good thing, but I also dont think that we should sit here and tut tut at other peoples choices. Who are you to say he wont be qualified? Do you know his background? The knowledge he already has? And like I said, EMT is pretty basic. It doesnt take a genius to be an EMT. He has to pass the same state test that any other EMT has to pass to be qualified and if the test qualifies him, guess what, that makes him an EMT.

An EMT can: Splint, dress, bandage, CPR, use an AED, take a blood pressure, take a history, take a pulse rate, take a BGL, use oral glucose, suction, put someone on a backboard, assist with a spray of nitro or MDI, Call ALS, and drive. It doesnt take six months to teach that. Especially when some of it like CPR and AED training are prereqs for most EMT courses and EVOC is completely seperate (at least in my area.)

Face it. Basics are BASIC.

Its pretty sad when others chose to be discouraging and judgemental rather than supportive and encouraging towards new upcoming EMTs.

 

[reaper]

It doesnt take a genius to be an EMT. He has to pass the same state test that any other EMT has to pass to be qualified and if the test qualifies him, guess what, that makes him an EMT.

.

And people on here wonder why there is a push to do away with the Basic?

Hopefully, by the time you finish medic school, you will see what is wrong with that statement!

 

[Sasha]

And people on here wonder why there is a push to do away with the Basic?

Hopefully, by the time you finish medic school, you will see what is wrong with that statement!

Hopefully in time you will see the importance of being encouraging to incoming EMTs.

 

[reaper]

I am very encouraging to ones that take education seriously! A 2 week accelerated course is not taking it seriously!

 

[Sasha]

I am very encouraging to ones that take education seriously! A 2 week accelerated course is not taking it seriously!

Who are you to judge? Who died and made you state medical director?

 

[reaper]

Who are you to judge? Who died and made you state medical director?

Someone that has 20 years of education and experience. I can't count the number of EMT's that I have seen quit or be run out of EMS, because they did not receive the education they needed.

If I just needed skills preformed, I could teach a monkey to do that. I would prefer someone who knows why they are preforming the skills and why it is needed.

I have had great EMT partners, who are now great medics. I have also had partners that were nothing more then a chauffeur. I am not a medic that doesn't let their EMT partner do anything. I like my partners to be interactive with the Pt's. For this, they must have an education behind their skills.

How many posts are on this site form people that had a 2 or 4 week course and now they don't understand why they can't pass a simple test.

You may not respect my way of thinking and that is fine. Ask this same question to anyone on here that you do respect. They will tell you the same thing.

 

[Oregon]

An EMT can: Splint, dress, bandage, CPR, use an AED, take a blood pressure, take a history, take a pulse rate, take a BGL, use oral glucose, suction, put someone on a backboard, assist with a spray of nitro or MDI, Call ALS, and drive. It doesnt take six months to teach that. Especially when some of it like CPR and AED training are prereqs for most EMT courses and EVOC is completely seperate (at least in my area.)

Face it. Basics are BASIC.

.

Hmmm. Right, it didn't take six months for me to learn how to do those things (though my State lets us basics do a couple of other monkey skills too.) It took me six months to learn why to do those skills, and when to do those skills, and most importantly when not to do those skills.
And another 18 months to learn more about why and when on the job.
Asking questions every time when I do turn my patients over to ALS, or when I'm assisting a medic team.

 

[Sasha]

Hmmm. Right, it didn't take six months for me to learn how to do those things (though my State lets us basics do a couple of other monkey skills too.) It took me six months to learn why to do those skills, and when to do those skills, and most importantly when not to do those skills.
And another 18 months to learn more about why and when on the job.
Asking questions every time when I do turn my patients over to ALS, or when I'm assisting a medic team.

But does it really take six months to do that? I think not. You should always take a BP, pulse, history and BGL. It doesnt take six months to memorize what a normal sugar is and what the contraindications to oral glucose are(and that it tastes like crap!), or when you should backboard someone, when to do CPR, when to use an AED (Hey, its automated. Hook it up and it will tell you to shock or not to shock! [Little guideline though, if a patient asks Hey! What are those? it is not time to shock! ) and what kind of BP is appropriate for some nitro.

My point of the whole thing is, instead of telling someone who comes here stating he is confused and excited and lost that you basically think his class of choice is a joke, try to be supportive. Wish him well, let him know if he has questions that this is the forum to go too.

 

[Oregon]

It's more than skills, it's judgement

But does it really take six months to do that? I think not. You should always take a BP, pulse, history and BGL. It doesnt take six months to memorize what a normal sugar is and what the contraindications to oral glucose are(and that it tastes like crap!), or when you should backboard someone, when to do CPR, when to use an AED (Hey, its automated. Hook it up and it will tell you to shock or not to shock! [Little guideline though, if a patient asks Hey! What are those? it is not time to shock! ) and what kind of BP is appropriate for some nitro.

My point of the whole thing is, instead of telling someone who comes here stating he is confused and excited and lost that you basically think his class of choice is a joke, try to be supportive. Wish him well, let him know if he has questions that this is the forum to go too.

Oh, any way that someone wants to get their feet wet is fine for me, more power to you if that is the way you can get it in your head.

But I might add that I totally disagree with the always take a BP/BGL/Pulse thing. I rarely work where I have immediate ALS backup. Heck, sometimes it's hours away. What good is it going to do my dehydrated, hungry hypothermic patient with a possible spinal injury to get a BGL on him?
Pulse? If he has one, great.
Out in the middle of nowhere, it's just little old me and my judgement. From seeing hundreds of patients, both in classroom dictated clinicals and going out and getting hands on as much as I possibly can.
My very first patient after my six month class was mine alone, with two First Responders as my backup. We walked something like 5 miles to find him, and another two to get him out...I'm glad I had six months of almost daily learning to prepare myself for him.
It might be different if I was doing a different kind of EMT stuff, but most of the time the patients I've got have me, and me alone for hours as their sole medical help. EMT B, with paramedics hiking their way in and giving me directions on the radio if we are lucky, and I say we need them. I needed all of those 6 months.

 

[reaper]

What exactly is a normal BGL? You are going to give NTG without an IV?

We are trying to pull EMT's away from cookbook medicine.


I told the OP what I thought about the course, so maybe he would think twice about taking it. I know CA has plenty of good EMT schools to go to! I know FL does, just not all over!

 

[Sasha]

What exactly is a normal BGL? You are going to give NTG without an IV?

We are trying to pull EMT's away from cookbook medicine.


I told the OP what I thought about the course, so maybe he would think twice about taking it. I know CA has plenty of good EMT schools to go to! I know FL does, just not all over!

Last I checked, EMTs cant start an IV.

I actually attended one of the biggest EMT programs in the state with the highest first run NREMT pass rate. I went to school for around eight months, thanks.

I highly doubt your opinion would sway the OP.

 

[reaper]

Last I checked, EMTs cant start an IV.

I actually attended one of the biggest EMT programs in the state with the highest first run NREMT pass rate. I went to school for around eight months, thanks.

I highly doubt your opinion would sway the OP.

IV's depend on the county and that is why you should not be giving NTG!

What school would that be? I do not judge a school on their pass rate.

That is the OP's decision. He came here for advice and got it. I am not going to hand him a sucker and say goodboy!

 

[Sasha]

IV's depend on the county and that is why you should not be giving NTG!

What school would that be? I do not judge a school on their pass rate.

That is the OP's decision. He came here for advice and got it. I am not going to hand him a sucker and say goodboy!

My protocols allow you to assist a patient with their own nitro if their blood pressure is above a certain point and they have not had any viagra or similar drugs in the past 48 hours.

Im not going to disclose my school information, that, of course, is private.

 

[reaper]

If it is that good, why would it be private? Maybe there are people on here from FL that might be looking for a good school!

 

[Sasha]

If it is that good, why would it be private? Maybe there are people on here from FL that might be looking for a good school!

If they are interested in a good school they can do their research like I did.

It is a fantastic school, however its also MY personal information. There are a ton of whackos out there.

 

[reaper]

Ok. You're call.

 

[Ridryder911]

Who are you to judge? Who died and made you state medical director?

I will judge and be jury. Comprehension is one of the key factors of being successful in medicine. Yes, even medical school material is rushed through but the difference is those that are able to do so, have been properly screened and tested that their reading comprehension and ability to retain is far above those of the normal person.

Shake & bake EMT's are dangerous. EMS is not all about skills. This is one of the reasons so many confuse the actions and responsibility of EMT's in general. The skills of an EMT can be learned by anyone with enough repetitious practice, again the main emphasis is the why, how and what if's?

I have been a professional educator in EMS for over 25 years. I have yet seen any EMT say or describe that their EMT course was too long in length. If one would, I would say that they obviously have a poor understanding of emergency medicine.

In the real world the minimal amount of time allowable for an EMT course would be at the least one year.

Let me ask, how truly competent do you really think this type of EMT will be? How much lab time have they had to "master" the skills? Do you really think during this time, they were able to master all of the objectives and which ones are not important to master? The AMI, the choking baby, the trauma patient.....?

In the real world, real emergency setting there is NOT a place to review, recall or even ask what to do? It must be done in split second think, no guessing, not approximating, and all has to be perfect, each and every time. This only comes with time of absorbing the material, and as was mentioned repetitious rehearsing and practicing the skills, so all of it becomes second nature and instantaneously.

There is NO room for error. This is not a Wendy's were a wrong order or small fries vs. large is the worst thing possible. This is medical care and treatment to human beings, by not having an adequate knowledge base, or poor performance may and will affect them permanently or cause death!

No substitutions or short cuts should even be considered or ever be allowed!

You want to be a professional, then one has to pay the price of being one. Do it the right way or not at all!

R/r 911