Live sticks

[JPINFV]

what happaned to the other supervisor? :glare:

Regardless, I hope he was enlightened on the error of his ways.

(I'll be here all week)

 

[Jon]

That's a rather shocking display is stupidity.

Literally.

 

[Epi-do]

Well, as far as weird things done to willing participants, one of the guys in our class allowed himself to have an NPA placed.

In one of the previous classes where I am going to medic class, they had a girl that volunteered to have an NG placed - not once, but twice - by a classmate that needed two more of them to complete all her required skills before the end of class.

As for the IO's, we only did those on manaquins. We did do blood draws on each other, as well as IV's, and once guy let our instructor do an arterial blood draw on him.

 

[gradygirl]

what happaned to the other supervisor? :glare:

All I can figure is it was one of those "screw up, move up" situations. But, since this guy apparently couldn't move up any more, they just left him as is. (He's our scheduling super, so he has very few friends within either half of the company.

 

[triemal04]

And OK triemal04, when and where can we get together so I can practice my IO skills??

Might be kind of hard given I live on the other side of the country, but I'm game. Just remember the rule: you poke me and I poke you!

 

[pumper12fireman]

Just to update on a previous post of mine- we had our live sticks today, and I sunk both of 'em with no problems. Just a little difficulty in tying the damn tourniquet and unlocking the cath without pushing the needle forward..

 

[medicinthemaking]

Live sticks?

Seems like having students practice on another prior to practicing on patients is a good idea.

I just wanted to give my input as to the live stick questions...for the paramedic class that I'm in now, it seems as tho we are almost 100% different. All in the same day we were required to do one stick on the mannequin and the rest were on our classmates. I'm sorry, but I have never had a blown IV or even a failed attempt on the mannequin...for goodness sakes, we could probably throw darts from across the room and still obtain IV access! We were required to do have a MINIMUM of 6 live sticks in our first semester-with plenty of blown IV's and failed attempts! I think it was the best learning experience ever!

We have 5 semesters...and I'm in my second semester now and we have also since done "rolling sticks" in the back of the trucks and now I feel much better for summer clinicals fastly approaching that I will be fine when it comes to my first "patient" stick...I'm gonna rock!

 

[tydek07]

We did our first sticks on our classmates. One day we did shots, the next was IV's. I think we practiced once or twice on the rubber arm, then we went after each other. The only way you are going to learn, is by doing on live people. Everyone is different, so that IV arm is really only good to get your technique down. I am for live sticks.

I think we got a week to practice, then we had our test out on them the next week. After that we were set to start them out in the field..... we started ride alongs/ER's the first month of class. So we had class/ride alongs running together throughout the entire program.
Tyler

 

[mikie]

How do people go about practicing on 'difficult sticks'? I remember rid saying (if I recall correctly) they practiced on thumbs (simulating a neonate)?

ie. elderly, infants, people w/ tough veins to stick in general (perhaps medical condition or from shock)?

thanks!

 

[tazman7]

I am in medic class now and we had to practice iv's on each other. Of course I got the biggest moron in the class...she was told that we could only use a 20 ga needle but they had all of gauges layed out for us to see the size difference...well guess who "accidentally" grabbed the 14...her, then she tried sticking it in my arm!!! So I called the teacher over and she was told to use a 20 ga, so she did and the veins in my arm a blind monkey could get any size needle in one. So she starts, puts the needle in a little bit, very slowly, and starts diggine around, at this time im almost in tears there was so much pain, as soon as i thought she was done she started pushing down on the needle and bent it!!!! thats no joke, she bend a f****** 20 ga needle in my arm, the teacher kind jumped and pulled back on her arm to get the needle out of mine.

Then when it came to giving an im injection, they say to use a "dart like motion" and she just put it in slowly and again dug around.

I dont think it is bad to try stuff like that on classmates, its just some people dont belong in the back of an ambulance.

 

[fma08]

we had to practice on classmates first, then we had to "test" on classmates before we were signed of on doing them in the field, like all the other skills in our program, for the DOT requirements, they have to be performed on live human patients. i don't think we used the rubber arm more than once or twice, and now that i think about it, i'm glad it is that way.

 

[mikeylikesit]

i hated live sticks but like stated here before it is way better than doing it on a patient who koesn't understand than a classmate who knows exactly what your doing and can even learn from your mistake on them.