New EMT working for IFT Company

[Nina]

Hi everyone!
I'm a new EMT in SoCal, and I'll be starting my first job with a company that runs IFTs in the Valley.
(This seemed to be the most flexible option for me while I'm still in school)

I wanted to know if anyone had any helpful tips/advice they could offer about starting out in the field?
I greatly appreciate it!

 

[Jim37F]

Don't be late. As they said in the Army: Right place, Right Time, Right uniform. I.e. your first day is at the Valley station at 0900 (9:00am), don't be that guy showing up to the East L.A. station at 0915 with your uniform shirt unbuttoned/untucked, still needing a shave, etc.

If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time you're late. If you're late....don't be late. If your first day of orientation starts at 9, don't be that guy strolling in at 0855. Even if you're the first one there and have to wait outside a locked door, be there at 0845. If nothing else, if you are realistically planning on being there that early, and all of a sudden there's a traffic collision tying up a major intersection or freeway on your route that morning, you stand a much better chance of being there before 9 (0855 IS much better than 0915....)

Conversely, whether due to that hypothetical TC, or something else outside your control or even if you just slept thru your alarm and lost track of time while eating your cherrios and you ARE going to be late....CALL THEM AND LET THEM KNOW.

But that's also just general life advise whether working for an ambulance company or not, just spelling out stuff you've already been doing mostly successfully since you've managed to make it past the schooling and testing necessary to get a job in the first place. So...in other words, continue Adulting lol (if you pay attention you'll notice a few of your co-workers will probably have trouble with that concept. Don't be like them).

More specifically, show up early and do your rig checkout, every shift. Make sure you have full oxygen (you'll probably use more of it than I do on a 911 unit) Actually pay attention to and learn where all your equipment is located in all those cabinets, your patient suddenly crashing on you is not the time to discover you have no idea where your BVMs are...
Actually talk to your patients and do an assessment. Start learning which meds they're taking and why, and corroborate that with their medical history. Don't write 2 sentence narratives in your PCR.
If you're going to be driving actually check all the mechanical stuff....Make sure you actually have a full tank of gas/diesel and you know where the company fuel card is,make sure your lights work (not the emergency flashing ones that'll probably never get used, but your actual headlights/turn signals you will be using....on that note actually USE your turn signals....). When driving remember you're NOT "racing the reaper", drive like there's an unseatbelted person sitting on a bench behind you who would appreciate not being thrown all around every turn or stop....Definitely do not be texting and driving.

 

[hometownmedic5]

There are many, many threads here addressing this very question directly. I'd advise you to read those, if for no other reason than there are likely to be opinions and information offered therein by members who are no longer regular posters here. While you will certainly get (some) current members to answer this question over and over again, the past members aren't here to do so; so search for that input as well.

 

[Nina]

Don't be late. As they said in the Army: Right place, Right Time, Right uniform. I.e. your first day is at the Valley station at 0900 (9:00am), don't be that guy showing up to the East L.A. station at 0915 with your uniform shirt unbuttoned/untucked, still needing a shave, etc.

If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time you're late. If you're late....don't be late. If your first day of orientation starts at 9, don't be that guy strolling in at 0855. Even if you're the first one there and have to wait outside a locked door, be there at 0845. If nothing else, if you are realistically planning on being there that early, and all of a sudden there's a traffic collision tying up a major intersection or freeway on your route that morning, you stand a much better chance of being there before 9 (0855 IS much better than 0915....)

Conversely, whether due to that hypothetical TC, or something else outside your control or even if you just slept thru your alarm and lost track of time while eating your cherrios and you ARE going to be late....CALL THEM AND LET THEM KNOW.

But that's also just general life advise whether working for an ambulance company or not, just spelling out stuff you've already been doing mostly successfully since you've managed to make it past the schooling and testing necessary to get a job in the first place. So...in other words, continue Adulting lol (if you pay attention you'll notice a few of your co-workers will probably have trouble with that concept. Don't be like them).

More specifically, show up early and do your rig checkout, every shift. Make sure you have full oxygen (you'll probably use more of it than I do on a 911 unit) Actually pay attention to and learn where all your equipment is located in all those cabinets, your patient suddenly crashing on you is not the time to discover you have no idea where your BVMs are...
Actually talk to your patients and do an assessment. Start learning which meds they're taking and why, and corroborate that with their medical history. Don't write 2 sentence narratives in your PCR.
If you're going to be driving actually check all the mechanical stuff....Make sure you actually have a full tank of gas/diesel and you know where the company fuel card is,make sure your lights work (not the emergency flashing ones that'll probably never get used, but your actual headlights/turn signals you will be using....on that note actually USE your turn signals....). When driving remember you're NOT "racing the reaper", drive like there's an unseatbelted person sitting on a bench behind you who would appreciate not being thrown all around every turn or stop....Definitely do not be texting and driving.

That all sounds like excellent advice!! Thank you for taking the time to write all of that. I really appreciate it

 

[Nina]

There are many, many threads here addressing this very question directly. I'd advise you to read those, if for no other reason than there are likely to be opinions and information offered therein by members who are no longer regular posters here. While you will certainly get (some) current members to answer this question over and over again, the past members aren't here to do so; so search for that input as well.

I'll be sure to check it out, thanks!