New Trainie Help!

[Alexakat]

As someone mentioned, a watch is really important & often overlooked. I've had several trainees show up to ride on my truck without a watch & my question to them is "how are you going to take a pulse/count respirations?"

 

[medic8613]

As someone mentioned, a watch is really important & often overlooked. I've had several trainees show up to ride on my truck without a watch & my question to them is "how are you going to take a pulse/count respirations?"

Putting on my watch is like putting on socks or putting my wallet in my pocket...I didn't even think of mentioning it.

 

[EMTWAVE11]

Yeah, a watch is very important. I always wear one.

Thanks for the advice, keep it coming!

Sincerely,

EMTWAVE11

 

[CAMedicJohn]

Maybe I'm the fully stocked new guy, but I keep the following on me most of the time:

Trauma shears
Pen light
Pens
Note Pad
A few extra pairs of gloves
Stethoscope

I keep it all in a pair of EMS pants. They're really handy if you're allowed to wear them.

All of the above and a good rescue knife/tool. I use a gerber rescue knife my chief gave us for xmas. It is great.

Extra pens.... They disappear on every call... Plus they can get contaminated...
:wacko::wacko::wacko:

 

[firetender]

As someone mentioned, a watch is really important & often overlooked. I've had several trainees show up to ride on my truck without a watch & my question to them is "how are you going to take a pulse/count respirations?"

In the last couple years as a medic my watch stopped on me a couple times and I noticed I was still within two pulse beats of on the money in my estimates. I started testing myself against the monitor and found that, indeed, I "Knew" heart rate and breaths without having to rely on a watch. I ceased RELYING on my watch.

I'm not encouraging throwing away your watches, but I am saying don't freak when your watch stops...trust your innate sense of rhythm.

Watches can get you in trouble, too. Once I was taking the pulse of my patient and all of a sudden, I got confused. I looked at the patient then looked at my watch and, realizing what happened actually said to her; "Whew, that was a relief. For a second there I thought YOU were dead, but my watch just stopped!"