Pop quiz hotshot: What is the best skill an EMT (B/I/P) can have?

[Hockey]

We do. Only people who have GPS provide them themselves, and, well, they tend to get laughed at.

We have GPS units in every truck (Top of the line Garmin). Also have Delorean or whatever its called on the laptop. Also have the 4 books of the paper maps. All of it is a tool. Shouldn't ever rely on anything.


People who "laugh" at the GPS users don't understand it obviously. It takes the same time to punch it into the GPS as it does looking it up in the mapbook. Again, you can't rely on it.


As for the answer, Vent was pretty much the closest person to getting it right. Listening is what it is.

And yes, listening is a SKILL

 

[HotelCo]

Assessment skills

 

[Shishkabob]

We do. Only people who have GPS provide them themselves, and, well, they tend to get laughed at.

I have yet to ride with a partner who hasn't had a GPS, even though we're provided a MAPSCO. Dallas is a very confusing place, especially when you live an hour away!

 

[mycrofft]

Intelligent unflappability.

However, that can be considered an effect of many other points listed above.

A "day job" might be another....

 

[Sapphyre]

People who "laugh" at the GPS users don't understand it obviously. It takes the same time to punch it into the GPS as it does looking it up in the mapbook. Again, you can't rely on it.

Gotta know what city it's in to get it punched in quickly, and, it's not necessarily in the city we're sitting in. I used GPS a couple of shifts, it was easier, and faster, to use the mapbook (ours are Thomas Guide), and actually KNOW where I am going.

 

[JPINFV]

I think that comes down to regional differences. Southern California is comprised of many densly built suburban cities that forms one continous and massive urban landscape. In a lot of other areas you would see several cities (say, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, and Garden Grove) combined into one large city.


It also comes down to what you're use to using. There comes to a point where you can almost open a map book up to the proper page based just off of the location. Similarly, you can look at the map guide in the front and know exactly what part of the city you're looking for.

That said, the top of the line GPA units will automatically fill in your fields as you fill them out similar to putting a search into Google. You might only have to put in "diam" for it to know that you're looking for "Diamond Bar."

 

[Scriptor]

Best skill we have is creating anything at all out of cravats. Cravats and duct tape will save humanity.

 

[Outbac1]

The ability to actually think a situation through. Not relying on cookbook medicine. I see this therefore I'll do this.

 

[TransportJockey]

I'd say education

 

[silver]

proper communicative and social skills, which leads to good assessments.

 

[BuddingEMT]

I'd have to say the ability to retain information. Many people are saying "education" but unless you actually know your stuff and use it to make patient assessments, a good education won't help you much.

Retaining information is also good in that you learn from experience, meaning you won't make the same mistakes over and over.

 

[daedalus]

I'd have to say the ability to retain information. Many people are saying "education" but unless you actually know your stuff and use it to make patient assessments, a good education won't help you much.

Retaining information is also good in that you learn from experience, meaning you won't make the same mistakes over and over.

No, not really. Having a solid foundation of the workings of the body will allow you to think critically about what you are assessing and possible treatment.

 

[daedalus]

We do. Only people who have GPS provide them themselves, and, well, they tend to get laughed at.

Yup. In LA, we have the Thomas Bothers Guide. The use of anything else, like a GPS, will mark you as a newbie.

 

[VFFforpeople]

In my area, we would be laughed at using GPS, we get calls out to the mountains of in valleys, there aint no signal. As for the best skills commen sense. (goes for any level)

 

[JPINFV]

Yup. In LA, we have the Thomas Bothers Guide. The use of anything else, like a GPS, will mark you as a newbie.

Thomas Brothers Guide is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[akflightmedic]

In my area, we would be laughed at using GPS, we get calls out to the mountains of in valleys, there aint no signal. As for the best skills commen sense. (goes for any level)

Serious question: How is there no signal? It is a satellite positioning device, triangulated by three different satellites above...

 

[JPINFV]

^
Well, to be fair, I've seen the GPS units at my current job take a good 3-4 minutes to actually get the signal and decide where the hell it is before it can map with no hills or valleys near by. If I'm going to wait 3 minutes to get a GPA route I might as well map my self. At least with routing by map I can see what else is near by.

 

[dodgemt]

I would probably have to say CPR and patient assessment.

 

[Hockey]

I would probably have to say CPR and patient assessment.

New EMT aren't you?

 

[guardian528]

common sense

+1. I've seen too many idiots in my class learn the material forwards backwards and upside down, but lack the common sense to adapt to situations and apply it