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

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


Just would like to see what people say


I'll give my .02 answer if someone gets it ;)
 
educational background.
 
Define "skill"?

Without a concrete definition of skill, I'm going to go with JP or say "patient assessment".
 
EMTinNEPA said:
Define "skill"?

Without a concrete definition of skill, I'm going to go with JP or say "patient assessment".
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Its a pretty concrete definition if you ask me :)


A skill (also called talent) is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of work, some general skills would include time management, teamwork and leadership, self motivation and others, whereas domain-specific skills would be useful only for a certain job. Skill usually requires a certain environmental stimuli and situation to assess the level of skill being shown and used.
 
People skills and the ability to put a few words together in a coherent manner are essential. Too many in this profession are more the grunt and groan types.
 
That's easy!



A Pulse??????????????
 
I'll agree on Pt. Assessment. IF you can't do it right, then everything else is useless. You can backboard, give meds, aed, etc... but if you can't quickly identify the need for these procedures then what's the point?

However, I get the feeling that a joke is coming, so.... The greatest skill learned was how to drive code with one hand on the siren, one hand on my burger, and the combination of my elbow and knee driving the rig. Obviouslty there is great need to get the rest of the burger down before we go on scene! ^_^ just kidding, before anyone starts ranting about safe driving.
 
n7lxi said:
Compassion.
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Good one, but I disagree. That is secondary to a really good assessment. A stupid EMT that wants to heal me is dangerous. I'd rather have EMT's that don;t give a damn but know there stuff inside and out and will heal me. Of course, I'd prefer one with both skills. IMHO. Compassion over my car accident does little for me if you put can't recognize my deformed cervical spine and turn me into a paralyize me!

Not that I have the bed-side manners of Gregory House... but I'd take him and his lack of compassion over anyone else... if he were real.
 
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Mountain Res-Q said:
I'll agree on Pt. Assessment. IF you can't do it right, then everything else is useless.
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But, you still need people skills to perform that assessment. If you can not make your patient feel comfortable to offer information or you can not speak well enough to get your message across, your assessment may suffer.
 
I'd rather have a competent assessment from a jerk than compassion from an incompetent. Both for me and my loved ones. Skills first, personality second.
 
common sense
 
Great malpractce insurance!

At least if we go with ecompassion first, assessment skills second theory.
 
Map reading skills. If you can't get there in the first place, nothing else really matters!
 
VentMedic said:
Who has maps any more? At least not the paper kind...
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We still carry paper maps, and the old fashioned compasses into the backcountry. Tree canopy can make it impossible to triangulate a signal for a GPS. We still teach the old fashioned orienteering. For when the batteries die.
 
BossyCow said:
We still carry paper maps, and the old fashioned compasses into the backcountry. Tree canopy can make it impossible to triangulate a signal for a GPS. We still teach the old fashioned orienteering. For when the batteries die.
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Anyone who trusts their lives (or response times) to a piece of machinery deserves what they get.

Next guess: My ability to eat a breakfast burrito as the coroner takes pictures of the desicrated body at the botom of a 300 foot gorge and just before we help scoop it up and "carry" it back up the cliff! SO, OUR IRON STOMACHs that can handle sights like that and still he power to surivive the crap we put in them on every shift!
 
VentMedic said:
Who has maps any more? At least not the paper kind...
Click to expand...

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