Ride along

i believe in MA that clinicals are not required as a basic. Some programs (especially ones that run through a company) require them but most do not. Program may have contracts with local companies that allow students who want to get some ride time to do so but usually it is on the students own time and nothing goes back to the course.

I believe that they should be required b.c being in a class room and being in the field are two very different things, one could be a great EMT student in the classroom but in the field, dealing w. real pts, (not classmates/friends who wont suffer if u screw up) seems to be the struggle. It is not meant of everyone.a
 
I haven't done any clinicals or ride alongs at all I am trying to see if I can go on a ride along now since I am having such a hard time finding a job. After seeing all these people who had to do ride alongs and such I wish I had the chance to. I just thought it was normal for Basics to not do them.
 
MassEMT-B said:
I haven't done any clinicals or ride alongs at all I am trying to see if I can go on a ride along now since I am having such a hard time finding a job. After seeing all these people who had to do ride alongs and such I wish I had the chance to. I just thought it was normal for Basics to not do them.
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When I was in EMT-IV school (TN Equivalent to EMT-B just with EMT-I/85), we had to do both ER and ambulance clinicals for the entire 9 months.
 
rwik123 said:
Taking vitals? I was under the impression that because I don't have my actual EMT cert yet, I would not be able to have direct patient contact
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rwik, at the beginning of the day, your role on the medic unit should be discussed with the people you will be riding with and you should not deviate from whatever it is they ask you to do. It has been my experience that the more proficient you seem, the more they will trust you to take some initiative and work on your own after a while. Obtaining vital signs may, and very likely WILL, be part of what they ask you to do. If you are not comfortable with it, tell the medic, ask for help, and practice, practice, practice. Most of the time, they won't fault you for not knowing something as long as you're asking questions and are willing to work at it.

Good luck! :)
 
I have just completed my ride along here in maine and the medics were great they started me off with a walk around/equipment inspection and on our first call they got me right into action with getting vitals and repeating them in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and after the call they showed me how to repack everything remak the strecther and then helped me with my first pcr after the first call was over and everything was done we had a good q&a session ....not sure if thats how all agencies do it but that im sure is pretty much close to all the agencies hope it helped
 
In my basic class we had to do a total of 60 hours of clinical time. We had to do 40 ambulance. 10 ER and 10 dispatch. Where I did my clinical time was a hospital based service so I spent alot of time in the ER when we weren't on calls so I got alot of pt contact bc the dr's and nurses let me help them also. Was a great experience. I even got to swab one of my cousins throat to see if he had strep.. He gagged a lil :) lol
 
The schools in my county don't require clinicals, and so obviously it isn't a state requirement, but the two counties I have looked at working in both have 3+ months precepting before you can work second chair on the ambulance, so I wouldn't worry too much about EMTs working on their own before they are ready.
 
Even though it is not required, take the initiative, call up a company and see if you can ride. Most places will keep track of the hours you do b/c dispatch needs to know that there is another person on the truck. Then you have those documented for your own records.

Also, you will usually have to sign something saying that you are there to observe and are to have no pt contact. However, it is usually up to the crew as to what you can and cant do. The last crew i worked with they wouldnt even let me do vitals, but i could put the pt on o2 and give her asprin PO. Just dont do anything that you are uncomfortable w/ or that could get the crew in trouble b.c you are technically not allowed to treat.

I had a crew ask me once if i wanted to do the run sheet. I said no b/c it was a legal doc and im not backed up by anything if i left something out.
 
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