Running my first 12 hour shift

[C.T.E.M.R.]

So saturday i run my first full shift, Ive ran a few hours here an there standby etc. I was wondering what i should refresh myself on, its 530 am to 530 pm, so if anyone routinely runs a similar shift, could you share what your average calls are. im just trying to find out what to expect,

 

[feldy]

without knowing your area it is a bit difficult to tell what kinda of calls you are to expect. Are you in a rural area? A city?

 

[abckidsmom]

Could be a shooting with multiple victims, pediatric cardiac arrest, trauma requiring a scene amputation, a GI bleed that covers the entire ambulance with blood and stool, childbirth of twins, or maybe a little old lady with belly pain and constipation.

Put your seatbelt on, it could be a bumpy ride!

 

[46Young]

Could be a shooting with multiple victims, pediatric cardiac arrest, trauma requiring a scene amputation, a GI bleed that covers the entire ambulance with blood and stool, childbirth of twins, or maybe a little old lady with belly pain and constipation.

Put your seatbelt on, it could be a bumpy ride!

I wish. Maybe in Hollywood. I've had a few shifts like that back in NY. Unfortunately, the OP's shift will be a bit more mundane. More than likely they'll get: I've had a H/A for three days, I have the flu, I twisted my ankle, my kid's short of breath (clean out the boogers, infants mainly breathe through their noses), grandma had a vagal episode on the can, some All-State-itis fender benders where they're yapping away on the phone, and then hang up when hey see us turn the corner, to begin the Academy Award performance. I didn't know a 10 mph MVA w/ only paint transfer could cause dizziness, a H/A, and 10/10 neck/back pain. Or, I just got released from the hospital this morning for flu/bronchitis/feel-me-bads, got my script at CVS, took it around noon, and now it's 1630, I still feel lousy, and need to go back to the ED. Or maybe a NH altered mental status in the dementia ward. Maybe have the doc stop adding on more pain meds, and they won't be so out of it.

 

[abckidsmom]

I wish. Maybe in Hollywood. I've had a few shifts like that back in NY. Unfortunately, the OP's shift will be a bit more mundane. More than likely they'll get: I've had a H/A for three days, I have the flu, I twisted my ankle, my kid's short of breath (clean out the boogers, infants mainly breathe through their noses), grandma had a vagal episode on the can, some All-State-itis fender benders where they're yapping away on the phone, and then hang up when hey see us turn the corner, to begin the Academy Award performance. I didn't know a 10 mph MVA w/ only paint transfer could cause dizziness, a H/A, and 10/10 neck/back pain. Or, I just got released from the hospital this morning for flu/bronchitis/feel-me-bads, got my script at CVS, took it around noon, and now it's 1630, I still feel lousy, and need to go back to the ED. Or maybe a NH altered mental status in the dementia ward. Maybe have the doc stop adding on more pain meds, and they won't be so out of it.

Could be. We haven't turned a wheel today, and we've got a guy on his first shift ever. Highly annoying, and yet so typical. If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, we've saved at least 16 lives today alone!

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

Rural, sorry i forgot that, I kinda figured that i could get anything , i was wondering if there were any "common" weekend calls. Thanks for the replies so far, Anyone got a suggestion to refresh myself on , im practicing vitals tonight on my family, been a few weeks since ive had to do any, but any suggestions will help.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I was gonna say if its a night shift lots of ETOH. At least where I'm at. This place loves its booze. But it's not...soooo I can't really help you there.

 

[JPINFV]

without knowing your area it is a bit difficult to tell what kinda of calls you are to expect. Are you in a rural area? A city?

This. I worked for a large regional company in California where we averaged 4-7 calls (mix of scheduled non-emergent, unscheduled non-emergent, CCT, and emergency calls) in a 12 hour shift and a tiny local company in Massachusetts where we averaged 4 calls (all scheduled) in a 17 hour shift.

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

thanks for the responses, i kinda wish it was a night shift, but i can only run until 10pm per company policy because I'm under 18, state law says 12pm and under our policy i can only stay after 10 if we constantly get called out before return to quarters. last weekend they only had 3 calls, which is unusual for us. ill let you know sat. night how it went.

 

[feldy]

Expect to learn something from every call. Seeing as you are new, be proactive in grabbing the equipment, the cot and taking vitals. Maybe after the call as why the medic did something the way he did and how it benefited the pt.

In a rural area, while it is no city anything can still happen. Let us know how it goes.

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

Actually we don't have medics on our rigs, we have intercepts, from a larger private company, our crew consists or driver, EMT, which is an average crew or add a third rider which will be my place, I hear you about being proactive, im probably going to the station after school to go through my rig to check the bags so i know exactly where every last little thing is.

 

[Cohn]

I run 0700 to 1900 (7:00am to 7:00pm) the only hard part is family time on those days is servilely limited.

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

I run 0700 to 1900 (7:00am to 7:00pm) the only hard part is family time on those days is servilely limited.

i hear you on that.

I plan on bringing my 7inch notebook laptop with me to keep busy with something to do on downtime, assuming there is any. im not used to waking up around 400 am, so it will be a good experience for me. ill try to update tomorrow night.

 

[feldy]

I have my 6am to 6pm shift tomorrow and while ive never worked a day shift before (i usually work friday or sunday nights), im sure we will be busy, but i always bring my laptop or some school work with me. On your first shift though, make sure it is okay. While you are in a rural area and probably will not be running back to back to back calls like a city weekend night shift does, bring food with you and something to drink.

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

I have my 6am to 6pm shift tomorrow and while ive never worked a day shift before (i usually work friday or sunday nights), im sure we will be busy, but i always bring my laptop or some school work with me. On your first shift though, make sure it is okay. While you are in a rural area and probably will not be running back to back to back calls like a city weekend night shift does, bring food with you and something to drink.

i have checked on the laptop , they really dont care, we have a computer at the station specifically for personal use, the others are for reports. I made sure to check up on anything i wasn't sure about, And i plan on bringing 6-7 bottles of water along with my lunch. Anyway good luck on your shift Feldy, let me know how it went

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

It was a busy day. Got to the station around 5:20 first call came in at around 5:27. Single vehicle MVA Single pt w/ complaint of chest pain. wrecked the car 3 towns over and drove it all the way to my town, ambulatory when we arrived, no obvious signs of trauma, appeared intoxicated, was extremely uncooperative. she walked into the rig, where we then back boarded, collared etc. requested a medic intercept. when the medic got on and tried to run an iv she would not stop moving, she kept trying to remove all of our equipment etc. we unloaded her at the hospital did Paper work. got back to quarters 3 min later unconscious 83 y/o female, we arrive she was CAO knew where she was, just a basic spell of syncope. got a medic for precautions, worked out good. last hour of the shift we got called to a drunk and disorderly. very combative, i sat in the airway seat just because he was so combative. kept trying to unstrap himself out of the stretcher and said he was going to jump out. we ended up meeting 17 security officer at the hospital for everyone elses safety.

So i would say a pretty good first day, lot of experience considering that most people that start at our DEPT. dont get a call for 3-4 shifts.

 

[feldy]

glad to here you had a good shift. You will deal with more combative people than you can imagine. My shift was extremely quiet. I we had 4-5 calls with 2 transports, 2 refusals and 1 no ems. Usually we would have 7-8, or if its really busy 11-12.

 

[C.T.E.M.R.]

I blame it on the full moon we had here LOL, its actually normal for a Friday or Saturday crew to deal with drunks or combative people. at least here anyway. i was so mad about our final call because we were in the middle of washing the rig.