Starting EMT-B in the fall, have questions

[rhan101277]

How often does a scene affect you afterwards? Do you start out school knowing you will see some rough things? Then after you see enough them on the job you slowly get used to it? I guess if varies from person to person.

I found this Brady Trauma gallery, I know its not the same as the real thing. I wonder if I will see any of this in clincals, or if this type of thing is scene rarely in smaller cities.

Here is the link, its gruesome galleries.

http://www.prenhall.com/trauma/

 

[Hastings]

How often does a scene affect you afterwards? Do you start out school knowing you will see some rough things? Then after you see enough them on the job you slowly get used to it? I guess if varies from person to person.

I found this Brady Trauma gallery, I know its not the same as the real thing. I wonder if I will see any of this in clincals, or if this type of thing is scene rarely in smaller cities.

Here is the link, its gruesome galleries.

http://www.prenhall.com/trauma/

How often does a scene affect you afterwards?

Me? It doesn't. Everyone is different though.

Do you start out school knowing you will see some rough things?

Yes, I was very prepared.

Then after you see enough them on the job you slowly get used to it?

Yes, you get used to bad scenes, despite the fact that all are different in some way.



I have always worked in very urban cities, and I've never seen an abdominal evisceration. Especially not one that bad. Despite what you may initially think, you're likely to come across those types of injuries as a Basic more often in a rural setting. Mangled bodies in general are relatively rare, even in the city.

 

[rhan101277]

How often does a scene affect you afterwards?

Me? It doesn't. Everyone is different though.

Do you start out school knowing you will see some rough things?

Yes, I was very prepared.

Then after you see enough them on the job you slowly get used to it?

Yes, you get used to bad scenes, despite the fact that all are different in some way.



I have always worked in very urban cities, and I've never seen an abdominal evisceration. Especially not one that bad. Despite what you may initially think, you're likely to come across those types of injuries as a Basic more often in a rural setting. Mangled bodies in general are relatively rare, even in the city.

Thanks for your answers, I am just trying to get somewhat prepared. The photos that bothered me the most were the neglect and abuse photos, the SIDS photos, and the child electrical injury pictures.

 

[Hastings]

Thanks for your answers, I am just trying to get somewhat prepared. The photos that bothered me the most were the neglect and abuse photos, the SIDS photos, and the child electrical injury pictures.

Yeah, children will get to you.

Thankfully, as a basic, you probably wont know about abuse until you hear from the hospital a day or two later. It's been that way for both of my shaken babies.

Typically, you'll be too caught up in doing your skills/job to really worry about things. And in most cases, tragedy will be just a passing fact, but yeah, the kids will get to you.

Again though, everyone deals with it differently.

 

[rhan101277]

Yeah, children will get to you.

Thankfully, as a basic, you probably wont know about abuse until you hear from the hospital a day or two later. It's been that way for both of my shaken babies.

Typically, you'll be too caught up in doing your skills/job to really worry about things. And in most cases, tragedy will be just a passing fact, but yeah, the kids will get to you.

Again though, everyone deals with it differently.

Is it best to try to get on with a ambulance service thats in the firehouse. Or at least a service that has a area for you to relax, a kitchen, shower, bed, tv etc. How does a basic day go for you, during down time?

 

[Hastings]

Is it best to try to get on with a ambulance service thats in the firehouse. Or at least a service that has a area for you to relax, a kitchen, shower, bed, tv etc. How does a basic day go for you, during down time?

I'm with a private service that sits point all day and is only in base at beginning of shift, for lunch, and at the end of shift.

Bases are always nice to have, but being out in the town can also be fun. I don't suggest going into a fire service just to have a base.

I get to work, let dispatch know I'm there, hang out in dispatch for a bit and talk, grab radio and gear, head out to garage and check rig, wait for my partner, leave base. Dispatch tells us where to sit point, we go there. We're almost always sent to a gas station, so we grab breakfast and a newspaper there, then get in the rig, read the newspaper, and then catch some sleep. If another ambulance in the city gets a call, we have to move to a new point. During the afternoon, I sleep more. Often we find stores near our point and hang out, buy snacks, shop. Sometimes hang out in the arcade, or just hang out in some parking lot/park/beach and sit outside enjoying the day. Sometimes we bring a laptop and movies, books, music... And at about an hour to the end of shift, we go fuel up, come back to base, stock the rig, wash it, and then hang out with dispatch until the end of shift.

Basically, between calls and switching posts, we're just doing whatever we want to do. And I love being out in the community a lot more than I would sitting in a fire station watching TV. But that's just me.

 

[rhan101277]

I'm with a private service that sits point all day and is only in base at beginning of shift, for lunch, and at the end of shift.

Bases are always nice to have, but being out in the town can also be fun. I don't suggest going into a fire service just to have a base.

I get to work, let dispatch know I'm there, hang out in dispatch for a bit and talk, grab radio and gear, head out to garage and check rig, wait for my partner, leave base. Dispatch tells us where to sit point, we go there. We're almost always sent to a gas station, so we grab breakfast and a newspaper there, then get in the rig, read the newspaper, and then catch some sleep. If another ambulance in the city gets a call, we have to move to a new point. During the afternoon, I sleep more. Often we find stores near our point and hang out, buy snacks, shop. Sometimes hang out in the arcade, or just hang out in some parking lot/park/beach and sit outside enjoying the day. Sometimes we bring a laptop and movies, books, music... And at about an hour to the end of shift, we go fuel up, come back to base, stock the rig, wash it, and then hang out with dispatch until the end of shift.

Basically, between calls and switching posts, we're just doing whatever we want to do. And I love being out in the community a lot more than I would sitting in a fire station watching TV. But that's just me.

Are you a EMT-B or EMT-P? Also when you got hired on, were you just expected to handle calls with your partner? Was there a OJT portion at all or do they consider you being certified and done with clinicals enough. Thanks so much for you answers.

 

[Hastings]

You have a lot of good questions. Ones I actually wondered about when I started too.

I'm a Paramedic. The way we do things down here is that there is a period of time after you're hired (typically 3 weeks) where you are a third rider with a paramedic and an EMT. During that period, they teach you everything you need to know. And they will NOT put you out alone with a partner until they feel you are competent and confident. After that period is over, you are riding with a paramedic partner, and learning from them. They will ease you into the point where you feel comfortable being alone with a patient in the back during basic calls (EMT-Basics here handle Basic calls) while the paramedic drives, and comfortable driving when the paramedic is in the back during an advanced call.

So, to sum it up, no one is going to throw you into a situation where you feel uncomfortable. There is always plenty of on the job training and they will make sure you're comfortable being alone before they have you leading patient care.

Every place is different.

 

[rhan101277]

You have a lot of good questions. Ones I actually wondered about when I started too.

I'm a Paramedic. The way we do things down here is that there is a period of time after you're hired (typically 3 weeks) where you are a third rider with a paramedic and an EMT. During that period, they teach you everything you need to know. And they will NOT put you out alone with a partner until they feel you are competent and confident. After that period is over, you are riding with a paramedic partner, and learning from them. They will ease you into the point where you feel comfortable being alone with a patient in the back during basic calls (EMT-Basics here handle Basic calls) while the paramedic drives, and comfortable driving when the paramedic is in the back during an advanced call.

So, to sum it up, no one is going to throw you into a situation where you feel uncomfortable. There is always plenty of on the job training and they will make sure you're comfortable being alone before they have you leading patient care.

Every place is different.

So being a medic on a basic call, do you help with patient assessment or just supervise. I want to go on to medic school after basic, if I can handle doing that and continue my full-time job. Can a basic give any medication without instruction? Do medics have to tell basics to do this/that on advanced calls to assist? If i work in a rural area where only BLS is available, and someone needs intubated, is it just tough luck since you are basic and can't intubate? That doesn't make since though, knowing a patient could live if intubated.

Thanks again.

 

[Hastings]

So being a medic on a basic call, do you help with patient assessment or just supervise. I want to go on to medic school after basic, if I can handle doing that and continue my full-time job. Can a basic give any medication without instruction? Do medics have to tell basics to do this/that on advanced calls to assist? If i work in a rural area where only BLS is available, and someone needs intubated, is it just tough luck since you are basic and can't intubate? That doesn't make since though, knowing a patient could live if intubated.

Here, both the medic and the basic participate in the initial assessment regardless of whether the situation is considered basic or ALS. Basic/ALS just comes into play when determining who drives and who sits in back/does treatment/report.

A basic can assist some medications that a patient may have prescribed to them, but a Basic can not give medications in the paramedic sense.

On advanced calls, the paramedic is in charge, and does give orders to the others on scene. It's a good relationship medics have with basics here though, and most good basics know what to do already and don't need to be asked. Here, it typically consists of prepping an IV drip set/saline lock or setting up an albuteral neb in the back of the ambulance before leaving the scene.

Unless your area allows for basics to intubate, the national standard is that basics can NOT intubate under any circumstances. Intubation is considered an advanced procedure and is typically restricted to paramedics, due to the very serious complications that can occur. For a Basic, there are good alternatives to an ET tube, such as a Combitube, or whatever kids are using these days (lol).

 

[rhan101277]

So basics can do combitube, why intubate if you can use combitube? Is it because intubating helps with airway obstructions? Also why did you decide to become a medic, was it because of pay? or you just wanted to have more education?

 

[Hastings]

So basics can do combitube, why intubate if you can use combitube? Is it because intubating helps with airway obstructions? Also why did you decide to become a medic, was it because of pay? or you just wanted to have more education?

Lol, no one decides to be in EMS for money. Unless you're referring to why I upgraded from Basic to Paramedic. And the answer to that is because I never wanted to be a Basic. I went right from Basic to Medic.

Intubating is much better than a Combitube. However, what I'm saying is that a Combitube is enough for a Basic to secure the airway and keep the patient alive long enough to get them to a hospital or paramedic that can intubate.

 

[rhan101277]

Lol, no one decides to be in EMS for money. Unless you're referring to why I upgraded from Basic to Paramedic. And the answer to that is because I never wanted to be a Basic. I went right from Basic to Medic.

Intubating is much better than a Combitube. However, what I'm saying is that a Combitube is enough for a Basic to secure the airway and keep the patient alive long enough to get them to a hospital or paramedic that can intubate.

I want to go from basic to paramedic as well. I want to get your opinion on this paramedic program. The first semester shows 21 hours, that seems alot considering that 12 hours is full time. It does say a minimum of three semesters is required, maybe I can stretch it out. How long did your paramedic program last?

http://www.holmes.cc.ms.us/Departments/students_tech_dept_emt_paramedic.aspx

 

[Hastings]

I want to go from basic to paramedic as well. I want to get your opinion on this paramedic program. The first semester shows 21 hours, that seems alot considering that 12 hours is full time. It does say a minimum of three semesters is required, maybe I can stretch it out. How long did your paramedic program last?

http://www.holmes.cc.ms.us/Departments/students_tech_dept_emt_paramedic.aspx

September of one year to July of the next, including 240 hours of internship. 15 hours of class every week, plus approx. 130 clinical and ride-along shifts at 4 and 12 hours each, for a total of approx. 500 hours field/hospital experience.

LCC breaks it down this way.

First Semester:
Med/Trauma I
Cardiology I
Pharmacology I
Skills I
Clinicals

Second Semester
Med/Trauma II
Cardiology II
Pharmacology II
Skills II
Clinicals

Summer
Internship

 

[rhan101277]

I hope I can somehow do clinicals at night since I work 7a-4p, seeing as the paramedics course is a night course, hopefully so are clinicals.

 

[Hastings]

I hope I can somehow do clinicals at night since I work 7a-4p, seeing as the paramedics course is a night course, hopefully so are clinicals.

Paramedic school is typically a full time job. That's why not everyone can make it. It may require you to sacrifice your job and/or your social life.

 

[Anu]

Now, the bad news. EMS is a very, very contagious bug. Once it has bit you, it is very hard to remove the symptoms of it. I have known several that have quit their 6 figure salaried job, became divorced, moved across the nation or world all over this thing called EMS. So do not be surprised if it does bite you. I have forewarned you....

Good luck!

R/r911[/QUOTE]


Oh man! So true..

Deep down, perhaps we all want to be supermen. We are our own worst enemies, and all too human at that.

 

[rhan101277]

Paramedic school is typically a full time job. That's why not everyone can make it. It may require you to sacrifice your job and/or your social life.

Well I am married and my wife supports me and I don't have kids. Were you able to take your A&P I&II classes at night?

 

[skyemt]

So basics can do combitube, why intubate if you can use combitube? Is it because intubating helps with airway obstructions? Also why did you decide to become a medic, was it because of pay? or you just wanted to have more education?

for one thing, Medications can be given down an ET tube, not a combitube.

it is not a preferred way of doing things, and the increasing use of the EZIO will make this a less preferred method, same with EJ.

 

[rhan101277]

September of one year to July of the next, including 240 hours of internship. 15 hours of class every week, plus approx. 130 clinical and ride-along shifts at 4 and 12 hours each, for a total of approx. 500 hours field/hospital experience.

LCC breaks it down this way.

First Semester:
Med/Trauma I
Cardiology I
Pharmacology I
Skills I
Clinicals

Second Semester
Med/Trauma II
Cardiology II
Pharmacology II
Skills II
Clinicals

Summer
Internship

Were you able to take A&P I and II at night. Guess I need to ask my college, but since most of the curriculum is at night, doesn't make since to have A&P during the day.