the 100% directionless thread

Addrobo said:
I do not miss anything about the 210/134, 210/605, and the 210/57.
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Going into LA the 605/60 (I got on the 210 at the last onramp before the 605 splits off) was nice. Only tool me about 20 min to get into LA that way early afternoon. But now in the aftermath of shift bids I go towards Glendale at noon on the 210/134. Almost the same distance to Glendale station as East LA station from my house, yet today was about 50 min ugh. Though the 5 still being an utter mess from that fire last weekend probably didn't help lol

If I take the 57 at all, it's always at night when traffic is relatively light so I rarely have a problem there.
 
Only thing worse than spending my 3 days off sick is spending my first day back sick
 
Language barriers are so frustrating.
 
rmabrey said:
Only thing worse than spending my 3 days off sick is spending my first day back sick
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There is something deeply troubling about being called 911 to a person that is less sick than you are.

I know a medic that had a patient reach down and pat his hand while telling him he was going to be okay because of how bad he looked. :sad:
 
Jambi said:
There is something deeply troubling about being called 911 to a person that is less sick than you are.

I know a medic that had a patient reach down and pat his hand while telling him he was going to be okay because of how bad he looked. :sad:
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I've had a shift like that. It really does suck
 
MissK said:
Language barriers are so frustrating.
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There is not a day that goes by that I do not deal with this. Last week I dealt with Spanish, Tagalog, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Hebrew. Hebrew was an interesting one, because most people that I've encountered that speak it, also speak English.

My personal translator record was through two interpreters to the patient and back.

(me)English -> English--Mandarin-> Mandarin--Cantonese (patient)
 
How do you communicate with patients who don't speak English? Does your service have a translator hotline you can contact? We don't, and I always feel like I'm playing charades to get answers to some questions.
 
MissK said:
How do you communicate with patients who don't speak English? Does your service have a translator hotline you can contact? We don't, and I always feel like I'm playing charades to get answers to some questions.
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We normally have 5-7 people on scene of 911 calls so the odds are one of us speaks a different language.

If not we try to use family or friends of the patient or by standards if they are willing to help.

One of our dispatchers took at EMT class just so he could do a medical assessment in Spanish for us.

If all else fails its normally just a transport to the hospital.
 
MissK said:
How do you communicate with patients who don't speak English? Does your service have a translator hotline you can contact? We don't, and I always feel like I'm playing charades to get answers to some questions.
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Google translate and charades combo. Lol
 
MissK said:
How do you communicate with patients who don't speak English? Does your service have a translator hotline you can contact? We don't, and I always feel like I'm playing charades to get answers to some questions.
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1. Hablo Espanol muy poquito, pero hablo Espanol muy pouito. Habla Ingles poquito y Espanol buen, hablo Espanol poquito y Ingles bien, estamos buen.

2. One hospital I rotated through has AT&T language and all of the units had portable phones that we could use on speaker phone.

3. Charades!
 
So today's been a day of firsts. On my second shift on my new CCT shift I got to drive Code 3 (Priority 1 in our company's lingo) for an active STEMI going from one ED to a cath lab across town (even had an MD aboard for a full house)

Next call was non emergent RT call, but as soon as we got to the SNF and transferred the patient, they decided they didn't like her breathing and pulse rate (perfectly stable enroute but had stable tachycardia at the facility, which our CCT-RN confirmed via monitor) and they decided to call 911 (we pulled out as the FD ambulance and engine pulled up)
 
Please don't tell me your CCT ambulance then had to transfer care to the FD ambulance/engine...
 
Nothing like a late call that results in a possible TB exposure... Talk about adding insult to injury... Never were in an enclosed space too ugh until after n95 masks were donned so I'm not too worried.

Other than that it s a pretty leisurely OT shift for a change :D
 
MissK said:
How do you communicate with patients who don't speak English? Does your service have a translator hotline you can contact? We don't, and I always feel like I'm playing charades to get answers to some questions.
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W have a language line account through our company, it's kinda a pain though becau we ask very specific questions that need specific answers sometimes.

Like others said I usually use google translate or get lucky enough that I have a fluent Spanish speaker on scene. I can speak enough to get by until we get a better solution, do a very basic assessment, history, allergies, meds and which hospital haha.
 
Robb said:
W have a language line account through our company, it's kinda a pain though becau we ask very specific questions that need specific answers sometimes.
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Are you not using health care trained translators? From my experience with Language Line, I talk to the patient directly and the translator translates exactly what I'm saying. Sometimes I need to think of a different way to word a question if it's not getting me the answer I need, but the same thing is true when patients do speak English anyways.
 
No idea where we are, navigating using my phone somewhere in the dark side streets of Greenlane hoping we get back to Great South Road ...
 
How do you miss an IO 3 times? Let's get it together....
 
DesertEMT66 said:
Fire medic?
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Yes, brand new limited term fire medic, they kept insisting he keep trying for "experience". They had to come to our HQ for replacements since they were out....begrudgingly.
 
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