the 100% directionless thread

Don't get me wrong, jp, as twice in clinicals I felt woosie (Once from a stabbing victim... mix of not eating + not sleeping + seeing a doctor play with a q-tip in a stab wound) and once right after (but not during) a C-section (though I was fine for the next 2).

But I didn't read it as being grossed out, more of a "I don't want to see this" type of thing.


Though there are plenty of times a student (heck, even a certified person) see's something on shift and quits and doesn't ever come back.



Like Sasha said, we can't pick our patients.
 
And the question then becomes, how far do we let our students go through the process before we realize they can't handle it? Also, since when does failing one ride along mean the student is out of the program?
 
Just put two kids on a helicopter to a pedi center with diffuse abdominal pain, tenderness, and significant bruising from an MVC, because they weren't in booster seats. This job really blows sometimes...
 
ffemt8978 said:
And the question then becomes, how far do we let our students go through the process before we realize they can't handle it?
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Alternatively, how long do we give them to acclimate? When I started med school last year most of my students and I recoiled every time something nasty showed up, especially genital nastiness. Now, almost 2 years later, there's barely a peep when something nasty shows up in a lecture slide or in a text book.
 
Yet, did you ever refuse to do your job, or your studies, from said nastiness?


Getting sick is one thing. Refusing to do your duties is another. No one can fault you for the first.
 
Linuss said:
Yet, did you ever refuse to do your job, or your studies, from said nastiness?


Getting sick is one thing. Refusing to do your duties is another. No one can fault you for the first.
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No, however if I ever felt sick while doing gross anatomy, I would have stepped out before keeling over into a body. Is stepping out of the anatomy lab refusing to do my duty as a student? Is there a difference between anatomy lab and, say, the operating room in this regard? As I said earlier, there's a difference between a one time event and a pattern.
 
But leaving to compose yourself is not the same as just flat out not doing the duty at hand.

What if the surgeon chose not to continue with the surgery?
What if a Paramedic left because doing a cric grosses them out?
 
Linuss said:
But leaving to compose yourself is not the same as just flat out not doing the duty at hand.

What if the surgeon chose not to continue with the surgery?
What if a Paramedic left because doing a cric grosses them out?
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However this was not a surgeon, or a paramedic, or even an EMT, but a student.
 
JPINFV said:
No, however if I ever felt sick while doing gross anatomy, I would have stepped out before keeling over into a body. Is stepping out of the anatomy lab refusing to do my duty as a student? Is there a difference between anatomy lab and, say, the operating room in this regard? As I said earlier, there's a difference between a one time event and a pattern.
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I agree. And there is always training in any profession, hence the ride along. There is training to allow the student to experience and adjust to situations. No one is perfect and this student in question was just experiencing natural emotions. Anyone who is called to a trauma patient for the first time should 'feel' something. This particular student handled it their way, and hopefully will learn from the experience. Hm, a student- learning??? What a concept...
 
But nobody has stated that a failure on one ride along is enough to cause the student to fail the class. It will, however, make sure that the class instructor is aware of it and gets involved.
 
Linuss said:
But leaving to compose yourself is not the same as just flat out not doing the duty at hand.

What if the surgeon chose not to continue with the surgery?
What if a Paramedic left because doing a cric grosses them out?
Click to expand...

But we are talking about a student aren't we? For a student everything is new to them. A surgeon has had experience with surgery. You can't take someone off the street and make them a compident surgeon in 18 weeks. A paramedic has to do ride outs to get used to what they will be doing and they are with an experienced medic. When taking someone off the street with no medical experience and expect them to not react to things is asking way too much.
 
Hey people, I started a thread on this student issue. Head over there if you want to, cause I am really interested in this topic too.
 
lightsandsirens5 said:
Hey people, I started a thread on this student issue. Head over there if you want to, cause I am really interested in this topic too.
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You trying to say we were on topic too much? :ph34r:
 
lightsandsirens5 said:
Hey people, I started a thread on this student issue. Head over there if you want to, cause I am really interested in this topic too.
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Awww. So thoughtful :P but thanks. I wanna know what people say also. Because my first bad call was when I was 14 and I froze up on it.
 
I was thinking it over.. I almost didn't fail her. But if she can't handle it, I'm doing her a favor.

This was nothing emotionally scarring. It was a dementia patient who was trapped in her own painful hell. If she can't handle that, then she does not need to be in EMS.

If you can't handle that, you're going to leave every shift with emotional scars, then she should be thanking me.

She understood, regrets her decision, says she has some thinking to do.
 
Sasha said:
This was nothing emotionally scarring. It was a dementia patient who was trapped in her own painful hell. If she can't handle that, then she does not need to be in EMS.
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Sasha said:
She refused to sit in back with a patient who can best be described best as the burnt baby in HP7 at kings ctoss station with dumbledore. Writhing and screaming. I know its tough but its part of the job.
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{confused}
 
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