the 100% directionless thread

CALEMT

The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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I really don’t identify based off of what I do. I’m just frustrated that I put on golden handcuffs, am at a job that doesn’t appreciate me or my talents, and that has a skewed work/life balance. I’m not really that bothered by having to drive the van occasionally, I’m bothered by the fact that I’m letting golden handcuffs get in the way of what I really want to be doing and letting a job I’m “meh” about grow like cancer into my time.

Rocket brotha, we get it, you're unhappy at your current job. You don't need to keep reminding us everyday that you get forced on a wheelchair van.
 

RocketMedic

Californian, Lost in Texas
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Aww my terrier wants cuddles!
Rocket brotha, we get it, you're unhappy at your current job. You don't need to keep reminding us everyday that you get forced on a wheelchair van.

It’s really more of a shipwreck. Like a de motivational warning to myself not to settle for the admittedly excellent pay and decent benefits.

Money really isn’t worth fun.
 

VentMonkey

Family Guy
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nothing pisses me off more than taking an out of town trip for some VA transfer.
Why? The closest VA to us is ~2 hours away at night. These were some of the easiest LDT’s I’ve done.

I once leaned pretty hard into a gung ho intern who was pissed we popped one right after BTB cardiac arrests. It finished off our shift and gave him time to chart.

That would be the once a year perfect shift and can’t understand when, and why people like that still aren’t “satisfied”.
 

Seirende

Washed Up Paramedic/ EMT Dropout
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I haven't been this mentally well for this long in years. By "this long" I mean two weeks.
 

PotatoMedic

Has no idea what I'm doing.
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I haven't been this mentally well for this long in years. By "this long" I mean two weeks.
Woo hoo!!!! That's really exciting!
 

StCEMT

Forum Deputy Chief
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Why? The closest VA to us is ~2 hours away at night. These were some of the easiest LDT’s I’ve done.

I once leaned pretty hard into a gung ho intern who was pissed we popped one right after BTB cardiac arrests. It finished off our shift and gave him time to chart.

That would be the once a year perfect shift and can’t understand when, and why people like that still aren’t “satisfied”.
We are quite often understaffed and we sacrifice coverage for churning out transfers at certain peak times. It's more so a frustration that runs like that pull resources from where we need them.
 

StCEMT

Forum Deputy Chief
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Started off with a STEMI transfer. 100% LAD. Stroke alerted my unresponsive patient who was found to have quite the bleed going on. One of the times I wish I could give a sedative to intubate, she needed it. Ended on an OD that was acidotic to the point that the heart lost it's damn mind and was making me very nervous for a solid minute or so. This may be one of the most interesting medical days I've had in some time.
 

RocketMedic

Californian, Lost in Texas
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Started off with a STEMI transfer. 100% LAD. Stroke alerted my unresponsive patient who was found to have quite the bleed going on. One of the times I wish I could give a sedative to intubate, she needed it. Ended on an OD that was acidotic to the point that the heart lost it's damn mind and was making me very nervous for a solid minute or so. This may be one of the most interesting medical days I've had in some time.

Let’s hope that luck runs off
 

Seirende

Washed Up Paramedic/ EMT Dropout
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Woo hoo!!!! That's really exciting!

It's so weird. I'm waking up rested in the morning, during the days experiencing happiness and satisfaction with a noticeable lack of crushing mental pain and then at night falling asleep easily and getting a good night's sleep. Been this way ever since I started nannying my niblings during the week. The only issue is they wear me out. 😂 Which wouldn't be a problem except that I'm working my real bill-paying job in the evenings.
 

VentMonkey

Family Guy
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We are quite often understaffed and we sacrifice coverage for churning out transfers at certain peak times. It's more so a frustration that runs like that pull resources from where we need them.
Oh no, I get that. I don’t know how your supervisors operate, but when I was a night shift supervisor I often wished I could be the one running them and having the front line employees backfill in my absence.

But you know? Something about having to supervise yada, yada, yada...
Stroke alerted my unresponsive patient who was found to have quite the bleed going on. One of the times I wish I could give a paralytic and a sedative to intubate, she needed it.
Fixed it:)
 

StCEMT

Forum Deputy Chief
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Oh no, I get that. I don’t know how your supervisors operate, but when I was a night shift supervisor I often wished I could be the one running them and having the front line employees backfill in my absence.

But you know? Something about having to supervise yada, yada, yada...

Fixed it:)
Our supervisors will take the non-transport 911's for us when we get particularly busy at least. Thats always a big help. I don't even mind the patients, they're usually pleasant enough, but when we dump 80% of the ALS fleet in the span of 30-45 minutes for these calls? I do have a problem with that.

I wish, but I don't see RSI coming here anytime soon, at least not to field medics. Honestly, company wide our FPS isn't great and doesn't support doing so. I could maybe see it being selective one day since we do have paralytics (for CCT runs). Maybe...
 

CALEMT

The Other Guy/ Paramaybe?
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Making guns in my garage is making me feel so American right now.
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
Community Leader
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That sounds way too cool.

In all seriousness I really don’t like this feeling. My ego is in tatters and I feel like I am slowly losing the qualities of a good emergency paramedic. I know the answer is a different and better job, but life is in the way and I’m trying to make it a good move, not a flailing one. So I fight hard to keep the skills, the competencies and the passion alive, like a little campfire in the Arctic winter. Hopefully this next few weeks opens up some new routes WRT where I’m headed, or at least clarifies existing options.

@NomadicMedic do you have wheelchair critical care medic strike teams? Because that’s some next-level stuff. Top of the food chain.
Complaining like this is not anyway to keep your passion alive. Coming on here and complaining everyday is not making it better nor does it improve the community. Life happens and sometimes you can't just move along. But don't make these struggles your life. There's more to life and self worth than being a paramedic.
 

RocketMedic

Californian, Lost in Texas
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Complaining like this is not anyway to keep your passion alive. Coming on here and complaining everyday is not making it better nor does it improve the community. Life happens and sometimes you can't just move along. But don't make these struggles your life. There's more to life and self worth than being a paramedic.

Jeez are you like the Happiness Police or something? Leave me my tattered and faded glories to remember please! The community will survive some moping.

@StCEMT can you nasally intubate? Nasal ETI is a lost art, but is a convenient workaround for systems where you can’t sedate/paralyze for an orotracheal attempt.
 

VentMonkey

Family Guy
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Nasal ETI is a lost art, but is a convenient workaround for systems where you can’t sedate/paralyze for an orotracheal attempt.
Agreed, but I don’t know how quick I’d be to jump to NTI a suspected head bleed of any sorts, especially without adequate sedation and reasonable ETA’s.
 

RocketMedic

Californian, Lost in Texas
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Agreed, but I don’t know how quick I’d be to jump to NTI a suspected head bleed of any sorts, especially without adequate sedation and reasonable ETA’s.

Reckon it depends on presentation, alternatives and type. I somewhat agree for traumatic bleeds, but for medical I would pull that trigger fast.

On another note does anyone else really not like transports to (the inpatient) hospice? They’re easy from a clinical standpoint and I do my Level best to make them polite, comfortable and dignified, but I get the heebie-jeeboes being one of the last people that person will ever be with. It’s like...a whole different mission, one I really am not a fan of.
 

StCEMT

Forum Deputy Chief
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I can, although they took lido and stuff away. Just a lubed up tube now. We had no difficulty managing her with occasional suctioning, it wasn't like a vomit filled airway. It was largely just knowing where things were headed and that I could shorten the process if I had the tools to do so.
 

StCEMT

Forum Deputy Chief
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Reckon it depends on presentation, alternatives and type. I somewhat agree for traumatic bleeds, but for medical I would pull that trigger fast.

On another note does anyone else really not like transports to (the inpatient) hospice? They’re easy from a clinical standpoint and I do my Level best to make them polite, comfortable and dignified, but I get the heebie-jeeboes being one of the last people that person will ever be with. It’s like...a whole different mission, one I really am not a fan of.
I don't mind. It's not any different than being the last person a 911 patient is with that dies in front of you. At least hospice patients are relatively on their own terms unlike most of what we see.
 

NomadicMedic

I know a guy who knows a guy.
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So I had a cardiac arrest resuscitation the other day. Guy was at a dialysis center and collapsed. There was another medic on scene and gave him a couple of epis. Was in PEA when I got there, by the time we were in the ambulance I was pacing him and he was talking to me. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen
 
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