The Official EMTLIFE Introduction Thread

[VFFforpeople]

Welcome, glad to have you!

 

[Dave Rutibah]

Hello to everyone!

I'm brand new to the field of EMS and feel lucky to have found this forum. I worked for eight years in an auto body shop and during that time I felt like I should be doing something different with my life. Years ago I was involved in a terrible hiking acident and I would not be alive today if it was'nt for the EMS. I would like to help people the way I was helped and possibly give somebody a second shot at life or even a third depending on how accident prone the individual may be. I study at a community college and have taken many classes, such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, human biology, and several others, all with the goal of gaining a better undrstanding of the human body. At this point I'm not sure what my major is. It has been suggested to me that I work toward becoming an R.N. We'll see about that! I understand that working for the EMS is not for everyone. I have a tremendous repect for the job as well as for the people who do the job. I do feel that I'll do well in the EMS but there is only one way to find out. I graduated from a long drawn out emt-b course, passed the National Registry Exam, and here I am. If I'm good at it, maybe someday I'll become a medic.

 

[MMiz]

Dave,

Welcome to EMTLife!

 

[LucidResq]

It has been suggested to me that I work toward becoming an R.N. We'll see about that!

Do it. Do it. Everyone in the world will agree that you should. If you can be a good nurse, be a nurse. Doors will fly open for you. And if you get sick of emergency stuff, as a nurse, it's not that difficult to change fields.

 

[SauceyEMT]

Ok...so I'm 30 m, in the metro Boston area, but originally (and spiritually) from the lovely City of San Diego. I am a once expired and now re-certified EMT-B who's not currently working in the field. I am currently a police officer, but given the state of budgets here, who knows how long that will last. -_- I am trying to find a part time EMT-B position to work on my basic skills and patient care. I've been thinking about possibly heading to medic school at some point, but that remains to be seen. So in short, I fight bad guys, and want to drive an ambulance Nice to meet everyone...

 

[ashbug071301]

Hi everyone I'm Ashley or Ash (whatever suits your fancy) and I am a brand new EMT-B. I just took my NREMT exam yesterday and I passed with flying colors. I am not with a service yet but hope to be very soon. I was a CNA for 4 years and attempted to go to nursing school. Couldn't get past the waiting list. I found out about this forum through my hubby who has been a member for a while. So if anyone who has some helpful advice for a newbie I would be glad to hear it! B)

 

[Dave Rutibah]

Do it. Do it. Everyone in the world will agree that you should. If you can be a good nurse, be a nurse. Doors will fly open for you. And if you get sick of emergency stuff, as a nurse, it's not that difficult to change fields.

That is good advice, thankyou!

 

[VFFforpeople]

Welcome new members. Also as to the RN, I am going to school for medic while my name is on the list. Then when called to go I will go RN/Medic..Then one day hope to put CC in front of those. Good luck!

 

[Dearing Baymiller]

New in EMS

hello everyone.
i'm 36, in Spencer, IA, and am about to begin EMS classes at the local college. i am really stoked over the chance to get back to school after fifteen or so years, and finally get into the EMT/Paramedic program.

i am a displaced factory worker with a bit of history in health care. my dad was a bad diabetic who didn't take care of himself, from the time i was seven until he died when i was fifteen, he was almost total care at home. in my early twenties, after a stint working in the mortuary, i was a first responder back home in Missouri, and was encouraged to go on to EMT, but i didn't feel at the time i was responsible enough to handle the job. instead i became a CNA at a few nursing homes for over eight years. during this time, i really began to have a desire to work on an ambulance to help people out. towards the end of this eight year run, my mother fell into poor health, and would have died at home if not for our local paramedics. this sealed the deal for me. i wanted to do this. unfortunately, i couldn't afford it because of helping mom pay her bills since she could no longer work, and my belief that i couldn't get a student loan.
due to the need for more money, and medical insurance, four years ago i went to a local printing factory here in Iowa.

well, we were shut down this year, and due to being a displaced worker, and being reliable on bills and credit, i have been given grants and got a decent student loan, all on top of a good stretch of unemployment coming up, i can finally get back into school to do the program. i am incredibly excited about this. i'm taking some basic Summer classes started this Monday, and beginning the EMT certificate stage of the program in August.

i am looking forward to reading and learning much here from the experienced professionals. thanks for having me, and allowing me to ramble on.

Dearing

 

[willbeflight]

hello everyone.
i'm 36, in Spencer, IA, and am about to begin EMS classes at the local college. i am really stoked over the chance to get back to school after fifteen or so years, and finally get into the EMT/Paramedic program.

i am a displaced factory worker with a bit of history in health care. my dad was a bad diabetic who didn't take care of himself, from the time i was seven until he died when i was fifteen, he was almost total care at home. in my early twenties, after a stint working in the mortuary, i was a first responder back home in Missouri, and was encouraged to go on to EMT, but i didn't feel at the time i was responsible enough to handle the job. instead i became a CNA at a few nursing homes for over eight years. during this time, i really began to have a desire to work on an ambulance to help people out. towards the end of this eight year run, my mother fell into poor health, and would have died at home if not for our local paramedics. this sealed the deal for me. i wanted to do this. unfortunately, i couldn't afford it because of helping mom pay her bills since she could no longer work, and my belief that i couldn't get a student loan.
due to the need for more money, and medical insurance, four years ago i went to a local printing factory here in Iowa.

well, we were shut down this year, and due to being a displaced worker, and being reliable on bills and credit, i have been given grants and got a decent student loan, all on top of a good stretch of unemployment coming up, i can finally get back into school to do the program. i am incredibly excited about this. i'm taking some basic Summer classes started this Monday, and beginning the EMT certificate stage of the program in August.

i am looking forward to reading and learning much here from the experienced professionals. thanks for having me, and allowing me to ramble on.

Dearing

Welcome to EMTLife!! Glad you made it!!

 

[airman1stclass]

Im VERY VERY new to all this!

Hey there all. My name is david and i'm currently going to school in Prescott AZ to become an Airline Pilot!

I know I know....NOT an EMT.... But stick with me.

Over the last year or so I have had an idea for a movie centered around an EMT in Miami. I don't want to give the story away for obvious reasons of idea theft and what not, but I have made it my summer project to story board my movie, and write up a decent script.

I know nothing about the ins and outs of EMT's and paramedics other than you call 911 and you guys show up.

I'm not looking for bloody storys of sadness and death, i just want to know what a normal day in the life of YOU guys is.

Where do you stay when you don't have a call?
Do you always get the same ambulance?
How long is your day?
What can you do on your down time (on the clock).

You know...stuff like that!.

Any info is good info. ^_^ Thanks for your time, and I look forward to learning more about your feild....btw...if anyone has any questions about being a pilot...I'm here for ya! LOL.

Thanks again!

David-

 

[HotelCo]

Where do you stay when you don't have a call?
Do you always get the same ambulance?
How long is your day?
What can you do on your down time (on the clock).

In the ambulance at post or at the station, depending on where you work.
No, you don't always get the same ambulance. (Private doesn't anyway)
12 hours
During the down time (there is a lot): Sleep, eat, go on the internet, watch a movie on the laptop, chat with your partner(s).

Being an EMT isn't all that exciting most of the time. There is a lot of downtime. Every call isn't a true emergency either. You'll see a lot of "I've had this pain for 3 months, I thought it was time I called someone" or the ever popular "Nausea and vomiting for 1 day"

 

[Sapphyre]

the ever popular "Nausea and vomiting for 1 day"

HAHAHAHA, ONLY 1 day?


I stay in the rig, we "post" on street corners.
I usually get the same ambulance, but, not always.
LOTS of downtime, it's spent studying, watching movies on the laptop, cruising the internet, sleeping, talking to my partner, chatting it up with ER staff, knitting, whatever we can do to keep busy.
My day is officially 11.5 hours, I RARELY get off on time.

 

[HotelCo]

HAHAHAHA, ONLY 1 day?

Yep. had quite a few of those during my clinicals.

Had one girl come in for Abd pain x 10 minutes. The entire nursing staff was mad at her... until they later found out she really did have something wrong. (I want to say appendicitis) and she had to be rushed to surgery.

 

[swharto]

Hello all,

My name is Seth. I have worked a lot of different jobs over the last ten years, but I have never really felt like I belonged in those fields. I am in the process of moving cross country and I am looking to pursue a career working in the EMS field after I move to Colorado.

I have been lurking on this forum for a little over two months, and have already learned a fair amount. I am excited to pick all of your brains!

 

[RedMed]

Self-employed makeup artist and hairstylist for fashion, tv and events; mom of 2 boys 7 and 14. At age 34, going back to school full-time for pre-med. Always wanted to be in medicine, but life took over and made $ with my talents. I help people feel good about themselves from the outside in. I now want to make people feel good from the inside out. Currently an EMT student and will hopefully be certified by July. This will give me great hands-on experience to apply to med-school. It is really scary but I love challenges and I have a very supportive husband and family. Happy to have found this forum.

 

[RedMed]

hey airman1stclass, I'd like to jump out of a plane.

 

[armywifeemt]

Hello!!

I'm Kaleigh. I'm a 21 year old army wife. I got my Firefighter 1 certification in Ohio about two and a half years ago (120 hours) and completed my EMT-B class in the spring of 07. Due to a series of... shall we say, insane, events, I am now scrambling to try to finish my certification up.. So it remains to be seen if and when I will actually be an EMT-B.

I hope to be a paramedic at some point, and my end goal is care flight.

That said, if anyone knows if there are any services that specifically do pediatric care flight, and if so what is required to work in that field, I'd appreciate all the information I can get.



-Kaleigh

 

[Lunah]

We've flown babies to Children's Hospital in DC -- they have SkyBear:

http://www.childrensnational.org/De...spx?Type=Dept&Id=6032&Name=Transport Medicine

That is the only peds-only transport I'm familiar with. I would guess that some PICU/NICU experience would be a prerequisite.

 

[VFFforpeople]

Welcome to the newcomers glad to have you!