Tips for New EMT-Bs

Originally posted by trauma1534@Oct 12 2005, 08:22 PM
I almost forgot the most important tip to cya, DOCUMENT... DOCUMENT...DOCUMENT... DOCUMENT, and when you think you have documented enough, DOCUMENT even more. :D
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the continuation..... CYA, CYA, CYA....

Jon
 
These are great tips, thanks. Hi, Anthony. I'm also in the Santa Clara Valley (Gilroy). I start my EMT-B training in 2 months; good luck to you.
 
coloradoemt & trauma1534 hit 2 VERY IMPORTANT matters here. AMEN to both! I have always told our new Emts that "you always have to document everything, because just 1 day it may all come back to haunt you in court" (Been there 5x myself) & the Driving aspect of it, what you do up front, they feel more in the back.

We had a MVA call here a few weeks back, (single MVA, rolled in a ditch, Driver ejected) upon crew & unit arrival, it was stated about a car seat being found inside the vehicle & the Pt was asked about it, answer was "He was the only one in the vehicle" (Thank goodness). Anyhow, upon our arrival, there was a lady holding CSpine & claiming she was a Medic from further down state. Anyhow, no one asked her afterwards for ID or numbers, but it was documented, along with the make/model of the vehicle, color, plate & registration also. Sounds rather stupid as 1 of our new Emts told me later that morning as we were doing the tripsheet to put all that in there. I waited until about an hour or so later, and asked him what color was the vehicle? He didnt know at all. I explained "Now, you see why I put it in the tripsheet, it is to CYA, especially mine."

Little details help out quite a bit.
 
Little details help out quite a bit.
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Sure, and they can work for you as well as against you in court...

~S~
 
Originally posted by Stevo@Oct 22 2005, 09:00 AM
Little details help out quite a bit.
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Sure, and they can work for you as well as against you in court...

~S~
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So very true,,but so far each time I have been to court it has helped. (Most were criminal cases IE: Homie shot Da'Jibber type)
 
?"Don't spend more than 30 bucks on any stethoscope, they are only as good as the person using it"?

Not true at all, yes you have to relax and listen, but the $100 Littman is really $100 dollars good! The Pediatric one in our ped's bag was useless on an infant call, but that littman made everything as clear as can be!

Our hick volunteer FD's ambulance has 4 on it, and we just finally got a $150 GlassMaster saw after years of begging. ($400 in stethoscopes were easier to get than a GlassMaster for our rescue engine)
 
Originally posted by hfdff422@Nov 4 2005, 01:44 PM
?"Don't spend more than 30 bucks on any stethoscope, they are only as good as the person using it"?

Not true at all, yes you have to relax and listen, but the $100 Littman is really $100 dollars good! The Pediatric one in our ped's bag was useless on an infant call, but that littman made everything as clear as can be!

Our hick volunteer FD's ambulance has 4 on it, and we just finally got a $150 GlassMaster saw after years of begging. ($400 in stethoscopes were easier to get than a GlassMaster for our rescue engine)
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You must run with my fire Co!

Same thing.... I pushed for 2 years to get a glasmaster on our rescue and rescue-engine. Ww have 1 littman clasic in the rig, 1 in the house bag, and 1 in each of 2 trauma bags, as well as 1 in each of 3 ambulance officer's cars.

but the "window kit" on the rescue was an old J-hook thing and a few other tools.

Jon
 
Like an axe, that was our window kit- to be fair, one of the members donated a punch to the engine and the ambulance has had a punch for a while (before my time). Departments are funny sometimes, we have an awesome hydraulic extrication cutter/spreader/ram set, but a member had to go and purchase a 2 1/2" nozzle on their own to have one for the engine.

The business of saving lives is too often awarded to the lowest bidder, and you are hard pressed to convince frugal people that something would be good to have until someone is hurt or killed or a call is blown because you dont have the right stuff.
 
Hey guys,

New to this discussion group. The advice/tips are excellent.

I also just joined a Volunteer Ambulance Corp and I start my EMT-B training in January. So for now, I am an observer, but I figure its the best way to get experience so I can hopefully learn some stuff from other EMTs and be knowledgeable in my EMT-B Class. It should give me a good headstart though.

I look foward to many more posts though!!
 
Welcome to EMTLife.com!! Where are you from?
 
:D :D :D Welcome Kyle! :D :D :D

You came to the right place, you'll get a lot of great info from this group, there is a lot of varied experience among all of us. Good luck in EMT-B class, how do you like it, and like Chimpie asked, Where ya from?

Hope to see you stick around. :D
 
Welcome to our own little corner of dysfunction.
 
I have to disagree with the stethoscope comment.. it is more of the user then it is the scope being used.
 
Hey

Sorry it took me so long to respond back.

I am from Schenectady, NY but I volunteer at Duanesburg Ambualance.

I have not started my EMT class yet, I start that in January, but I have received all the textbooks for the class. I have been looking over them and reading, hoping I can get a little ahead and know a good amount when I start the class from Volunteering and the textbooks.

I am always up for advice so if you have any just lay it on the table. I can also accept criticism, so you can lay that out on the table too.... lol

I see that some of the conversations can get a little heated between ALS and BLS.....!
 
here's a tip, ASSESSMENT...once you can do a good assessment, skill will follow. When I have paramedic students, I want to see a good assessment. You can teach a monkey to do skills..
 
Originally posted by ResTech@Dec 8 2005, 01:27 AM
I have to disagree with the stethoscope comment.. it is more of the user then it is the scope being used.
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I cannot agree with you on this. My wife bought me a Littmann Cardiology 3 for my B-day last year. I was not having any problems hearing out of my cheapy but the ease at which I can hear now is amazing.
 
Originally posted by ResTech@Dec 8 2005, 01:27 AM
I have to disagree with the stethoscope comment.. it is more of the user then it is the scope being used.
Click to expand...
I cannot agree with you on this. My wife bought me a Littmann Cardiology 3 for my B-day last year. I was not having any problems hearing out of my cheapy but the ease at which I can hear now is amazing.
 
Originally posted by ResTech@Dec 8 2005, 01:27 AM
I have to disagree with the stethoscope comment.. it is more of the user then it is the scope being used.
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I dont completely agree with your comment. I had a cheap scope for years and was doing fine with it. My wife bought me a Littmann Cardiology 3 for my B-day and it is amazing the difference in sound.
 
Welcome the group Kyle.
 
You ALL forgot this one:

CARDINAL RULE #1

IS THE SCENE SAFE???


BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

I cannot stress that enough!

That $100 littman ain't gonna mean snot if you're not able to use it because you're lying in a pool of your own blood after getting assaulted or shot by the pt or some other perpetrator on your scene after walking in on a drug deal gone sour or something.
 
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