Tips for New EMT-Bs

Cavieat to cardinal rule 1:
If the police are on scene and say the scene is safe, the scene is really not safe, the police are engaged in a battle royale and they want you to come in and be the diversion...or the police are on scene, say the scene is safe, but fail to mention that the scene is now a crime scene, you enter scene and end up the centerpiece of a state police investigation for the enxt 18 hours!
 
All of these suggestions are very useful: it's been interesting to read through them [And to read through all sorts of discussions, having just joined this forum].
I've yet to put my WFR skills to use (FR training -- with a Wilderness addition making it 80 hours training); but I pretty much feel ready to be a lay rescuer any time, any place. I think I would feel comfortable. because I've followed what most of you advise: remember the ABCs of it all.

I'm not yet in EMS, not even enrolled to be in any sort of EMT training. Where I live, (Toronto, ON, Canada), the most basic level for EMS is as a "Primary Care Paramedic" which involves ALS protocals -- there are no EMT levels. So I may focus in other things in years ahead, and decide to look into EMS in years to come (and/or hope that volunteer BLS-level services are reintroduced here).
 
Great Thread

Everyone,
I have never seen a thread with some many great and honest tips.

Great job!

For someone knew to the service I am looking foward to learning more.

I have checked out other community forums but find this one the easiest and best one out there.

Thanks!
 
Just remember:

BLS before ALS

Dont over analyize anything or read into things, just treat what you can see.


take your books and use them as a paperweight, listen to the experence, not the book.



you'll be fine.
 
Thanks for all the advice. Just found this and it has been very helpful!
 
trauma1534 said:
Hello, and it is great that you have asked for advice. I am shift leader at my volunteer squad and I seem to get fresh new emts on my shift. I am also paid with two agencies and I see alot of fresh emts. If I may, here are a few tips.

1.) Always admit when you don't know something. When asked to take a set of vitals and you are unsure of your B/P reading, just say so... don't just make one up to try to impress your partner (they can read through it anyway!) Plus, I have been doing this for 11 years now, and sometimes I still don't hear a B/P perfectly... it never hurts when you are not sure to get a second opinion.

2.) ALWAYS remember, PATIENT FIRST! If someone on the scene offends you, or does something you don't agree with, DO NOT argue in front of the patient... save it until after the call and away from everyone else.

3.) Every chance you get, get in and get your hands dirty. Take that blood pressure, listen to those lungs, interview that patient. Learn to be agressive. Your partner will not let you screw up. They are there to help you, not intemidate you.

4.) The only stupid question is the one not asked. If you are not sure about something, or you are on a call and want to know more about the condition you are dealing with, if the AIC is not busy asking the patient questions, by all means, ask what you want, as long as it is appropriat in front of the patient.

5.) If any provider tries to intimidate you or put you down or blow you off because you are new, go to the next rank person over them. This is a time for you to learn, and not the time for that other BS. :angry:

6.) Help clean the truck after a call. Don't just twiddle your thumbs. :blink:

7.) When doing your ER rotation for class, find a nurse that is EMS friendly and learn all you can from her.

8.) Learn from your mistakes. :unsure:

9.) Good luck and most of all, relax! B)
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Great advice, thank you!
 
Medicgirli87 said:
Great advice, thank you!
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Thank you for the advice. I have just finished school and am testing next week for my nremt....But then I kept thinking about what was next and starting out in the field. This helped so much.
 
Also know where everything on the ambulance is and what it is used for. That way when its time to use something you know where it's at and not searching for it in the middle of a call.
 
Do as many ride outs as you can (and as many clinical hours in the ED) during and before your class.
Then remember that the way that things are in class and the way they work in the real world is 2 totally different ways of doing things.

Learn to do a good patient assessment, and do it on every patient; and your spouse, BF, family members, etc. Do them again and again and document them. My Basic class we had to do patient assessment every day on our lab partner, and write a run report on them every day. Great training. Also supposed to do 5 run reports on misc. people every week, not counting patients.
If you go to church borrow a baby from someone in the congregation; play with the baby, entertain the baby and do a patient assessment on the baby while you are doing so: yes you really do need to take a pulse on a baby in the upper arm, and you can really feel it there. (don't use your stethoscope during church, it tends to freak out the parents).

When you go to work: do a patient assessment on every patient, especially if you work for an IFT/Private service. Nothing worse than the crew that takes a patient back to the ECF from Dialysis and doesn't realize that the patient is dead, because they didn't do an assessment on the scene and during the transport (one crew had an hour long transport, ME figured the patient was dead for at least 3 hours). Oops

Do a full assessment on every one: ankle injuries doesn't need a full body Detailed assessment, but a good idea to check every thing lightly: that way the ED doctor doesn't find the head injury that you missed when the pt tripped and broke their ankle, but hit their head as they fell.
 
As a new EMT and working with a 911 service, from the new side, one thing I've found extremely helpful to me is talk things over with your partner...we run medic/emt trucks, so I have had the good fortune to have some pretty awesome medics to work with. Be honest with them-if you don't know something, tell them before runs, and talk things over. Some of the best advice I've gotten is talk to your medic before you catch runs, like a cardiac arrest, for example. Find out how they like to do things, and learn what they expect from you during runs like that. Even if you talk it over with them multiple times, it'll help:that way when you get on scene, you'll at least have an idea what to expect next.
Go over the truck, go through all the bags, all the gear. get hands on on every piece of equipment in the bags and truck every shift so you start learning where everything is. The added bonus to this is if there's something you're unfamiliar with, when you grab it doing a truck or bag check, it'll jog your memory and you can ask your partner what it's used for and even how to use it.
I know this has been said before, but don't ever fake vitals...if you can't get a bp, try it one more time if you have the time. if you still can't get it, tell your partner you cant get it and let them do it. The only thing you have coming into this field is your integrity...if you lose that right off the bat, you're screwed.

I'm not an experienced EMT. I haven't been doing this long at all, and everyone else whose posted before me has way more experience than I do, but coming from the new guy perspective, these are a few things I've found that have helped me as I'm starting out in this field.

Being prior military, one thing I carried over from my military experience starting out is the phrase "slow is smooth, smooth is fast". Don't rush things. Take a breath. Take a few seconds to slow yourself down and think about what your doing. As long as you get it right, they may be getting on your case to hurry up a bit, but a good partner isn't going to begrudge you the few extra seconds it takes you to calm down and get your **** together. It's a lot better that way than rushing around in a panic trying to hurry up and do stuff, then screwing it up and having to either do it again or have them do it themselves because you can't.
 
Don't stop learning! Some people prefer to learn skills they use for their service. Some prefer to learn about the history of their Fire Company or their Station. Some prefer to go to college or medic school. Some prefer to get the "alphabet soup" of add-on certifications. Whatever it is for you, hopefully you choose to do a little of everything, and a lot in the area you enjoy. The best in EMS are always learning! One of my bosses is in his 70's and has been a medic for almost 50 years. I still see him taking classes like the rest of us. He's wise enough to know that there's always something new to learn.
 
I made sure to look and did not see it. I got told once we have two ears and a mouth and one should do twice as much listening rather than twice as much talking.
 
AnthonyM83 said:
Hi everyone,

1st post.
I'm in the second have of EMT-Basic school in Santa Clara County, California. I was wondering what tips you experienced EMTs and Paramedics have for students or fresh out of school EMT-B's.

Areas to really concentrate studies on, things to do/not do to prevent annoying our partners, tips on clinical rotations in hospitals, real life skills not taught in the class? Or maybe just mistakes you made yourself!



Thanks,
Anthony
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My advising officer always emphasizes the importance of a proper and thorough pt eval.
 
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