What is the worst rookie mistake you've seen

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MWN1998

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Curiosity here. What is the craziest, or dumbest rookie mistake you've either made or seen? And how did it affect the career of the person who made it, or the patient for that matter?
 
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I had just come off 3rd riding. On a transfer to Mass General one day I was pulling the stretcher out of the truck... the wheels were brought down but I held the trigger and the stretcher collapsed to the ground with the pt on it once the back wheels rolled off. It was right in front of a bunch of Boston EMS crews and of course everyone noticed and stared. I have never been so embarrassed in my life but my partner kept her cool. The patient ended up being no worse for wear luckily, and my partner talked me down in the truck after which helped me slow my brain down so I never made that mistake again. The pt never made a complaint to the home office luckily for me.

Bet your A$$ my partner had me practicing with just the weight of the gear bags and O2 before we left the MGH garage though hahaha.

-r
 
Every new hire (these were not new Firefighters/EMTs, just new to a department who ran a bus) who took the stretcher out in the bay to mop the back of the bus, we drop a call, they close the doors and we pull up to scene and magically discover that we don't have a cot.

I don't get it. Nobody ever forgot to back a hosebed or put the saws back after they were playing... uh I mean cleaning... them. But the stretcher that I need to put the dead person in the bus to drive to the hospital. We apparently didn't need that.
 
mgr22 said:
Dumbest rookie mistake? Thinking I knew more than I did.

How did it affect my career? Not much long term, but short term, probably convinced some of my partners that new medics should have longer internships.
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Also guilty of this
 
My first day rookie mistake ... trying to take a dump while on duty ... pinch and go! I suffered greatly that day.
 
mgr22 said:
Dumbest rookie mistake? Thinking I knew more than I did.

How did it affect my career? Not much long term, but short term, probably convinced some of my partners that new medics should have longer internships.
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Quoted for emphasis, and I’m also guilty of this. Also, humility will carry improvement on its shoulders your entire career, remember that.
 
Ditto on the thinking I knew more than I did stuff.

I did once watch a new EMT place a nasal cannula into a patient's eyes once though.
 
Tigger said:
Sits in the recliner.
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on my first day of FTO training to be a single role ambulance operator EMT at a fire department, I made the cardinal sin of walking around with a cup of coffee in hand...
 
mgr22 said:
Was the EMT trying to flush the eyes?
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Yeah that was my initial thought too. But I am guessing not in this case haha.
 
Jim37F said:
on my first day of FTO training to be a single role ambulance operator EMT at a fire department, I made the cardinal sin of walking around with a cup of coffee in hand...
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I’d never make it. I always have a cup of coffee with me.
 
NomadicMedic said:
I’d never make it. I always have a cup of coffee with me.
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Oh no, the sin wasn't drinking their coffee, it was merely having a cup of coffee in hand...you see even though I was a single role EMT and not a FF, I was still expected to behave like a probationary FF and I hadn't earned that luxury of being able to have a cup of coffee in hand inside station yet....
 
Lo2w said:
...got turned around and took the scenic route for an MI to the hospital.
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I definitely got on the highway going southbound instead of northbound once with an emergency :eek:
 
Gurby said:
I definitely got on the highway going southbound instead of northbound once with an emergency :eek:
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I mean my medic gave me a wrong turn at one point in the cluster but yeah I screwed up.
 
Jim37F said:
Oh no, the sin wasn't drinking their coffee, it was merely having a cup of coffee in hand...you see even though I was a single role EMT and not a FF, I was still expected to behave like a probationary FF and I hadn't earned that luxury of being able to have a cup of coffee in hand inside station yet....
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Wut. It be a problem if you weren't drinking coffee here I think. Need some caffeine to get through the new person process. Jesus.
 
Jim37F said:
Oh no, the sin wasn't drinking their coffee, it was merely having a cup of coffee in hand...you see even though I was a single role EMT and not a FF, I was still expected to behave like a probationary FF and I hadn't earned that luxury of being able to have a cup of coffee in hand inside station yet....
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