Siffaliss

My office is my entire city. I can be outside on a warm, summer day and not stuck in the same place all the time.

Good point. In support of this treatment, I have been seeing the same chiropractor for over 16 years. There are risks with any form of treatment provided by any type of practitioner. I have a good one.

I only ever watched one episode and thought it was one of the most retarded shows I've seen. The one where the veteran steals the helicopter and the girls in the tight flight suits with their boobs hanging out were all worried. I'm sure that not everyone who watched that show and knows very little about EMS thinks all chick medics are sluts ...

What was the onset of the neck and shoulder pain? Did a headache accompany the other s/s? If so, was it described as sudden onset and "worst ever"? I'd like to see the 12 lead too How did the vitals progress? Did the BP vary from arm to arm? Did he end up bradycardic? Any decrease in LOC over time with EMS? Sounds like a good one for several differentials. My pharmacological interventions would depend on the 12 lead ... more info now please

Stick with it. School seems like it takes a lifetime but it doesn't last forever ... After over a month of practicum and work with no days off since January 25 asides from the one sick day I took on February 9 to study for an exam the next day (ask emtannie about that), I'm really just trying to maintain a positive attitude. Recharging is totally the right idea, and I have already made plans for that starting May 4th with a (only) week long trip to southern California. School is a complete bitch, however it is a means to an end and as I previously said, I fully intend to travel and work. As the "stubborn type A don't stop until I got what I want" kind of girl, I'll be seeing that through to the end. After school is all done and the final level of EMS is reached, I've seen dozens of my friends and co-workers do just that ... "Holy crap, what do I do now?" and just sit back and take it easy (whatever easy is for you). I may have underestimated school just a tad, but I have a healthy respect for what it will be allowing me to do within a few years.

ANI / ALI = Automatic Name Indicator / Automatic Location Indicator

I've only been in for a little over 4 years now, but this is what I take comfort in as I further my career ... I know that I will never have seen it all and still have a lot to see. Sure the requirements of a "good call" are always going up, but there is always something else to see. Sometimes it's hard to find something interesting or funny about a call that's really pissed you off. I enjoy talking to most co-workers because I know they've probably done it too, and at least we can laugh about how pissed off we were (usually). Very important to find an outlet for stress. Sure we know a lot of us have a drink or two after work, but this can't be the only thing. I took up skydiving and find myself totally de-stressed after a day or two of jumping. The money I make doing what I do allows me to do the fun things I like to do. I like a lot about where I work now, but I hate a lot too. Can't please everyone! I really enjoy most of my co-workers, which makes a HUGE difference. Dunno what else to say.

I am closing in on the finish line for my second year of paramedicine studies, and yes, have made a career out of this. Once I am done and comfortable with skills at the ALS level, I intend on travelling and working. As you've seen so far and will continue to see, there are widely varying opinions on this. Perhaps my opinion evolves from only being in the field for 4+ years now. Perhaps it's because I've wanted to do this for a long time. I can't predict precisely how I'll feel or where I'll be in 20 years. As it stands right now, I can see myself retiring as a paramedic. Maybe not humping stretchers the whole time but who knows ... really, the future is mine.

Sure, however more so from the government. Should we take a poll on how long it takes for the provincial government to get their hands into regulating as ACP does, providing nobody in EMS here votes in the next election and the current party stays in power?

Not yet. However, if we end up getting dumped into one of the four functional units (as we can't have our own, and lab techs understand OH SO MUCH of what we do and deserve the same contract), HSAA can and will use the dues we pay to them to fight CUPE. ... and if the worst is realized and we are soon a part of HSAA, this is what SHOULD happen. You've got that right. If we are to be in one provincial union, why not be represented by those who understand what we do because they do it themselves? EMS knows what EMS needs. Bye bye Conservatives ...

That episode hasn't aired yet ...

Nope. It's not a technical part of the EMT curriculum. 12 lead placement is something we've learned on car with a paramedic partner. There's nothing to say that a paramedic can't teach their EMT partner to set them up; I've done hundreds even prior to starting as an EMT-P student as my partner is always a paramedic. It's obviously a non-invasive procedure, and I think our medical director would expect it to be something to learn how to do as our service is 100% ALS. Can an EMT who knows how to interpret 12 leads legally base their treatment on what they may or may not see on that ECG? Like using nitro on an RVI? No, as interpretation is not yet in our scope.

Alberta EMT's don't currently have 12 lead interpretation in scope, however it is being looked at.

A vast majority of people on this site have more than a day of experience in the field, some for probably longer than I've been alive. When you've been in it for just long enough to know that bringing work home with you isn't healthy, why would someone bring work home with them? There's a website that broadcasts all radio transmissions where I work. How that's entirely legal, I don't know. I don't really care much either. I for one do not have a life right now, as work and practicum are taking up literally ALL of my time. The few precious hours away from work and radios that I do have, would certainly not be spending listening to work and radios. Most who post here are actually pretty nice but if you can't get used to the A-type personality that is 98% of EMS, then perhaps you should find a different industry. There was feedback posted, you just didn't like most of it and chose to act like a twit. Have fun with your little scanner

Personally, I think that's just sloppy and perhaps laziness on the part of the EMT's dressing themselves like that. It's not a fashion show, however some care has to be taken in our appearance as we are after all in the public eye. We should look professional. As for services that require employees to buy their own uniforms ... I wish there was a way around this. I've worked for places that dictated this and it got expensive, especially when the wages weren't all that great. Fortunately, basic uniforms/jackets/boots/safety gear are provided to me now. As for anything extra such as insulating winter clothing etc etc, we are responsible for that ourselves. There is however a way to tax deduct that stuff ...

Whenever you read this Mike, I know you'll be up and running again as soon as possible in the big kleenex box on wheels. We still have to work together again one of these days! Get yourself better soon buddy!

You and me both Annie.

I'm not a huge fan. It's not as clear cut as I'd like it to be for EMS only, and I have never once read that "interchange" that goes around once a week or whatever it is. There's always a picture of some nurse or lab tech, and never anything related to what we do. I simply delete it anytime it comes it and only log into the AHS site if I'm required to.

The wide awake drunk as someone already said. Anyone ever had a Jagerbomb? Or several? Terrible feeling the next morning ...

Hehehe ... breakfast at Denny's at 330am, several cups of coffee and a strawberry milkshake ...

Doesn't really matter to me Hey no prob, I should be running into him in the next couple of days at work. It's been a couple years but he might still have some inside info that might help to stop you from running around in red tape circles! I'm considering working and travelling when I'm done school in a year. Don't know where yet, somewhere warmer than here in the winter! My dad is American and lives near San Diego and I have relatives in other parts of the state too. Please let me know how things end up going for you as I had also considered Cali.

There are also several other provinces Kiwi. Which one are you in again? As for the original poster, I work with a paramedic who came from CA to Alberta. Let me know if you would like me to get some information from them. Yes but, even the weather in northern CA is nicer than where I'm at year round It is however nice to have the health care I do. That will probably change with the decade however, but that's a discussion for a more political section of the forum ...

ahahahahahahahaha

First call was in a rural area; a 28 year old miscarrying twins at 13 weeks in her bathtub. Blood++ and feces all over the place (including her). She was freaking out and in a lot of pain so wasn't walking. We carried her down the two flights of stairs on a stair chair to the ambo. She was 300lbs and flailing her arms so it was a bit of a task. The miscarriage happened en route to hospital, and when we arrived the nurse moved the frac pan onto the table next to the patient's head of all places. I ended up trapped between the bed and the crash cart and nowhere to turn. The nurse didn't see my non-chalant efforts to get her attention and move the thing into the sink, so the patient eventually turned her head and saw what was in the container. We did a psych transfer with her into the city two days later as she tried to kill herself ...