snoopy911

alot of people at this service don't drive JP.

You haven't seen that before? Pretty much all medical supplies say that, ems and otherwise. I have been a phlebotomist for 5 years, and used to have to carry all my supplies in my trunk. The needles and tubes and stuff all had that physican warning on them. I don't think that it means you had an actual RX for it, but that it can't be sold to just anybody. ie: the lab could buy them but I couldn't go out and say hey I want to buy my own needles. But I am not entirely sure. But I have seen that warning on almost everything.

congrats baby ruff! how old is she now?

1.Maybe this is a stupid question, but I have no idea how to get a hold of my service's medical director. Being a basic, I haven't had any experience with medical control. Also, I don't remember patient names, but if i saw the paperwork I could identify it. We did a lot of calls that day that i discovered he was faking vitals. 3. Well I don't think I am being fired. They told me I can stay on as an EMT. I have to stay on until I find other employment, since i was hurt for close to 15 months and not working, and I need the paycheck. But i really don't want to work for this company, if this is how they respond to this type of stuff. I am really unsure of what to do right now. 4. Yup I have already figured that out! I have been employed around a month with this company. It is a company of about 480 employees. You would think they would take things like this seriously. Apparently not. Donkey balls, I AGREE!

Great post Ruff. I will fill you guys in on what has gone on since I wrote this first post. This whole thing has blown up in my face, and may end up being a much bigger deal then I ever dreamed. I reported to my supervisor about this whole business about taking vitals, and a few days later I was told I had to have a meeting with HR on what they told me was a unrelated issue. Apparently, it was not an unrelated issue. When they had asked my partner about whether or not he took vitals, he told them that I probably only said that because he told me that I was an unsafe driver. He reported to them that He felt unsafe with me driving. This only came out after I reported him for not taking vitals. He never said anything to me about my driving, and I have had no complaints from any of the other people I have worked with, and I have even had compliments from patients. I have had no accidents, haven't hit anything, ran any lights or broken any laws, not even hit a curb. But apparently at this company, driving liability trumps patient care, and I am suspended from the drivers list for 6 months, no questions asked. As far as I know, there has been no disciplinary action towards my partner. I am still shocked by this whole thing. I was told that I can continue to work there, as the attendant, and in 6 months I can petition to have my driving privledges reinstated. I have decided that I can no longer be employed there. Part of this decision because it is a really long commute, and I will no longer be able to be transferred to where they promised. The other part is because I refuse to be associated with a company that will stand for this. As far as I know, they didn't take my claims of my partner not taking vitals nearly as seriously as they took me "being a bad driver". All this happened Friday so I am still processing it all, but I believe I may have to take this issue further. I am really disapointed in how this whole situation is turning out. I apologize for the long drawn out run on sentences, as this whole situation is touchy for me and makes my grammar go out the window.

Ugh. Just the thought, grosses me out. Specially with my experience with it last week. I hadn't encountered anybody so far at work that chewed. But at my new job (must be a maryland thing lol), my partner and I were standing outside and he was dipping. And when he spit he wasn't paying attention and spit on my boot. I was NOT a happy camper! And yes when we got to the ER to pick up the patient, I made him clean my boot. There will be no more of that in my truck! I am getting the "heebie jeebies" just thinking about it. Good thing we had a call, cause I might have killed him!

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with HR over an unrelated issue. I think I am going to bring up the fact that i worked with a partner who didn't take vitals, and see where it goes from there.

Yes it is standard to take vitals. They have to be filled out on the state forms, and also on the forms for the companies. And we are talking about 2 diffrent things, what I am currently doing; mostly interfacility transports, with an EMT partner, and what I will be doing once i get my driving experience: Working with the Critical Care transport team for the peds hospital. Completely unrelated to my thread, but to what 4c said, One time in EMT school I had a slight heart attack, cause people had just gotten in trouble for faking vitals, and it was my final exam practicals. The "patient" was one of the instructor's father, he was about 83 at the time. When I took his BP and pulse, I was terrified to tell them what I had gotten, for fear that they would fail me. His pulse was around 44, and his BP was about 80/50 if remember correctly. After asking me if I was sure that was what I had heard, with a totally straight face, they explained. That is completely normal for him, and they always used him as the patient for that section, to weed out the ones that faked vitals. If you came up with 120/80 for him, you fail! But boy was I freaked out for a minute!

Ben you don't know how our CCTs work so... don't make me smack you! Just kidding! I get to do more then you think.

No timmy. I guess I didn't make myself clear. The critical care team consists of 2 RN's, 2 EMT's, and possibly a doctor or a respiratory therapist.

No, I am not actually sure that he can really take one. Do you think you could pass EMT school by faking it? He wants to start paramedic school in the fall. Scary! P.S. Don this is in MD not in PA, and alot of the EMT's at this company only provide and do not drive.

A driver's license. Not an emt license. I do not have to sign any reports or run sheets, since technically I am functioning as just a driver. In the state where I am working out of right now, with a EMT-B in the back, the driver is only required to be a first responder. So am not even technically required to be an EMT to drive for BLS, but of course I am. He is not my regular partner, I am not on the schedule yet, just asked to come in whenever there are open shifts. I really don't have a choice or an idea of who I am working with till I get there.

Are you crazy? I wouldn't let this kid babysit my cat, let alone drive me in an ambulance. Plus he doesn't have a license. Afraid to ask why not.

No he is definitely not pulling my leg. This is not the first incompetent behavior i have seen from him. He is literally dumber then a bag of hammers. The next patient, I made him take a BP, he whined and complained about it the whole ride home, said he didn't have a stethescope, didn't feel like getting all the stuff out for a 5 minute ride, every excuse in the book. He can't lift a stretcher properly either, and almost caused me to drop a patient, and i did throw my back out a bit. I don't have to sign any paperwork. I have nothing to do with any patient paperwork as long as I am "just the driver".

First some backround: I have recently started a new job, about a month ago. I will be working with the critical care transport team out of the local children's hospital. But since I haven't driven before, and I will be required to drive halfway, I am down at the company's corporate office getting some driving practice. Right now I am doing mostly interfacility transports, which I have not done before. I do have some 911 experience. Now here is my problem: I have worked with this same partner for 4 shifts now. After we load the patient, I usually shut the doors, he gets in, I get up front and start the truck. Put on my seat belt, and ask him if he is ready to go. I do this because I know some people prefer to get some of the paperwork and vitals out of the way before getting underway. From the beginning, he told me that I do not need to wait, that he is fine to do it while I am driving. Yesterday, After an extremely busy day of 7 back to back calls, we got a call to the NH that we were just leaving, to take a pt to the ER, emergency, no L&S, for hypotension. Upon arrival, the nurse stated that the patient had been having hypotension for about an hour, first BP being 90/50. Thirty Minutes later, it was 85/50. The patient stated she had been nauseas earlier in the day, and was feeling flushed now. When we arrived at the hospital, The charge nurse asked what her BP was on the way. My partner stated it was 100/50. The nurse said, oh good it came up, and walked away. My partner asked for her signature, gave her the paperwork, and she walked away. After the call, as we were making up the stretcher, he made a comment about the call being BS anyway, and it began a conversation that really disgusted me. He hadn't taken the patient's BP, or any vitals, nor does he ever take any vitals. He makes them up on the state forms, and he had lied to the nurse about the pt's bp. I was really upset. I asked him to explain himself, and he said its just a transport its not really important to take vitals, and he can't hear with all the noise. When I pointed out that i always give him the opportunity to do them before taking off, he just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I feel that what he is doing is wrong. I am just not sure what to do. Do i report this to a supervisor? I am afraid to make a big stink of this, as I don't want to be seen as the new girl that comes in and causes a ruckus. But I also want to make sure that my partner isn't compromising patient care! Some advice please!

Since the thread has already been resurrected, I figured I'd take a stab at it. I've recently been hired by a company and had to do a lift test. (Actually i start tomorrow! yay!) I had to lift the 2 different kinds of stretchers they have, with a 275 lb dummy on it. I had to lift it up and down, alternating ends, with a partner of course, and get it in and out of the ambulance by myself, with help with the wheels. After being out of EMS for over a year, and 2 shoulder surgeries later, I was really nervous, but I did it!

Very well said Herbie. Very sorry that i misunderstood, as a felony theft conviction is alot different. You could definitely try, as there is no harm in that. Honesty IS the best policy. The worst they can tell you is no. But those are things you want to tell the person giving you the interview. I don't know of ANY jobs, not just in our field, that don't require backround checks. But if you are upfront and honest, you may have a chance. I have a friend, who was convicted many years ago, of a felony, i believe he stole a fire truck while intoxicated one night. Anyway, that was the only charge he ever got, and he had proved himself to not be that person any more. After many years of education and experience, he is now the head of Medical Radiation and Oncology at a Hospital outside of Philadelphia. His record will never go away, but i know with him, being honest and upfront about his past helped him get his job.

Not all BLS in NJ is volunteer. As far as backround checks, you normally can't even join a fire company without a backround check. Not sure that you can even keep your certifications with a felony on your record. Most likely you would not be able to keep it, if NJ OEMS finds out. So i don't have any suggestions. With a misdemeanor, sometimes there are loopholes, but with a felony, you are most likely stuck; specially since it is a drug conviction.

I agree with kristina. Just keep doing what you are doing. I have struggled with no self confidence almost my whole life, and I still struggle with it greatly. Especially this week, having started a new job, and had to drive the ambulance for the first time. I doubted myself, and I was really nervous and upset. But when I backed into that bay, I was really proud of myself, and with some positive feedback from my instructor, I felt better. It's not just an issue of no self confidence, but I believe its a deep low self esteem, and it doesn't change overnight. But with me, I know that if the encouragement keeps coming, it makes a difference. And even if you don't see results right away, don't give up. Sometimes it takes time for your outward attitude to change. Good luck!

Thanks guys. I don't have NREMT yet, so haven't had any experience with that yet. But will be taking the test within the next week. Thanks for the info! Gotta keep everything straight!

Hey guys, just a quick question. I just got a new job, which requires me keep certifications in 3 additional states besides PA, which are MD, NJ and DE. Also National Registry, which I am in the process of getting. ( I am a basic). I know every state and NREMT require different amounts of Con ed. I took a con ed class tonight. My question is, how do i make sure that my con ed gets counted in all the states so I can keep up my certs? Can I just send a copy of the cert to that state? I asked tonight at the class, and no one knew. Thanks so much! I am still trying to get this all figured out!

Nope, to my knowledge, none of these are true. But that doesn't mean those should be your only reasons for volunteering!

The problem with NREMT, is that most states don't recognize it. 14 states for basic, and i think 41 for medic. If it allowed you to get reciprocity in any state, it would be great, but it doesnt. It basically allows you to apply for reciprocity, and then go through that states process. I am currently going through this process, as my new job requires certifications in 4 states, PA, DE, MD and NJ. Since I am originally certified in PA, i just have to worry about the other 3. NJ is just paperwork, since PA is part of the Mid-Atlantic EMS council. For Maryland, i had to take a 24 hour refresher course, then their practicals and written. For Delaware, I have to get my national registry, and then take a 24 hour refresher, and then their practicals and protocol exam. So how does the NREMT help me? DE is the only state of the 4 that recognizes it, and i still have to do everything over, even though it will be less then a month since my Maryland refresher course. What good is it? Also, without a state cert, NREMT is just a useless piece of paper.

Aaron you are a dork! luckily i have a laptop and i flipped it upside down to read that, cause im nosy and i didn't want to miss anything good!

You can't refuse care to anyone, no matter what. if you didn't that's neglect.. NO matter whether they are illegal or not, they still have right to care, just like every other person. (Notice i didn't say anything about a right to be in America, that's a different issue and I'm NOT going there.)