Just Plain Ruff

Well I usually tell them, I'm not sleeping I'm dreaming in style Or "But sir, it's 11pm in australia"

our protocols are iF they need to be restrained then you do it. If my safety is in jeopardy I'll either jump out of the ambulance and wait for Law Enforcement or do the restraints myself. I'm not gonna put my safety at risk for a protocol.

Thanks on the FYI I don't have one of those types of phones so I wasn't sure. Thanks I never have my phone on when I am working, I turn it on when I know I have a break. It is second nature to all of us to grab our phones or pagers when they go off and unfortunately a lot of times we will grab the phone, it's just a matter of habit. I have had to tell a partner or two to turn off the phone or not answer the phone when on scene and also while driving. I'm not about to become a statistic.

I dispatched for a small county 911 system about 25K 911 calls a year. Of my 1 year of service there I answered about 2700 calls and I can count on both hands the number of pranks. Either Detroit has a lot of jokers out there or this dispatch center is in big big big trouble. I'm appalled at how this was handled by the 911 center. 2 calls from the same number about a passed out patient. Sounds like the same dispatcher also. 2 calls to me from same number and same emergency would have resulted in an ambulance or at least the pd Very poor form on behalf of Detroit 911

///Rant on AJ STEP AWAY FROM THE KOOLAID i just don't understand AJ you obviously have been on this site before and you have obviously read the posts here before. The advice I saw a lot of people give you was really good advice and now you come back all insulted and such and basically tell us all off. You asked for advice, if you didn't want to hear it then that's not our problem. As for the keying up your boyfriend or him keying you up that makes it sound like you have one of those walkie talkie type phones. Well in my opinion those are even worse cause you cannot put those on vibrate. During calls and not during calls when the phone gets keyed up then that's annoying. You say you are serious about your boyfriend and you want to get our advice on what to do with the time that you have together. I'd cherish the time you have together. EVERYONE on this site knows that it can all be taken away in an instant. AS for the turf war or fighting between the companies, you are surprised that some people in your company have a problem with you helping out the other service. You have to realize that the rivalries between services are pretty significant and you helping out the other company could be considered bad form. You have heard your fellow EMS'rs and they have made it known that you are not toting the company line or the unwritten rule that you don't fraternize with the "enemy" and you could be out on your ear before you know it. I am sure that your boyfriend going over to the other side pissed a lot of people off and I am sure that there is a lot more behind your boyfriends not advancing in the company than what you told us. I can imagine what those things are but I am not about to speculate or put them here cause like you said in your nasty little post that "I don't know you and you don't know me" (address to Island) so let's not go there. So in synopsis ---- (to make a long post short ---- too late) you came here for our advice, there are a lot of people who have been in EMS a hell of a lot longer than you have and we all have much more experience than you in these things than you and you tell us to go gargle with 9 gallons of concrete. Before you open a "Can of worms" like you said, be sure you pick the right can. ///rant off

I agree, working an obviously dead patient leads to major questions on your ability to function as a medic. Obvious signs means just that, obvious As for emotions getting into this. You have to be professional and not let your emotions get in the way. If we all let our emotions get in the way we'd be very bad but caring caregivers. For example: you have a 3 year old patient, screaming and saying please don't hurt me, and you are goin to start an iv on him. He needs it due to vomiting and dehydration. Are you gonna let your emotions rule and not start the iv cause the child is crying and screaming not to do it or are you gonna start the iv. Emotions play a role in EMS but to let your emotions rule you and work an obviously dead body, it doesn't matter adult or ped, is a dangerous road to go down. CRY after the fact, get help if needed but to work an obvious is just plain STUPID AND DUMB If you started to work an obviously dead patient and transported them into the ED you would get the award for Dumbest Medic in the world for that day. You would also be reported to your ems director for remediation.

Here's what I've done in the past. Most of the time my partner and I are the only ones that are gonna be there. Maybe 1 Police but usually not. So, this is how we do it. Put all the junk on the cot, monitor, o2, jump bag, and whatever else we need. Run the cot with all the stuff on it to the door or to the patient. Now if you have fire monkeys and such then by all means use them to get the cot for you but........... many times you don't have a fire monkey to get the cot for you. The other benefit of taking to cot to the door or patient is that you don't have to lug all those pounds of equipment and mess up your back.

VS that was the best post I've seen out of all the posts here.

Well personal experience here. Call on a 8 month old non breather, found between the bed and the wall - stiff as a board PD there first, we were about 3 minutes out - CPR Started by PD PD ran to the ambulance and gave us the kid WE just put the kid in back, had 3 medics and driver so there were three of us back there. WE worked the kid to the ER and called her about 20 minutes after arrival WE worked her because cpr was started and we didn't see the child prior to arrival Another kid we did not work was the one we found in the crib, parents there, screaming for us to save their baby. The child had obvious signs of death, livor, rigor etc. Parents threw a fit, yelled screamed yet when we got them calmed down they understood why we didn't work thier little angel It was one of the hardest call of my life cause I knew the parents YET we didn't work the child cause it was fruitless.

IF you failed by one question then you got enough questions wrong to fail. Test is 100 questions passing is 80 percent That means you got 21 questions wrong so you did not fail by one question. You failed period. But that said, you are responsible for your own destiny and if you take the test more than like 3 times then it might be time to look into a different destiny. Sure you can be a good provider but you gotta pass first.

I treated a co-worker who was really dehydrated. Put in 2 vials of MVI and started the IV. Ran the iv wide open and BAM WHAM hives, short of breath and full blown anaphyllaxis. Nearly coded and killed him. Needless to say you can be allergic to anything. Suspect it was the dye in the MVI but never can be sure.

Was there anyone in the class you didn't particularly like. You could take this opportunity to take some frustrations out on that person without repurcussions ha ha If the patient condition allows then I always started the IV in the house. Never outside on scene but in the house and if the patient could tolerate it in their condition then I'd start it in the house. Like said above, it's all in how the patient presents. I never delay transport to start an IV but there are times.

Basic2be, there is a perception of professionalism that we have to really work hard to keep. IF you are just talking on the phone during breaks then it's not that bad but Youv'e said you are new and your boyfriend is new. I am sure there is a lot for you to be learning, such as protocols(they need to be like second nature to you) and you need to be able to cite them in your sleep I'm sure you can learn the map book a little better. And also education to continue your career. I agree with the other posters here that 6 times or more is a bit excessive. If your bf has already been talked to then his company has noticed a problem already and he's been there like what a Month or less? It also appears from your post that your partners or co-workers consider your boyfriend to be a "turncoat"(only term I can think of right now) and that is more than likely the impetus behind their comments to you.

You have some good points that I wholeheartedly believe and agree with you on yet there are other's I don't. I don't agree with your abortion stance, the welfare stance and another I can't remember cause I don't see it right here. Oh well, I can support you with a grand ole WHOOOO HAAAA Good luck my friend.

Unfortunately your relationship already is suffering, which is unfortunate. But it's not a lost cause at all On your day's off spend it together. If you don't get days off together then spend the time between your shifts together. If it is meant to be it will happen but EMS is a hard life on relationships and many fail. I wish you luck. spend the little time you have together and cherish it. Just be glad you aren't travelling 4 days a week and your sig other works the other 3 days. It's hard but it works.

MORE MORE MORE MORE please thank you

I didn't know that about inapsine. It's been a very long time since I've been in the ED where we used it almost exclusively for nausea and vomiting. We NEVER had an issue with Inapsine so it never came up. thanks for the update. take care

I hate to say this but did you go to Amazon.com and do a search or do any legwork before you asked it here? Plus you posted the same exact question in two different places. Not to put you down but it took me about 30 seconds to search for NREMT study guides and I found approximately 10 links in answer to your question. Did you go to www.google.com and do a search on these terms NREMT study guides Here is one result of many searches that took me all of 10 seconds to do http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_...0study%20guides It's amazing what can be found by using google

It cannot hurt to have a degree. If the job selection is between you and another person and all things equal except that one of you has a degree and the other doesn't then the one with the degree is going to get the job. As for supporting yourself on EMT basic salary or wages, I'd bet not. With many of the EMT jobs out there paying 6-10 bucks per hour that doesn't pay much. Let's look at the math 8 bucks and hour(just picked this number) at 48 hours per week gives you 18K per year. Now take 30 percent for taxes (not sure if this number is right but lets assume so) you get 13000 per year take home pay Rent 400 per month = 4800 Utilities 200 = 2400 Gas/food and such 300 per month = 3600 Other items not mentioned or thought of = 500-1000 Total 11800 You now have 1200 left to spend. Not much and that's per year or 100 per month NOW if you live with your parents or what not then all the above is a moot point.

I hate to say this but did you go to Amazon.com and do a search Did you go to www.google.com and do a search on these terms NREMT study guides Here is one result of many searches that took me all of 10 seconds to do http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_...0study%20guides It's amazing what can be found by using google

I worked for a small rural ems system and had this call one day. On arrival found a 65 year old male face down on a concrete cinder block from approximately 40 feet from a tree. The patient was trying to trim some branches on his trees after an Ice storm and had three ladders jury rigged together to get to the top branch of the tree. (ironically his son was a tree trimmer for the local power and light and the patient was told not to do anything until his son got there that afternnon) Basically the patient made a perfect landing on this cinder block with one of the short edges of the cinder block at the top of his sternum and the other end below his xiphoid process. I don't think he could have landed any better or more perfect. We ascertained that this was a trauma code and did inline c-spine support and turned him over and off the cinder block. Rapidly intubated this patient, CPR and the whole works and full spinal precautions Transported to the ED, code 3. About 3 minutes into the transport we noticed that we were getting both chest rise and abdominal rise with pretty significant abd distension. I checked the Tube and it was thru the cords. We heard excellent breath sounds Bilaterally and original pulse ox was 99% with intubation, 30 and below pre-intubation. Abdominal sounds with ventillations were heard also. We decided to leave the tube in and drop a NG tube to evacuate some air which we did. Got him to the ED and they re-intubated him and got the same results as we did in the ambulance. What is happening to this guy???????? By the way, he was pronounced about 30 minutes into the treatment at the ED after a thorough eval and trauma workup by the Level II trauma center.

I have extensive experience with Inapsine. This is one of the best drugs out there for nausea.

Obvious signs of death -NOPE NOPE NOPE unless like posted above Your job is now to take care of the parents. Do whatever you can to comfort them. Take it from one who's been there many many times, your job is no longer the child but the parents. Call whoever they need, transport the parent or parents to the ED if needed for medical care if they require it (eg chest pain, anxiety meds). No-one knows what it's like to lose a child until it happens to them so the parents are your key responsibility.

ok, I'll take the suspension out of the picture but You cannot go back and suspend or reprimand all the people who were on the truck from Friday on because you were the one who noticed it and decided to to say something and then let it "slip" your mind. The buck stops here so to say. All you needed to do was say, "We're out of service, equipment issue" and drive back to the station and replace the monitor and then get back in service. surely your crew isn't the only ambulance on the street. You could have even requested a supervisor to come replace the monitor. So I stand by my statement that you are the one who is responsible and you are the one who failed to report it so you are the one who will be punished over this. I know it sucks but that's the way it is.

I'm sorry but I think I stand behind management. You noticed the faulty wiring and didn't report it. Even though it did not affect that patient's care you were on when you noticed it, it DEFINATELY, I repeat Definately could have affected the next patient who might have been in need of your defib/monitor. What if the person who needed the monitor/defib was a 3 month old patient. I cannot condone your actions, you saw a problem yet did NOT report it so I stand behind Management's decision. PUt yourself in the shoes of a patient, take your father for instance, your machine didn't work or had a faulty wiring that you knew about but didn't report. Think of it in that term. You can fight your suspension, bring up the FF's comments yet in the end, you and your partner were wholly responsible for this turn of events. If I was a supervisor, you'd have gotten 3 days off for it. This could possibly be reported to the FDA as a adverse event and that is not a good thing.