reaper

Take it>> I like the Moon! Leave a new computer!

Leave it>>> don't need one :evil: Leave one chewed up tennis shoe.

Most states that have trauma criteria, list any penetrating injury to the torso as a major trauma. On that basis alone, it would be an ALS call.

Had one like this that I brought in a few years back. Except the stab wound was right front chest, around 4th intercostal space. Vitals WNL, LS=clear,Pt A&Ox4, no signs of distress.

When we arrived at the ED, the Dr. proceeded to rip into us about this not being a trauma alert. He stated that the wound was superficial and the pt was fine. When we moved pt to ED bed, he crashed. They had to crack his chest in ED and rush him to the OR. Come to find out that the knife had nicked the Aorta and ripped open, when he was moved.

I was just happy that it held till he was at the ED. But, the ED Dr. did come an apologize to us, for jumping down our throats! Never see that happen again! :shock:

Leave it.... could get me in trouble!! Leave one bag of onions!

Leave it... I like straight lines!! :twisted: Leave a kid rock cd.

Here is how I handle these calls. Do your assessment. If she is not going to be transported, then have her sign a refusal.

Now you go 10-8 on scene. You take a little time to talk to them, help them with something they may need. Get them a drink or make them a sandwich. It may be all they have had to eat today! If you get a call, you leave.

There is no reason to run back to the station, to watch TV. Take some time to talk to someone that may not have anyone else. It makes their day and that is a big deal.

This is community service and that is part of EMS.

We used to have one that called everyday. She just wanted someone to talk with and help her out. All of us knew what she needed. We setup a plan. everyday someone from the crew would stop by on their way to work. They would spend 20-30 minutes talking with her or helping her with something. Guess what, she quit calling 911 everyday.

It was very little time out of our day, to help someone out. I even took my son there on my day off, to cut her grass. This old lady died a year later, but she was happy when she went.

I guess I am rambling. What I am trying to say, this part of EMS, you just need to find a way to work it out. Find a way that your partner can help, without tyeing up the system.

Kaisu,

If there are other job opportunities in your area, I would explore them. This system sounds like it is outdated and does not really care about catching up.

It is up to you, but if something happens, they will leave you out to dry. The service and the people will cover their own butts, before covering yours!

Take it! Leave copies of what's on the hard drive!

I have started at services where the FTO's had been medics for 1-2 years. They will try and tell you how to do your job and that is not their job. As an FTO you are there to guide new hires through policy and procedure. You are not there to teach them to be a medic.

If she follows the dept. guidelines for report writing, then she is fine. It is not their job or right to tell her to shorten her narrative.

You will get veterans that don't like change. They don't like women in EMS, they don't like a medic that never worked as a basic and they don't like new outsiders. To them, I would say "GO TO H**L" If they can't handle it, retire. I love getting new medics on my truck, it is a chance to further their job skills and teach them the ways of the street. Plus, they are not burned out and bitching all the time. They actually enjoy coming to work and dealing with Pt's. :wink:

Just learn to stay away from the privates!

Kaisu,

If you feel confident in your PCR skills, then write it. This is your call and your legal document. No one can tell you how to write it.

As far as Pt care, trust me, you will make mistakes. As long as you learn from them, you will do great. Keep it simple and look at your protocols, if you need to.

Ignore the others and be yourself. If you make a mistake, that actually matters, fess up and accept responsibility for it. That is all you can do!

Someone has to tell the Pt "you screwed" I guess I'm the best choice! :twisted:

That's my calling card! :twisted:

I think that we need to create a whole new educational system and EMS system.

I would like to see EMS do away with EMT training all together. At a minimum I would like to see a 4 year BS degree as the entry point of EMS.

When you start school, you are fresh, no prior training. You start with one year of class room work. After the first year, you can receive a student permit to work PT on an ambulance as an attendant ( similar to an EMT). The second year is a mix of class work and clinicals. Third year is advanced class work and advanced college classes. Fourth year would be a mix of major clinical time and advanced classes in management, leadership, and writing skills.

By the time you graduate, you have a BS degree in Paramedicne. You are prepared as a leader and able to handle management problems of a profession.

This setup would provide an educated professional, who has ample clinical time under their belt. This will give them the experience that they need to work the streets, without having to take time off from their education. The student permit would allow the student to earn a living and also gain more street experience. The difference would be the fact that they now have a year of college education under their belt, before they hit the streets.

If we were to setup a system like this now, the majority of the problems would be weeded off the streets, within 10 years.

Now for a system like this to work the EMS community would have to realize that they will have to pay a wage which is equal to the education. I see in a range of $25-40 an hour. That would be the biggest hurdle to over come.

Feel free to add or revise with your thoughts of a good degree setup. I am just tired and rambling!

Come on guys, I figured this thread would be 20 pages by now. Lets here your point of views!

I think you should be able to write your narrative how you want, within reason.

I personally do not use a lot of medical terms in my PCR. I like for anyone to be able to read it and understand what went on and how I treated. I have found that this keeps me out of the lawyers bulls eye.

They love to tear apart a PCR's!

I say, NO medics reply until there are at least 20 posts. I would be interested in the EMT's point of views!

Oh please let me show off a couple of our larger FDs!

Miami-Dade

http://www.miamidade.gov/mdfr/emergency_stations.asp

I bet the majority of the applicants already had their medic mill cert in hand.

Palm Beach County

Please check out the station/apparatus "showcase".

http://www.pbcfr.org/stations.asp?view=text

And then we have Broward County (Ft. Lauderdale) which has created another breed of FR under the SO.

http://www.sheriff.org/about_bso/dfres/

Bigger is better?

Vent, Do you remember when it was Broward county EMS?

They had a good system then.

Just from Orlando, south!

Do you even carry the needle and clip, to do it?

Take it.. No waste leave the peal from that banana

Leave it.. Hate that purple monster Leave a sponge bob DVD

Leave it.. gas hog Leave one nice yellow raincoat

That's Mr. Reaper!

Leave it.. I think I'll know how it ends! :shock: Leave the video camera that took it!