Jessi

I run in uniform as much as I can, but sometimes, it just doesn't happen that way. As for showing up in underwear.. not a chance. Like I stated previously, we do have minimum clothing requirements you have to meet to get on the truck. That's just that. Non-negotiable in my view. If you aren't presentable, you don't need to be on the truck. As for "completely filthy and at least don't stink."... I've had to deal with my share of very stinky providers... was not pleasant. And unfortunately... I've seen it happen. (not with my dept thank God.. but seen it happen none the less) We have strict rules about drinking/tobacco etc. You smoke? It's outside of the station and most certainly not on scene or in the truck. You dip? That's fine.. not on the truck (en route to a call or clearing it), not in front of the patient, not in front of the family, not during patient care, and not at the hospital. End of story. Drinking? No tolerance. No exception. *edited for the sheer fact that my brain was working faster than my hands*

DFIB: 1) So the fact that I don't show up in a sparkly uniform all the time and am a volunteer in a rural setting means that I'm "under-trained" and have no idea what my role is? 2) The fact that I have had to run a call in jeans and a t-shirt means that I'm unprofessional and that the patient isn't going to get the proper/good quality care? 3) Because I'm in a rural volunteer situation.. that means that I don't care for myself properly and don't have access to EMT classes? Not all rural volunteer EMS providers are rednecks that walk around with beer cans and a cigarette/dip in our mouth all the time with minimal training. We quite frequently have training at my station, we also have an EMT class in our county, and in a neighboring county.

That is what the ID badges are for. Not to mention the "Hello, my name is _____. I'm with the rescue squad. What's going on today?"

If you have signed up to be on duty that day/night OR it is your assigned duty night, then you WILL be in uniform. However, weeknights, our duty is 1800-0600. Anything during the day will be answered by either, anyone available, or by paid staff. Some of us respond to the station during the day to run calls, many times someone has just gotten out of class, or has just gotten off work. We may or may not be in "station uniform". We respond when we can. Most people are thankful just for that. If you are sick/injured/dying... is your first thought going to be "Damn.. they're not in a uniform." I.. highly doubt it.

My prayers and best wishes go out to all those involved

6 people on scene? Although I have seen it happen before here, it's usually a fire/wreck etc. Something that warrents that many people. As for my station, we're allowed to have up to 4 people on the truck. 1 driver, 1 AIC, and 2 trainees (given this is at the discretion of the AIC and the AIC, if they so choose, can have no trainees at all) As for yelling at an attending.. that's a no-no. Not only does it show how childish that person is, but it shows a blatant lack of respect to people who, contrary to popular belief, deserve it. As for the inappropriate/sloppy dress and appearance. I run at a volunteer squad, therefore, I may show up not in a uniform shirt, or wearing blue jeans. But I do make sure that I'm not completely filthy and at least don't stink. There are strict rules here that you have to comply with to be on a truck. I.E. No shorts, no sandals/open heeled or open toed shoes(no crocs and socks deal), no low cut shirts, no clothing with profanity or an inappropriate motto on them, and no "pajama" clothing. Common sense kind of stuff. If you arrive for your duty night, you need to be dressed in a station uniform. (Meaning ems pants, station duty shirt, and boots).. Etc, etc. Yes, I understand we all have rough nights. Yes, I understand that this is, by all means, not an easy job. Yes, I get that sometimes we're in bad moods and just don't want to deal with people. But keep in mind, we're here to HELP people. Don't take out your frustrations on the patient, the patient's family, or the ER/Hospital staff... how do you know they aren't having an equally crappy night/day? You need to relieve stress? Go to the gym, take a run, etc. We're in a profession that people look up to us for help and guidance. Please... remember the golden rule. It applies... to us especially.

I can honestly say it's NEVER happened with me. I am ridiculously OCD about my stretcher and my truck being clean.

First off.. you need to rethink what you're saying. Just remember anything you put on the internet, never goes away. Future employers will find your posts, and you will face the consiquences. Second, since when does sexual preference effect a providers ability? It doesn't. Third, you need to not even come near a patient until you're trained and certified. Reading a book, doesn't make you an EMT. It makes you dangerous. Heed the words of wisdom here. They know what they're talking about.

Harder to Breathe by Maroon 5

en route to the hospital you call and give your report to let them know what youre bringing in. when you give the nurse her last name she tells you that she had just been released a week earlier from the psych ward b/c of a similar episode. the bottles you had seen were the larger bottles(the ones that have 100+ pills) and since there were 2 (you guessed it) she's done it before the mom finally breaks down and tells you that she's been repeatedly trying to kill herself ever since her boyfriend broke up with her. there were no other drugs in the bottle other than the ibuprofen and although she took several ativan out of her moms purse the night before. no alcohol was involved you get her airway secured and get the seizures under control. no widened complexes are shown on the 12-lead. you turn her over to the ER staff and complete your report. you check in on her a week later and find that she's once again been admitted to the psych ward and wont soon be released.

There is no ETOH on board and she is becoming very incoherent. She says that there isn't anying numbness/tingling but her headache is getting worse and her vision is starting to get "fuzzy" and she says her stomach is hurting really bad. en route she becomes harder to keep awake. she's speaking to you in 2-3 words sentences and refuses to tell you if she has taken anything or not. she's on 15 lpm/ NR which brings her sats up to 96%. Vitals: BP- 108/66 P- 116 Resp - 12 labored, accessory muscle use noted skin - pale, diaphoretic Lung Sounds - wheezing is more pronounced She loses conciousness and starts to actively seize. what's next?

She is sitting forward in the chair (tripod position) and you start noting accessory muscle use. she isnt on any birth control medicines. no new cleaning materials in the home and they don't have carpeting. only wood flooring which has been in place for several years. the house as a CO detector which is showing normal amounts of CO in the air. no new rashes, lesions, or bite marks. she denies any use of recreational drugs. other than a couple half empty bottles of advil, you don't notice any other drugs in the house. No difficulty breathing before she went to bed. As you load her onto the stretcher you notice she is very unsteady, she says her stomach is starting to hurt and she has a really bad headache and thinks she going to be sick. she doesnt really seem to be oriented to time or where she is at anymore and is starting to become agitated. You are enroute to the hospital which is 25 minutes away. What now?

no smoking in the family. mother cant stand the stuff. no chronic lung diseases, no crying, no tingling in the hands or face. she seems "spaced out" and is very slow answering your questions. no arguments have taken place. the daughter was still asleep when the mother left to run errands. she left a note with the girl letting her know where she was in case something happen. when the mother returned home she found her daughter sitting in the chair having trouble breathing and called 9-1-1 her o2 sats are now down to 93%.

okay, so you get the mom under control. there is no history of any respiratory illnesses in either side of the family. no history of heart disease. no trauma is noted on the chest. mother said she had gone out to run a few errands and came back and saw her daughter sitting in the chair having a really hard time breathing. Vitals: BP- 116/70 P- 108 sinus tach Resp- 14, labored Breath Sounds- wheezing bilat. o2 sats- 94% RA Skin- pale, diaphoretic no medications, no history of chronic heart or lung disease, no history of anxiety attacks.

You are called to the home of a 23 y/o female with difficulty breathing. She lives with her mom who was freaking out upon your arrival. What do you want to do?

in order for that to happen, i need ppl to post. lol

You establish your line. Her voice doesnt sound hoarse but sounds weaker than when you first started talking to her. BP in all extremities show little variance, distal pulses are present but are now rapid and weaker than before. You note no JVD. O2 saturation is at 94 % room air. (sorry if it takes me a while to reply to these, i have to look up alot of stuff. :oops: )

the volly squad i run with, it's usually wrecks, diff breathing, or diabetic calls depending on time and how short handed we are :banghead: of course.

(Before you say anything, this call was one I ran, Terri just posted it for me. Bash me if you want, I don't usually pay attention to that stuff) ok, here we go. she says "the pain is kinda in the center of my chest but its also in my left chest. and my shoulder and arm hurts too." she rates the pain a 6 or 7 on a 10 scale. no past medical history, doesnt smoke or drink. S-chest pain radiating to left shoulder and arm A- As listed above M- none other than epi which she carries with her. P-nothing other than an allergic reaction several years back. L- about 6 hrs before the onset of the pain E-she was watching t.v., sneezed, and the pain started. O- after sneezing P-nothing seems to help the pain. Q- mostly constant pain, sometimes the pain fades from her arm but only for a minute or two R- starts in center/left chest, radiates to the left shoulder and arm S-6 or 7 on 10 scale (for the 8th time) T-no pain until she sneezed, about 20 minutes prior to your arrival on scene. No history of trauma to the chest or ribs, No history of surgeries of any kind. No cardiac history no family history of cardiac problems, etc. Chest seems normal, you note no deformities, bruising, or signs of trauma. Palpation cause no visible changes in pt. she states its getting a little harder to breathe. Pulse Oximetry is 96% room air. Pain only gets slightly worse with deep breaths. No pain in the throat or neck. here is your 12 - lead:

WSLS News Staff Published: May 27, 2008 Updated 10:08 a.m. State Police have released the names of the two people in the pick-up truck killed in the crash last night. They are 44-year-old Russell Meadows and 46-year-old Judi Martin. Both were from Alleghany County. Troopers say both wore their seatbelts, and alcohol does not appear to be a factor.

WSLS News Staff Published: May 26, 2008 State Police tell 10 On Your Side an Eagle Rock Volunteer Fire truck was on its way to another accident on Route 220 north in Botetourt Co. when it collided with a pick-up truck. The accident happened between Eagle rock and Kelleys Market just after 6 p.m. State Police say the pick-up truck was traveling south on Rt. 220. Two men inside the pick-up truck were killed. At this time, their names aren’t being released. The man driving the fire truck was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital but is expected to be okay. State Police are investigating and will release more information as it becomes available. Here is a link to the news video: http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article...re_truck/11600/ I'll update this as more information is released.

at my school it is, well we go to the high school and get on a bus that takes us to a technical school, then after 2nd block we get back on the bus and go back to the high school to finish out the rest of our day. the state is allowing the classes as a trial class. its pretty cool. i dont think its offered in any of the other states, but it might be. i haven't really read that much into it.