celticcare

Think he might like a trip down under? he can come to the CCU with me and help check the defib trolley and help save some cardiac patients. Scotty

As I say on here dude... "Welcome my son.... Welcome to the Machine".... Congrats brother Scotty

Can totally agree and atest to the inspection rounds, and whilst we have a different level of funding and services here in New Zealand, it is still unfortunatly the same thing over and over. But you'll find the homes and other facilities, will spick and span everything, the new gear is pulled out the closet for the inspection and whisked away at the end of it. Its just sad how mentalities and societies work. I worked in a nursing home as a student nurse for extra cash, we had a lady fall and collapse, all the staff knew I was an EMT and third year nursing student *remember nursing degree is three years here so was in my final year*. Heamatoma to the forehead, disorientated *for a lady who is normally all there* the nurse was flustering like a panicking monkey and so I grabbed the equipment and took over, asked the other nurse aides to help me position her etc and all they were concerned about was changing her diaper because it would make them look bad and got snappy when I said she could have a c spine injury *tingling etc* and said no and just get me the O2 and gear. I was told to leave the room and when the medics arrived *who I worked with* they came straight to me to find out what happened and boy did I get in the proverbial. So I left after that. *Plus after having a choking patient in another nursing home I worked in and performed the hiemlich and asked for oxygen the nurses reply was "We don't want to waste that on her, shes fine" *whilst still cyanosed* and when I went to dial an ambulance got slapped down* It makes me appalled at times how some *and I say SOME of these homes and nurses as there are some great ones out there* of these places and people work and ashamed at times to say I am an RN how they act and treat patients/clients/residents. It is a case of ship em off cause they are too noisy or we want a break, but its not on in the long run. End Rant

good thing Bill Clinton didn't use that excuse then eh hehehehe

And lugging lifepak 33's too eh defib wizard hehehe. Its great to see what the forefathers of EMS have made available for us, and even in my short time in the service things have changed because of our input also. I also wasnt even born then too, though was developing in the womb, picking up telepathic waves of firedocs first call and thinking Paramedic here I come Serve long and serve hard. Scotty

Trained on lifepaks, use Agiliants:Zoll and MRX at work *Coronary Care RN*. The MRX and Zoll get taken on transfers to other facilities. The zoll is lightweight yes, but I dont like it cause the screen is harder to read and is not a comfy unit to carry. I'd have the MRX over the Zoll and I'm sorry to say, the Lifepak any day. Has to be the most user friendly ALS monitor I have ever used and is lightweight and the screen is great to use. Love the Heartstart first aid AEDS and the FR Plus units that Dust *I am assuming* ordered. Yeah find it wierd the different colour system of the leads, we use the american model of colours. Makes it easier to remember the placement. Now if they gave me the MRX with paddles, I'll be a happy happy lad Scotty

It seems to be pacemaker and also WPW season at work at the moment. We have four types of monitors in my unit and each picks up different spikes, as in sometimes they are small, some are big, and some wont pick them up unless pacing is set on the monitor. KNow your gear, and enlarge the ECG size if necesary or change a lead.

I'm a coronary Care Unit nurse and all the points above are the rationale for why I lay my patient back for acquisition of a 12 lead. Standing up adipose tissue *hey I'm being polite not to say large amounts of fat lol* droops downwards so it can give misplacements of the leads. Laying flat/flatish, allows the excess to droop to the side allowing adequate placement of the leads in the positions around the heart. Question though, and I do both techniques dependent on situation.... when you are placing the limb leads, do many people place them on the torso also? Or go for the wrists or ankles. I do both as I said dependent on situation (if my patient is attached to the 12 lead consantly in their initial arrival to the unit, I will use the torso, for intermittant 12 leads and once a day acquisitions, I will use the limbs.) Scotty

Thoughts, love and prayers even from little Ol New Zealand, your EMS family extends all continents and your family is in my thoughts and prayers hun. Welcome back and big cuddles to bubba from his New Zealand Uncle Scotty

I know different system here in NZ, but we only have the Bachelors degree here in Nursing *I got my BN last year* That is the minimum for working here, then it a process of post graduate certs/diplomas to make a total for your masters *which is what I am doing at the moment*. We have kinda the diploma system but its for Enrolled nurses *LPN I think would be the equiv* and that is only just coming back after many years of being out due to nursing staff shortage and needing nurses with the other skills to help again. The bachelor of nursing *or bach of health science in nursing dependant where you go* gets you the foot in the door and allows you to register as an RN here in NZ.

*takes hat off to Basic too* Dude that was an awesome post, one that really gets ya going and if you need help over the next year and a bit, sing out, we are here to help, ignore the paragods on here, I look at them and reiterate that I NEVER want to be like them and you will succeed dude Kia Kaha, Kia Toa, Kia Manawinui Be strong, be proud, walk tall. Scotty

Spybot I seemed to have more issues with than successes, I use AVG and it does what I need, but it is scary to think that we are merely just objects in a viewers eyes and no one can be anonymous in this cyber world.

Wow more people think he has a second identity than not. When I've clicked on admin cam, I don't see anything or he runs before I get a chance to see. Admin the restraining order has passed now, let me see Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease

They are Intermediate skill here but are being dropped to basic. In the Hospital setting, every nurse is trained to use them and there are two to three on every resus cart in the hospital. And yes I know an ETT is the best way to secure an airway, LMA's are a good standby. I've put a few in and its like anything, every patient is different and working around those differences is the big part. Something is better than nothing, and I would like to say they are idiot proof, but I have seen some of the people on this site and wouldnt like them let loose with an OPA let alone an LMA. Just my .2 cents. (Damnit I should have saved that for fuel grrrr its getting up there now) Scotty

89,000 for their new unit? Wonder what it had in it? Where the heck they were buying it from and what did they want in it? And alot of money in a small town for only 13 members, I agree, prob bunch of wannabe's that actually makes the rest of us actually in healthcare/EMS and fire shudder and distance ourselves from anyway. Soon see what happens eh

The reason that the change in title came across is because people expected to see someone with paramedic and were actually refusing care and treatment or tying up our ALS ambulances because they wanted "paramedic" would you rather we left them to die or just change a name and get on with the job. And not all of us are happy to see it go down hill, but then again, ya have to just look at some of the people on this site and realise that EMS is going downhill rapidly every day. JP nope am in little ol New Zealand.

Being the brunt of many rumours myself, I am just going to say to all of you, innocent till proven guilty. Therre are too many "I know that guy" etc people around in this world and chinese whispers is a dangerous thing. And no I don't think raising the driving age is the main thing to change, and we dont know the ins and outs of the scene, had they just done a long shift, had he had sunblindness, were he and his partner arguing? People are just quick to assume, young guy, be playing with a cell phone or ipod, another excuse for the old dinosaurs to say "oh raise driving age blah blah blah". If it was by an ipod then fine, but wait for it to officially come out, dont go on the word of one person who "knows the driver". Does this "informant" have something against the driver? Are they a Dinosaur that doesnt like a young EMT in the service? Dust, in regards to Paramedic statement, different services have different levels, in my last service, anyone EMT-B and above was called a paramedic and when you reached advanced, you were called intensive Care paramedic, just like current service, you are a paramedic at emt-I. So the term "paramedic" doesnt actually dictate or mean the same any more Scotty

That is awesome and so true, look beyond the picture in front and gauge beyond what our limitations allow.

Thank you and thank you for your points, Dust, you actually shock me with some of your comments through this, and there has been a documentary on the discovery channel the last couple nights, that has been talking about people in law enforcement being segragated and singled out because of the pure fact they got help for their depression. Instead of being commended and supported for getting help and assisted with problems, you and the other mindless followers on here, seem to knock them and purely shut the door. Anti depressants do make you drowzy for the first couple weeks and knock you for six, and it would be the responsability of the person taking them to ensure they didnt work during this time or monitored it in correlation with a physician. I started my SSRI's as a paramedic student, during term break and when it came to road time, people noticed a change in me for the better. This thread is bringing out the haters and judgers or perhaps people who are too afraid to admit that they have issues and are feeling weak because they see medication as a failing. I know this seems the attitude dust has as he is military and hey, hope that shrapnel in the leg doesnt give you ptsd, hate for you to end up sad and depressed like those you seem to think are weak dust.

This thread has actually been an enlightenment as to how many of you would not work witm someone like myself because I am on SSRI's or other types of anti depressants. Actually makes me sad to say that you would all happily call me a friend or say you would work with me and then when some of you type things like you would never want to to work with a medic on anti depressants or have one treat your/beloved family member, it actually makes you out to be liars. This thread has shown in reality that there are biggoted and judgemental people out there.

For those who know me, know I am on SSRI anti depressants, and it seems there isnt such a stigma about them here in kiwiland as there is over in the USA. People take them if they need them and the docs here that I have had dealings with, will try the counselling and psycotherapy line before anti d's are given. I have no shame saying I am on them, I have PTSD *non EMS related* and the medication have helped, I will prob come off them in a couple years, but at this stage in my life, they help and anyone that is prejudiced for needing them or seeking help rather than drugs or alcohol is unfairly prejudiced then. Scotty

Seatbelts are required by law here in New Zealand, for drivers and for passengers. The only vehicles that dont have them are buses and trains, but every other vehicle here has them. In the back of the truck, whenever you can, you have to be seatbelted in, there are seatbelts on the captain seat and the second stretcher which doubles as a crew bench. having a good driver helps keeping you up to date with the road and letting you know of hazards etc to brace against or hold on if you need to be unsecured. I was injured when a courier van pulled out in front of the truck whilst transporting a patient. I was standing grabbing something from the overhead lockers when my partner slammed on the brakes and I went flying towards the cab *Type 3 truck*. My hip collided with the doorframe and shoulder and head hit the cabnet with the lifepak on it. Painful I must admit. Seatbelts, cross your heart not your fingers is the best adage to live by.

Is this however, going to go back to the days of the "Thumper" and the Mast trousers, great for a while, take up the cabinets, cost an arm and a leg and ooops we dont use it any more put it on ebay and sell it on? Great device, just scared of another fad or going onto the "I want" lists. lol

Alot of the EMS agencies here in New Zealand are using the soft packs which in some ways are good but then is it just a time of "Oh here is a pocket, lets cram it" etc, alot of the paramedics (EMT-I's) here that I get along with make mention of the cases and wish they were still in use. We had the plastic Orange ones and had all you needed in it, with the room for the BVM's etc in the bottom. Alot of people have them as their own kits in their POV. And I agree with the sentiment in this thread, put a star of life or the word medical on something the price qaudruples lol

Thought you might have been back in the days of the original Lifepak 33 Dusty