Connie31079

Connie was killed by a gunshot wound to her neck by her boyfriend. I am one of 117 women who died last year in Texas because of family violence. WOW! A premonition, perhaps???????

I get the flu shot every year. I've also had the pneumonia vaccine this year as well, in the hopes that I can prevent getting pnuemonia again. I've had pneumonia 10 times in the last 13 years....

IF this guy was going to be transported by me, first he would have remained handcuffed, the police officer would have come with me in the back of the ambulance, and third: if the patient started acting up along the way, he would have gotten 5mg IM versed in the ASS!!! I'm a big girl (300 lbs.) so if I have to sit on them in order to give them the shot, I will! Last time I sat on a patient in order to give them a shot, they didn't move, believe me!! LOL! I try reasoning with violent patients, but if they refuse to be subdued, you've got to do what you've got to do. I don't like using chemical restraints, but if I have to, then I do it.

I'd probably turn in the money.....but I've never seen that much cash at one time before, so if the oppurtunity ever actually presented itself to me, I guess I'd probably re-consider. Especially if my family was starving....I mean, you can only stretch yourself so thin. I'd only want a little until I could make ends meet, even though my conscience would bother me until the end of time. But that's something that I ultimately would have to live with, I guess.... If I DIDN'T need the money, the choice would be obvious.....turn it in and forget about it. But one has to wonder, where does all this drug money go when you turn it into the police? And the drugs that are confiscated? Do they (police) have a mega-party with all this shyt every year? Where does it go???

Hmmm, unless this is something new, this wasn't was I was taught.... I was told ATROPINE for PEA of less than 60 beats per minute, and ATROPINE for asystole. Lidocaine is gradually falling out of favor here in Nova Scotia. We're only allowed to give it post-arrest if ROSC and if the patient is experiencing runs of VT. And of course, monomorphic VT with a pulse....it's a first line drug here. Maybe your instructor got things mixed up, in any case, somebody should correct him as to what he's teaching his students, because it's WRONG!

NREMT-Basic wrote: "We were taught way back at the beginning of EMT school how to interact with patients..." Yes, what I was taught was any potentially violent patients, call the police....they'll transport them. What were you taught regarding psych patients? Something different? If you guys are being made to transport violent psych patients, remind me to never go to work for your service. Have you ever been physically attacked by a violent psych patient in the back of your truck? I had my glasses broken and a laceration stitched closed under my left eye a number of years ago by a supposedly "calm" lady that I was transporting. I take no chances anymore with psych patients, if they're gonna freak out with me, they're either going in the back of a police cruiser, or a police officer is coming in the back of the ambulance with me, and they're cuffing the patient to my stretcher. We don't even have proper restraints in our ambulances here in Nova Scotia. If I want to restrain a patient who becomes violent on me, I have to use triangular bandages and/or duct tape to tie their hands to the stretcher, all while they're fighting me. Think it's easy doing that by yourself? You try it. I'd much rather let the police transport these folks. I, as an ACP, am also allowed giving 5mg IM versed to violent patients, in an attempt to sedate them enough to calm down. Again, ever try drawing up your med with a syringe/needle while a patient is fighting you? Then you come towards them with the needle and syringe in order to give them the shot, and if they're not ballistic enough, you're gonna make them even worse, because the last thing they want is to be calmed down. Believe me when I say, it's not so easy!!! I remember an incident a few years back that happened in Halifax, where an ambulance was transporting a psych patient between facilities. The patient had been "sedated", supposedly with enough medication to snow a goat....he was quietly "sleeping" on the stretcher at the hospital when the ambulance arrived. Enroute to the receiving facility, the patient suddenly "woke up" (I really don't think he was properly sedated to begin with, but that's just my opinion), and grabbed the attending medic by the throat, and began choking him. The medic who was driving screamed at the patient, promptly alerted dispatch as to what was going on, and managed to pull the ambulance over to the side of the road in order to try and help his partner. By this time, the medic in the back who was being choked, his lips were cyanotic. Then the police arrived....luckily, no lasting damage to the attending medic. This could have had a much worse outcome, except for the fact that the police were right around the corner. But such isn't always the case. I don't advocate EMS never treating psych patients, all I'm saying is, USE COMMON SENSE, for God's sake! Sure, I love my job, but I'm not going to risk my life in order to save somebody else's.....I won't be around too long if I start doing that on a regular basis.

Timmy: If I had a mental condition (and some people claim that I do! After 16 years working in EMS, sometimes I feel like I do too!), then I'd DRIVE MYSELF to the hospital. Seems like too many people call 911 for things that we can't help them with? How am I supposed to help a psych patient who, with every word you say to them, they wanna slit your throat? You never know what to say to these patients that's going to set them off. No, it doesn't mean I can treat them with disrespect at all, but sometimes it just gets to you, ya know? And I never treat any patients with disrespect. When I said earlier to "get in the truck and sit down", I meant I'm not going to "coddle" these patients, and bring the stretcher to them, and wheel them out to the ambulance. If they're physically capable of walking, then they're going to walk to my truck, get in, and sit down. In my original post, I never mentioned the words "shut up", nor did I say I'd treat them like a "retard"...... :roll: And for those who have no idea what I'm talking about by saying things "get to you", then you haven't been working long enough in EMS! Give yourself a few more years, you'll see what I'm talking about!!

I'd tell her "get in the back of the truck and sit down", just like I tell all my other psych patients who call 911 to transport them to hospital because they "don't want to drive themselves" to the hospital. We get far too many of these patients, and in my opinion, police should be taking them, not us. Unless they've cut themselves, OD'd, or done something medically emergent to themselves that requires an ambulance, then I think it's a police matter. Had a call the other night for a lady who took her entire bottle of Paxil, and wanted to be transported to "crisis", which is our mental health facility within our Regional hospital. So we did.....psychologist saw her, and released her before we were even done our paperwork, with.....what else?....a new perscription for Paxil!! :shock:

wow, Asysin2leads was......WRONG? I'll never believe it....never..... :silent:

I always carry my stethoscope with me, because if I leave it in the ambulance here, it gets stolen. Yup, you read that correctly, I've had 2 stolen out of the ambulance already in the past 8 years. Besides for the normal stuff, gloves, radio, shears, penlight, blah blah blah.... I know people probably think I'm a "wanker" for carrying my stethoscope around my neck, but that beats having to replace it for a THIRD time. So I take it with me.... Have a good day, everybody! Connie

I agree with hammer on this one. If I was the only one who opened up the narc box, and was the only one who saw the extra vials of morphine there, I'd lock the narc box back up, and forget I saw anything. If I didn't put it there, then I ain't touching it!!

We just recently changed to biphasic from monophasic LifePak 12's.

To be quite honest with you, this is the only job I've ever had that I really enjoy, and how I can make a decent paycheque at the same time. I used to work @ my 911 dispatch center, but I really couldn't handle it there because I was the one who is used to going on the call, not being the one who answered the 911 line with "ambulance dispatch", and hearing them scream in my ear on the other end of the phone. I honestly felt lost when that happened, like my hands were tied. I felt utterly helpless. So, I went back to working the trucks full-time, and have never been happier.

With those strobe lights, be prepared for anybody who is prone to having seizures, that might just trigger one.

I've been sitting here, reading all the responses in this thread, and I can't help but to wonder, aren't you asking quite a bit from a brand new EMT who just starting out in the field? My God, you're all coming across as a bunch of hard-asses! Is that the feeling you want this new guy to have? I certainly hope not, because we're not all like that, myself included. Not too say I'm a softie, I agree with some of the suggestions posted here, but some are just plain ridiculous. It seems that those that have been in the field for a few years have forgotten that they were once new themselves. MAGICFITZPATRICK, just do what you were trained to do, and strive to be the best you can be. That's probably the best advice I can give you. Ask questions, don't be afraid too, because all questions are good questions. You're new, you WILL learn. However, just because you've recently graduated from EMT school, don't get into the mindset that your education is over, because in EMS, education is an on-going, a life-long process! I, for one, don't expect you to know everything the first couple weeks you're working, but do take the initiave to familiarlize yourself with where everything is in the ambulance. I think that's key. However, if I feel like you're not taking advantage of downtime to learn your protocols, etc...., I will be sure to let you know. I will try to do this in a non-critical way, so that you get the message I'm trying to get across without you becoming defensive. I want to try and form an alliance with my partner, not have you as an enemy. After all, we are partners, and have to spend 12 hours with each other everyday!!

Get him on NRB @ 10L/min, see if that'll raise his SpO2 sats at all. Keep close eye on his breathing, since he's only brething 10 times/min, you may need to breathe for him if he deteroriates. Sugars? 12 lead? Hx TIA or CVA? I want to see all the meds he's on, if there are anymore that you haven't listed here. Allergies? IV, bolus 250cc to start, re-assess lung sounds, re-assess BP to see if that helped at all. If not, another bolus 250cc if his lungs remain clear.

Almost sounds identical to s/s I experienced in May, 1999. (But I wasn't pregnant @ the time!) They did exploratory surgery, found out to be ruptured appendix, which shortly thereafter, I became septic. But they didn't know what they'd find when they went in, thought it was either ruptured appendix, ruptured ovarian cyst or ectopic pregnancy.

If I was using my mother's maiden name, then my stripper name would be: Coco MacLean If I used the name of the street I used to live on, then my stripper name would be: Coco Centennial So, take yer pick! LOL!

Mike was going to be married to Karen so his father sat him down for a little chat. He said, "Mike, let me tell you something. On my wedding night in our honeymoon suite, I took off my pants, handed them to your mother, and said, Here try these on.' She did and said," these are too big. I can't wear them." I replied, 'Exactly. I wear the pants in this family and I always will.' Ever since that night we have never had any problems." "Hmmm," said Mike. He thought that might be a good thing to try. On his honeymoon, Mike took off his pants and said to Karen, "Here try these on." She tried them on and said, "These are too large. They don't fit me." Mike said, "Exactly. I wear the pants in this family and I always will. I don't want you to ever forget that." Then Karen took off her pants and handed them to Mike. She said, "Here You try on mine." He did and said, "I can't get into your pants." Karen said, "Exactly. And if you don't change your smart-ass attitude, You never will!!!"

Not necessairily the "grossest" thing I've ever seen, but certainly the most heartbreaking to me, so far, in my 16 years in EMS......and it's happened to me twice. Just finished talking to friends, and then called shortly thereafter to respond to a motor-vehicle accident, and it's my friend who I just finished talking to 10 minutes before. I dunno, I can't help but think if I had talked to them for another few minutes, they'd still be here? But I guess it was their time to go.....still doesn't make it any easier though. You know how hard it is to work a traumatic code on one of your best friends?

I went into my local supermarket one day to buy some ingredients to make a cake. I looked and looked and couldn't find any bottles of vanilla extract. The manager told me that she couldn't keep bottles of vanilla extract on the shelves anymore, because the owner of this supermarket (a known alcoholic) would come in and swipe them all, drink them down and promptly become staggering drunk! I guess vanilla extract tastes better than Listerine and Lysol! LOL!

I grew up with, went to school with, hung around with and worked as a paramedic on a Micmac indian reserve in New Brunswick, Canada for almost a year. I've also been to many Micmac celebrations, when they had their "rain" dances, with chanting, drumming, singing and dancing in traditional indian attire, burning sweetgrass to ward off evil spirits, etc..... The singing on that song "Return to Innocence" doesn't sound like a real indian to me, unless of course, whoever was singing WAS a real indian, but not a Micmac indian. They're the only indians I'm familiar with. But I vote "NO". I don't think it was a real indian singing.

Hahaha, I love it! I hear "Ridin' Dirty" all the time on my Sirius satellite radio, so this version of "White and Nerdy" is awesome!! Connie[/font:0d71c40ff5]

Mentos gum.....tee hee hee![/font:ceae6399ec]

LMAO! :blob3: I love it! I'm gonna forward that to all my friends! Have a good day! Connie