emtashelyb

Transport monkey In all honesty it doesn't bug me if they call me first responder, paramedic or ambulance driver some people just don't know the difference and that's okay with me as long as my coworkers do and don't expect me to perform als things as a box provider

This topic has probably been done before but im no where near a computer and I can't figure out how to search the forum on my mobile so please forgive me if im beating a dead horse with a stick.

Are there any good ems unions out there? I work in private ambulance so im not positive how it works.

Im sick of the crap in the workplace. A group of us were threatened yesterday if our boss finds one ash in the ambulance he's going to fire all the smokers who are regularly in it. I don't smoke in the thing I've never felt the need to when I can either pull over somewhere or just throw some skoal in. There have been many times where we haven't been paid for the hours we have worked over, schedule changes where we are taking on more responsibilities (driving als which is a higher paying job or dispatching which is again higher paying) or just dealing with a very hostile environment where one of our managers will key us up and ream us out. I honestly think yesterday was when the switch flipped in my head that this isn't right and we should probably have someone looking out for us. Some of the other employees are down for a union so I figured I would do my homework and see where it goes

PT clothes, magazines, party favors from the dollar store (comes in packs of 5 great to share), baby wipes (huggies cool cucumber ones dont leave a film) sunscreen, beef jerky, cd's (cant be burned), silly string, cookies. For sending anything home baked to keep it fresh put a slice of bread in the container or fill it with popcorn. Its been over two years since Ive sent a care package but thats the majority of what I was asked for and what was sent.

That's what happens when you sit on the copier.....although, I'm pretty sure there are some on here that would like to see THOSE copies you're making!

They have cameras up in our office I could never get away with that I always end up making it print thousands of pages of binary code instead of what I was trying to copy.

Well its never safe for me to copy anything. Ive been banned from using the copier at work I tend to break it everytime I touch it. We scan in all of our paperwork through our copier though thats kind of scary to think we could be breaking hippa without even knowing it

Our bunk room also serves as the training room I always end up going in there in the middle of the night and tripping over something random like a backboard or tv remote to a tv that doesnt even work. We have a microwave and white board in there as well. I always find random clothes that seem to belong to no one.

Apparently they are still celebrating it here. We got a new contract at work and they had a cook out gave out flashlights. I did get told by my partner that she had a bunch of nurses and patients asking about me since I was off on wensday. Gave me warm fuzzies made me feel like I actually do make a difference (and not the kind of pain in the ass one) in their lives. Thats better than any tshirt, cook out or flashlight in my book

Around here they celebrated it last week. Of course my first two days in no breakfast or anything. My first night shift one of our contracts apparently had a huge breakfast waiting out in the bay. I did get a shirt thrown at me yesterday from the charge nurse at our other contract. Says EMS anytime anywhere we'll be there and has their logo on the back of it. Other than that got to work a 24 and get my rear end handed to me and my partner left me asleep in the front seat of the unit for 3 hours. Happy ems week!

Do you know off hand if they have one for the blackberry as well? Would have come in handy yesterday

Turn around and go back to the hospital.

High flow 02.

Is there any abdominal pulsating mass?

Any difference in bilateral blood pressure?

Could we get an exact location of the abdominal pain?

Rebound tenderness?

Is there any difference in the level of pain with change of position?

Does he have a Phx of angina?

Why was he in hospital?

Does he have pain on excretion of urine?

He needs a CT and bloods please.

As for the brachial artery pulsating from his arm... Was it actually pulsating or just distended? This may be caused from the increase in systolic stroke volume. The hypertension can be caused by renal problems like glomerulonephritis which can occure in patients with ARF. Has he just had dialysis?

I'm not sure what your scope of practise is but do you have access to analgesia or ECG (even 3 lead)?

No palpable pulsating mass

No difference in bilateral bp

Pain is central beginning at beginning of sternum ending at the top of the groin

No rebound tenderness

No change in pain when pt placed flat on stretcher

Pt has no other cardiac hx other than stated in OP

Pt was in the hospital for UTI

Yes the brachial arteries were actually pulsating 1/4 inch out of the arm. Pt is not on dislysis.

As far as my scope of pratice no monitor avaiable. Most we can do is place pt in position of comfort, administer high concentration 02, monitor vitals and run hot to the closest ER

Glad she is doing well. I will keep her in my prayers

You have a 80 y/o pt with hx of htn, aortic regurgitation and acute renal insufficiency. Pt is being transported from hospital back to normal nursing home. You get a set of vitals before leaving the hospital bp is 176/70 pulse 80 resp 20. Nurse states he has had his htn medications pt walks to your stretcher. During transport pt begins to complain of abdominal pain around and below his belly button. You check vitals bp is now 196/60 pulse 54 resp 18 and some what labored. You notice when taking the pts pulse his brachial arteries are pulsating out of his arm about 1/4 inch. Pt begins to complain of abdominal pain now from bottom of sternum to groin and describes it as stabbing/tearing. You are a BLS unit. What would you do?

I'd sue for creating a hostile working environment. I have before, not the fire dept... but a municipality. That's what happens when people in high places try to put a group against a person over inter corporate politics. But sometimes its best to just move on. However, sounds like you'd have an air tight defamation of character suit.

Its a volunteer house its not even worth it. I did however get more great news. My emt liscense has been suspsended. Ive been trying to get resprocity here in nc with my maryland emtb someone just happened to call miemss and say she is not living in maryland she is living in north carolina. Im affliated with a volunteer firehouse in md and am in full compliance with all of their sog's and bylaws. I would bet one of my lungs on who it was but you know what its not worth the drama and more of a sh*t storm it would cause. Im just tired of stil being pulled into that blackhole. Getting calls from members chewing my ass because they are under investigation everything when I didnt call anyone to report them. Words out around town they are the lowest of the low right nwo. Even the little old greeter lady at one of the hospitals was talking trash about them.

Ashley dont let this expirence jade about EMS there are good agencies out there you just have to go look till you find one. I am sure you will find your spot in EMS just like the rest of us have. Good luck to you and your crew. I think am more leaning toward the moving on part CMK. Pick your battles to win the war.

Thank you for your kind words. I know there are good places out there my name has just been so slandered I doubt at this moment any volunteer company would let me come on and any pai compny is going to think Im just another nut. I just have had alot of bad news and alot of crap go on recently it was really just like the icing on the cake to hear all of this. I just wish people would act their age and quit pulling me into crap when Im not even there to know what the hell is going on and nor do I care. Im thiking about just going back to baltimore if I stay in north carolina one more day Im going to need a room with padded walls

I know its been a very very long time since I have posted. Long story short I ended up getting pulled into things I did not need to be pulled into. I was put on the spot, asked to lie, harassed, had to watch a very close friend of mine be berated and belittled but on a "strictly professional level". People were trying to pit this person against that person. There have been 15 active members that I know about myself included that have been run out of the rescue squad because of the drama. I know every squad/firehouse has its problems and drama but holy flying dinosaurs on a stick I thought I was back in middle school. I reported sexual harassment and because the guy who had done it was the rescue capt and all buddy buddy with the assistant chief he got off scott free. They called our EOC pretending to be me saying another officer had done it. To run him out too no doubt he was a productive member of the squad trying to help people and make the world better. My name is still being dropped all over this county saying I called this person and I did that. All I have ever wanted was to help people to be an emt and eventually a paramedic. Ive been in ems for 5 years now and never seen anything this bad. It is making me seriously reconsider even trying to work in this county. I know get over it I just really needed a place to vent this out and get it off my chest. I had to call an innocent man and apologize for him being accused of something he never did. Tomorrow will be better I just have enough crapola on my plate right now I would take a MCI over this anyday (not that I wish for it to happen)

In order of appearances...

1) Putting the bed on cans? What about possible injuries to the bed's occupant if and when it falls over? Or of others on whom the bed and occupant fall?

2) You press the panic button on a car alarm, sooner or later, the LEOs arrive. Now you've annoyed your victim, but now you have some LEOs who are not out there stopping that DUI driver that is going to cause your next 5 car pileup Multiple Casualty Incident, because they are investigating a car alarm that went off.

3) You put stuff into a co-worker's boots? Now the entire company is delayed, waiting for him to clear the obstructions, and get into his gear to respond to that 5 car pileup I just mentioned.

4) You turned off the lights on someone in the shower? How is he going to see the soap that fell to the floor, until he slips and falls, now making the company short a man, as well as requiring an EMS response? Even worse, if the fallen man is a part of the station's EMS compliment, now you have to bring in an ambulance company from another station to treat and transport your guy, as well as telling everyone at their "house" how dumb those at your "house" are for doing such a stunt in the first place.

5) Anyone serving a piss spiked drink is guilty of a criminal assault, at least as I understand MY state laws and regulations. It is probably the same in Maryland, the other United States, and in other countries, too.

6) If the one member who is still awake is one of those people who puts the thumbs of sleeping people into cups/glasses of warm water, actually proven to cause the victim to wet the bed, well, that is just plain nasty, especially if there is no assigned bunking. Pity the poor person next using a suddenly stinky bed!

7) If you are a blonde, and describe yourself as being "Ditsy", well, there, I cannot help you, as you just painted a target on your back for all the "Dumb Blond Bimbo" jokes even us foolish brown haired people know and tell.

No harm? As some here say, and correctly so,

the bed crushes the cans no one has gotten hurt from it. obvisouly you do have no sense of humor I bet you were a riot to work with. :roll: Ive always been called a dumb blonde it doesnt bother me the guys at the squad are just messing with me its all in fun get over yourself

I prefer to stick to the mainly harmless jokes. Hiding the remote, short sheeting the bed, putting the bed on empty soda cans (that is hilarious), putting the windshield wipers up on personal vechiles or stealing their keyless entry and pressing the panic button. At my squad we have a guy who thinks he is hot sh*t and liked to leave his gear unattended strewn all across the bay. Well he tends to pull his boots out of his pants so we had perfect access. We filled the toes of his boots with hair moouse (or however you spell it) and shoved some cotton down in them. I didnt get to see the end result sadly but heard it was hilarious. We have flipped the breakers off for the bathroom and turned off the hot water for him while he was in the shower too. To help him "cool" his ego. Ive been warned of piss spiked drinks and never fall asleep while one member is awake. They personally like to screw with me because Im blonde and a little ditzy. Since Im a "yank" in north carolina they tried to tell me maryland was above the mason dixon line. Or convincing me they sold the rescue truck was a pretty good one yeah I fell for it until it came rolling in 20 minutes later

baltimore maryland is good for me! its my hometown and Ill be there anyway in march

I have never used cism but I know I should have for atleast one call, I prefer my therapist

I have a question? along with the coping sad calls. sorry if this is not approite

I am a new EMT and i haven't been in the field yet but when coming home from a trip I was on a lay over in the air port and saw a women crying so i gave her a tuise that i had and asked her if she was ok? and under her arm was a fold flag and some dog tags and we sat for a while and she told me that she spent her thanksgiving burying her son. and after she got on her flight I ematledy called my mom and told her everything and then I cryed. how do you help in things like that? how do you deal with it?

This is just comming from me as a marine wife there is no real way you can help someone who is going through that just offer your support. My friend lost her best friend the reason her and her husband are married today on valentines day 2007. I bought her a pair of customized dogtags and told her if she needed to talk I was there for her. Its really hard to deal with death in anyway but yes its very sad when you come in contact with a family member or spouse of a servicemember who was KIA. I really have no true advice but if your having problems with it talk to someone about it.

My "saddest" call around crhistmas invloved elder abuse and a very sweet old woman who didnt want to stay at the hospital over christmas she was crying and it really broke my heart I will never forget that

I would be okay with option b . I came into contact with a quite aromatic pt that killed most of my smell abilities so I wouldnt be able to smell her and I know how to tune people out well lol

okay thanks for the heads up

Thank you I wasnt aware I had to print anything I was just told take the classes online print out the page saying you completed it. I guess the people at the local community center are really going to hate me :twisted:

my volly department requires that you take the con ed classes off of fema.com however I cant remember where they are for the life of me. Im looking for IS 100, 200, 700 and 800 can anyone help me out?

keep chapstick with you when its windy and cold your lips will chap fast.

I suggest if you only have short sleve shirts wear a long johns top that matches underneat keep your coat in the medic. Most residences are nursing home hot and you will sweat.

Get a hat/beanie that covers your ears

if your walking on metal stairs and there is snow on them be careful just like with the ice you dont want to fall down and go boom making yourself look like an arse

It seems to me i found my trigger for non stop running. Talking about going home. We rotate who goes on the calls being a volly house and I wanted to come home get some sleep being as I had been there for going on 8 hours after beating the crap out of my body doing rescue training. Everytime we would get back on the road to our house we would get dispatched again. Not that I mind the experince Ive just never had that happen before

I also had another never happened before. We picked up a 56 year old man who was having "back pain" apparently one of our frequent fliers and not only did myself and the other female emt get hit on the entire way to the hospital we got a show too. He sang to us when he wasnt saying how he must have died and gone to heaven because we are just so pretty and he didnt want to get out of the medic. No ETOH he is always that way. He told us he wanted to go dancing with us too. He didnt seem to have too much trouble jumping out of the ambo either. It gave me a good chuckle and I figured I would share with yall