joesph

Idon't like rap but that was pretty dam good

At the time of the shooting I wouldn't blame you for returning fire but afterward yeah that's what we do.

I renew my call to shut down each and every service that uses the word "star" in their name. It's getting ridiculous.

The fact that so many administrators have so little imagination that they can't come up with a more original name pretty well explains why they also can't come up with a decent service.

How about Joes mortuary and ambulance service 'You stab em we grab em, you kill em we chill em'

- Have a co-worker/FF take C-spine control

- Make sure someone grabs the Longboard, c-pine eqiupment

- If helemt allows access, open airway, insert OPA

- Quickly check back for trauma, wounds and roll pt onto board

- Remove helmet while maintaining C-spine

- Assess LOC, ABC's, Vitals

- support ventilations with BVM 8-10/min 15LPM

- Secure on board, Move pt into ambulance

- Alert Air Medivac- Dependent on duration of trip

- Repeat Vitals, assess LOC cut away clothing

- Bilateral IV @ AC, as large bore as possible, fluid bolus to 90 systolic- as needed

- BGL, Temp, Monitor, End Tidal C02

- Rapid Tranport- or air transport as warranted

- Bilateral traction splints to femurs

- Consider intubation

- Patch level 1 trauma center

I'm probably getting ahead of myself, as all the details of the pts condition have not been revealed yet.

yeah but you kicked ass

after hells bells plan I would add, if air not available apply diesel liberally.

It's a bad idea because a CPR card does not make you "qualified" to drive an ambulance. I don't care if they're vollies or paid $100k a year. The driver is more liable to kill someone than any medic is, so s/he needs to be a professional, not a hobbyist who's in it for the lulz.

Not to mention that the State of Texas will probably shut this idea down quite quickly when they get wind of it. Chances of them allowing a variance for a non-certified driver in a town that is quite capable of providing certified people are slim to none.

The point of a driver being a bad idea is only appropriate if that person is not trained to drive a emergency response vehicle. If the idea of having only one EMT in the back is the goal of this agencey then that is wrong. But to put a qualified and trained person solely responsible for safe driving will two EMT's work in the back i can see no problem with it. If they need to utilize volunteers to accomplish there mission, well then let me see I know ' Get Over IT.

in Montana he would have been considered a pacifist.

Come on you guys can do better then that wheres dusty and phil when you need them.

Here's my best ' The fire went out despite their best efforts'

I swear I about blew a gasket about the remote control one though.

First they only want to drive? Wow, suxs to be them, put me in the back and never let me drive and I would be the happiest guy in the department. I'm sorry if the people you work with are such smucks but the only way they can get to you is if you let them. As for your director I recognize you respect him but if people like this are in the agency he is not doing his job either. I disagree that the agency can't change as others have posted. It can change but it won't be easy and will ruffle a few feathers. I would rather get fired for doing the right thing then leave on my own without trying to fix the problem.

I got nothin.

Ya know, there was a time not so long ago when almost every question asked here begged my input. No matter how many people answered the question, I always felt like I had something else of value, a forgotten pearl of wisdom to add. That day has passed, and I honestly don't know whether I am crying out of joy or sorrow, but I am crying nonetheless.

I am just so happy and proud of the intelligent and supportive community that exists here today. Though not as robust in activity as it was at one time, the quality of this forum is unequalled, and gets better with each passing day. Unless you need a historical perspective from the 1970s, there's just not much that I can add here anymore. The question of this thread has been answered so completely and professionally that it's worth it's weight in gold. Every major point taught in any instructors course, and even in college psychology and education classes, was revealed in these two pages. I may have gone crazy with the positive points in this thread, but you guys deserve them.

Neb.EMT, you've been here about as long as I have, and somehow have managed to only post 42 times, but you have done so with quality. I am pleased that you chose this forum to ask such a great question in, and I sincerely hope that you'll share the results with us as the student progresses, as well as any pointers you have for us after the fact. Best of luck to you and your students. If you find this site helpful, then please encourage them to join us here.

EDIT: Okay, I take it back. I do have something to suggest.

This girl -- since she knows her stuff, but lacks confidence -- sounds like a great candidate for one of my favourite educational techniques: The memory dump. Although you know it, she needs a chance to show herself that she actually does know her stuff. But many students freeze up when they are 'on the spot' so to speak. You can set a more casual atmosphere for her by picking a thing or two that you know she knows well, then just call on her out of the blue to stand up and tell us all everything she knows about X. No pointed specific questions. Nothing she has to work out. No specific facts you're digging for. Just a memory dump. Tell us EVERYTHING you know about X. There's no way to blow an open ended question like that. And generally, once a student gets started, it becomes a pretty significant stream of consciousness as they dump everything they remember, in no particular order. There is no right or wrong. The only failure is to run out of the room without saying anything. Very non-threatening. But it is a legitimate test, and the student will be impressed with their knowledge of the subject, naturally increasing confidence.

I like that one thanks. On another note for a teaching tip that was given to me. Basic anatomy. Start the newbies with white t-shirts and magic markers, make them trace internal organs and palpate skeletal structure and landmarks. It's fun and teaches great anatomy skills and gets them past the touchy feally problems. Some of the shirts that we have received have been works of art. Later when asked to find specific landmarks they are more certain even with the differences of body shapes.

Why are we suppose to be mortified of death? It is the eventual outcome to life. Sometimes a death will make me angry or sad that the person is gone but that's about it. As far as leaving a mark otherwise I don't see why. If someone dies that we are working very hard on I suppose I feel disappointed. I do feel that if we are to be with a person that is in the last moments of there life we have a profound opportunity to give them dignity and grace at there end time.

The route of education I suggested is not uncommon and is used threw out the world. The problem as I understand it is not a lack of skills but a lack of confidence. This is not a impossible problem to overcome, but requires the instructor to teach outside the box. When the student gives a review of the material in front of his/her piers there will be some anxiety but far less then in the field and the intent is to build the students confidence. Their are many people who have the ability to rise above there station but merely lack the nerve. By taking a few minutes to give a student a opportunity to build confidence in the classroom is worthwhile endeavor when you consider that this person could easily pass the course because of their intelligence and yet fail in the field because his/her nerve failed under pressure. We would cheerfully weed out the student that does not comprehend the material but we do not have a mechanism to fail a student that is competent but nervous. Don't forget that Einstein was a crappy student too.

Okay, so got into a pickle at work.

One of the rules is that you report any vehicle contacts (like bumping into another car). Any at-fault accident gets you fired, even if minor minor damage (don't know another job like that). Lost best EMT I knew of at the company last month because he let the brake slip while stopped at a light and tapped the car in front of him.

I love patient care, so I'm in the back almost exclusively. Yesterday, decided to be "driver" to switch things up a bit. I scraped the sidewalk curb at some point in the day. Didn't even think twice, no big bump or anything.

Next morning (it's 24 hour shifts), the new shift points out a TINY dent in the outside of the tire rim. I could have said I had no idea where it came from, but I volunteered it might have been from bumping a curb yesterday. They mark it on their daily vehicle checkout sheet.

Usually those sheets are never reviewed. Today the supervisor did. Reported it to management.

Got a call later that day (yesterday) from a manager saying he was placing me on suspension for failing to report a vehicle contact. Said an investigation would have to be done. And I should come down to the office on Monday (next business day) to talk.

I'm feeling pretty anxious about this.

There's a good chance I could be let go, especially if they feel I was trying to cover up damage. I feel like honesty is one of my best traits and have always stayed out of trouble by always being honest. Even in HS when kids were trying to finish HW in class, I'd just tell the teacher at the beginning that I hadn't done it and would get extra days for honesty.

I don't know if the firing decision will have been made already when I go in to talk to them or not (usually they have us fill out incident reports for these things first), but I'm not great with explaining myself on the spot. I'll take responsibility for having bad judgment on not reporting the dent...but might be too late.

Any outside observer views on my situation? Maybe any other supervisors or managers out there with feedback? Except for getting PCR's kicked back I don't really have a bad history with them. No attitude type things.

Thoughts?

Thanks guys

stick with honesty but don't give up without a fight. To have taken the blame is honorable but if you have no idea how it happened then the truth is 'you have no idea'. If you did and failed to report it then look them straight in the eye and tell them that and give your reason. good luck

This is a pretty straightforward question. What are some tips to help students gain some self-confidence. I have one student in particular who definitely knows the material and knows the skills. This student however lacks ANY amount of self-confidence. Positive reinforcement, compliments, encouragement, etc... just don't seem to help with this student. I'm looking for things I can do as an instructor to help this student gain confidence in herself. Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Neb.EMT

Have them review a section they already know for the class no warning, spontaneous. Only step in if they bomb and then only to refocus them. Often you learn as much by teaching as learning.

Wow what are the odds of that staying on the skids for that long. Bet the butt chewin will be of biblical proportions.

Cardiac enzymes are negative, coags are normal, d-dimer is negative, AP chest is unremarkable, CMP is normal. Patient remains symptom free.

Take care,

chbare.

Edit: WTF, two posts in one?

Stress test him? cardiac enzymes can take awhile how long after on set to blood work?

We alien firemonkeys of Uranus are dedicated to total domination of all public works first. W, will take over the fire departments,then we will take over the sewer and water followed by EMS and the LEO. Our plan is simple anal probing and remote controls under thier helmets. Why you might ask do we need anal probing if the controls are in the helmet? We are aliens that's what we do.

For someone who doesn't tolerate intolerance you sure have a prejudice.

complacency is a bitch

I was sexually harassed once. In front of a group of nurses I drop my pants. After the hysterical laughter stopped they demanded I pull them back up.

The scars are permanent.

I live in MT if I can't carry it it's too dam heavy. Truth be told the only ones up here that are not armed are the EMT's and FF's you would be hard pressed not to enter a home that does not have weapons in them.

You can carry a weapon into any establishment unless it is a bank, government building, or a place that sells alcohol for consumption.

Let's see... on this shift I had -

1 - a guy with left flank pain and pus coming out of his penis

2 - a guy with nausea, vomiting and bleeding testicles

3 - a woman who mixed ammonia and bleach... 5 hours later I ran on her 23 yo son because he sliced his wrists. did a pretty good job of it too..

4 - a guy who punched a hole in his girlfriend's rear window...

5 - a seizure that turned into a full code

6 - a woman foaming at the mouth in respiratory arrest

and 15 other incidents of mayhem and madness...

Happy Easter everybody.

The weird part is i envy you a little.

As funding begins to dwindle more and more local goverment agencies will be looking at new ways to increase budgets. This will by no means be the last we see of this type of incident.

Okay, we got Boe out of the negatives. Two questions remain. How does a sweet heart, though smart ass, like Boe get 9 negatives... and secondly. Why hasn't anyone mentioned the search function. That'll be $85

negatives is the new black

We had better stay vigilant about terrorism because they are still out there and they have been studying us the whole time and when the are ready they will definitely attack.