emtnerd

I work casually for IHAS and so far so good. We'll see what happens Jan 1 when we are officially transitioned. I may have a lot more to say after that!

Myself and a small group of other EMT's and Medics work in the ER at two Edmonton hospitals. We are responsible for 3 patients and have our own patient care area within the emerg department. I am looking for information on whether or not this sort of program has been successful in the past with reducing crew wait times.

Doing a research paper on the efficacy of EMS offloading areas in ERs to improve wait times. Having a hard time finding good research on the topic. Help please!!

Which one? lol

My hubby is a police officer and when he first started he used to wear his ribbons. Soon they became dirty and fell off. He has since stopped wearing them because he has become tired of replacing them. As for me, I don't wear anything on my uni. I figure I've got enough going on with my just my trusting pen and 'scope.

My Dad has been working in the patch since Moses was in short pants. My bro is a MWD...at some point or another various other family members have ventured into the patch...Had I not had a hubby and kids to care for, going to work in industrial EMS would have been a natural choice.

I went to NAIT and I enjoyed it. The part-time aspect worked very well for me being a mother of two young boys. I found most of the instructors to be very knowledgeable, however, there were one or two whose presence as intstructors I questioned.

Ok. I am an EMT on Effexor. I have been on various anti-depressants for most of my adult life due to the fact that depression runs in my family. When I am not on medication I am fatiqued, unfocused, and apathetic. When appropriately medicated, as I am now, I am alert, decisive, and amiable. Most of the people I work with don't know of my past medical history. Those that do enjoy working with me and trust in my patient care not because I'm a medicated depressive but because I'm an intelligent and competent health care provider.

This is the longest I've stuck with one job without becoming pregnant or returning to school. Even though I plan on being a nurse practitioner when I grow up...I know being an EMT will always be in my blood.

I feel your pain. My man is a cop. He usually works nights and I work days. A lot of the time we see eachother for a couple hours or not for a few days at a time. We also have two small boys together (4 and 6 y/o). The key, I've found, to time together is to make the most of the little things. Sometimes a nice cuddle in bed is good or a family dinner. We try and do the kill two birds with one stone thing....family time and our time together, like taking the kids to the park and chatting together while they play or a pizza picnic in front of a family movie. Best of luck to ya girl!!

For me, getting back to the gym was more about feeling more comfortable in my own skin (ya know that whole self esteem thing). But once I noticed the impact it had on my work I became even more motivated. Now I have an elliptical trainer and weights at home for those days it's impossible to make it to the gym or the pool for a swim. My man is a cop so sometimes the schedules don't often jive :? Sometimes for me exercise is not just going to the gym. It could be a good bout of housework, playing with my sons at the park or teaching them to ride their bikes. The key to good exercise is multi-tasking and variety (it is the spice of life ya know )

I always joke that I have the back of a 95 year old. All because my first few months were filled with meals on the fly and a lot of inactivity in my off time. Once I hit the gym, burned off the fat and started rebuilding muscle I've noticed a huge change in my lifts and less back pain. I try and do every lift with my legs, tightening the abs and keeps the back straight. Of course there are times when this may not be possible and I try to work around it without hurting myself. When moving patients from one bed to another I always try and use a slider board. Ferno makes a smaller version that can be stored under the mattress on the cot. Also, transfer belts are a bonus too.

Lunch break? What is that? Some days the most we get for a break is the few minutes it takes to get from one call to another.

Yikes!! A friend of my cousin's was riding a motorcycle with her dad when they struck a moose. Dad was killed instantly and Keogh was in the hospital for several months and has successfully battled back despite a brain injury. I've had the deer in the headlights experience a couple of times but the deer/moose had the sense to get outta the way. Thank god!!!

I prefer not to dwell on the "gross" things. What tears at my heart strings are the calls where we take a person home from the hospital to die.

If the rookie EMT is female does that mean her smart ass partner is a male? Are you planning on working in some gender conflict into this story?

Livin' it up in Gibbons - The Town of the Future in good ole Alberta. Currently, working for a private transfer service in Edmonton and working sssslllllllooooowwwwlllllyyyy toward my nursing degree.

Dispatch: M3 delta respone **** Hospital for a woman in labor. She is screaming and they want her out of there. M3: 10-4 M3 Responding to **** Hospital for screaming lady.

My hubby is a cop and works some strange shifts. I'm on my EMT practicum right now and sometimes we don't see each other for days. We also have two small boys and it's rough for them as well, although they don't show the strain like we do.

I would love to try your test...granted I"m only at the EMT-I level (it's EMT-A here in Alberta), but I'll accept the challenge and give it a go!! :D/

I have always wanted a career where I could help people. Initially, I was headed in the Social Worker direction but found that it wasn't for me. When all is said and done I would like to be a nurse. EMS is a way for me to get some clinical experience before making the jump. I have spoken with quite a number of nurses who worked in EMS prior to nursing and all seem to agree that working as an EMT or medic has made them better nurses. Also, I never thought in a million years that I could work in this field so I got into it to prove to myself that could and to continually challenge myself. Plus I get a warm fuzzy feeling from that 1 patient out of 100 that I have actually helped and made a difference, now matter how large or small in their lives.

My old '88 Mercury Topaz finally gave up the ghost, these are my new wheels....

I'm still in training. Right now I'm waiting for my practicum to start, so in that way I guess you can say I"m a volunteer (or voluntold). I would actually like to become a RN when I grow up and volunteer with EMS. Have my cake and eat it too.

Where I live the lower levels in EMS use them at all and I think paramedics here can use them, but don't because they are so expensive. In my EMT course we were taught how to use LMA's and Combitubes but they are not yet in our scope. Hopefully, with some new legislation coming in this may soon change. Keepin' my fingers crossed.

I am a 100% believer in full moon fever. My children act strangely, either really good or really bad. I worked a shift at the hospital in the ER during a full moon and it was nuts!!