medicgirl05

So you looked online for an EMS forum to complain about the consequences of your actions? You won't get any sympathy from me. I have had patients like yourself. I have been hit by people like you, and I am happy that you are being charged. Hopefully you learned from this incident.

I buy men's boots typically. There are more options and they fit just as well as womens boots. I had been buying the cheapest version Academy sells, but since my back is messed up I decided to put a little more money into them. I just bought a pair of 5.11 boots. I really like them. If you have an Academy near you they have a pretty good return policy for shoes. You could buy a pair and wear them a day, and if you decide you don't like them take them back for an exchange, no questions asked.

They did say they were in high school. When I was in high school, just a few years ago, we had a program that let us spend two periods a day at the local clinic, ER, or hospital doing rotations throughout the year. We were required to wear scrubs that matched each other, as well as didn't match any of the employees of the places we were rotating through, as we didn't want anyone to mistake us for a REAL medical professional. In a side note, I thought I was hot shit in those scrubs at 16 years old. I was such a whacker back then.

Has he been sick recently? It is possible to herniate a weak disc just with a cough or sneeze. Is he having any different sensations in the extremity? Pins and needles or numbness? Are his reflexes equal in both extremities?

I would like to know why the OP is asking such a question. Seems like an odd question to me. Especially since this is his first and only post. I do have an answer, but first I want to know why it is important to him. What exactly is he researching it for?

Adorable!!!

I have a horrendous foot phobia also. I'm so glad I'm not alone. I hate taking shoes and socks off people, I literally gag. It carries into my personal life also. Everyone around me must wear socks!

When they ask me I always tell a funny story about a 90 year old man who groped me, or a 70 year old couple who smoked weed, drank wine, sat in a hot tub, and used a medication they got in Mexico called Kumagra(no I didn't make that up, they handed me the greasy package-ew). The funny stories are the only ones I'm comfortable telling because the others are ones I would rather forget about than continue to relive. Once you get people laughing they tend to forget that I am not exactly answering the question they asked.

You know what I love about these forums? I love that I learn something when I don't plan on it.

Isn't the flight exam for medics pretty tough though? I took a semester course at UTSA in Flight Medicine and that was a doozy for me. It was hard to remember all the different pressures and such. So I think the flight medics must have a pretty broad knowledge base even if they are lacking in experience? Just wondering out loud, I'm sure there are some flight medics here who could fill me in...

In my area it doesn't take much at all to be a flight medic, however the flight nurse tends to have many more prerequisites. This is reflected in pay accordingly. Flight medics don't really make much more than ground medics so most don't find the risk worth the benefit.

I don't have any personal experience with them, but a service in my area has a cargo net at the front of the bench seat. I would like to have one there as it seems like something to prevent me from sliding into the wheel well, which has happened once or twice with a hard stop and me otherwise engaged in patient care.

I just want to reiterate that working in EMS and nursing have nothing to do with each other. You say that being an EMT will help you know if you want to work in an ER. Those are 2 completely different ballgames. What EMT's do in the field is completely different than in the ER. If you find a tech job that will hire an EMT right out of school that will still be completely different than what you do in the ER as an RN. If you are just getting your EMT as an easy way to make some money while passing time to get your RN then that is a horrible plan. The profession needs serious providers that want to be in EMS, not who are just passing time. Any experience gained in EMS is generally not acknowledged in the nursing world. Also, a job as an EMT is not guaranteed as they tend to be a dime a dozen and you will only be able to work certain times. That will depend somewhat on where you live. In my area you would not find an agency that would hire you fresh out of EMT school with schedule restrictions. My suggestion is to find out more about both options and see what you want to do. Then you can focus all your time, money, and energy on what your dream really is. You can possibly do an EMS ride along with your local EMS company. Either way good luck to you.

I learned the last 2 words were All Hairy. So gross. It seem like somebody could come up with a better pneumonic for that. Although it is something I will probably never forget!

I'm wondering if there is a way to overcome burnout? I'm not sure what is going on with me but I'm guessing burnout is pretty close. I've thought about going to a therapist but will that really help anything? I'm a little leery of laying my problems out to a stranger and I don't even know where I would start...but I think I need to do something to fix the current situation. My partner said maybe I should find a new employer in an attempt to temporarily relieve the feeling, but I don't know if that will help anything or just make things worse. I have been going to school to get a degree in EMS but this last semester was pretty much a waste because I just can't get motivated and so I'm not taking any classes this coming semester. I have never failed a class in my life and I failed 2 this semester just because of pure laziness. I know it sounds ridiculous but I literally couldn't make myself do the work. It wasn't even hard, so I threw about $1000 down the drain. I can't find a non-EMS job where I make as much money as I currently do. I just feel stuck. I think I can pinpoint a specific call where things took a nosedive for me and that was about 6 months ago, so I don't know if things will get any better with more time... It's a little embarrassing because I have only been doing the EMS thing for 8 years. ALL of my coworkers and most of you have been in the business much longer. It would be nice to get some more time in before I hang it up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I failed my first attempt. I then used John Puryear's audio files. He gives great ways to help you remember the info. He also does on-line refresher courses that you may benefit from. I passed on my second attempt. Good luck.

In the instructions the professor referenced an article in EMS World as an example. I just want to keep my A in the class, so I need to do a god job. I'm thinking about mental health in EMS in some way. Haven't ironed out the details yet...just curious if anyone had any better ideas.

So it is finals time for me. One of my classes the final assignment is to write a paper on a topic in EMS that is suitable to be published. I have a few ideas for topics, but I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions...or maybe suggestions as to what not to write about. I know there are many topics that are overdone... Any advice would be great! Thanks.

Other than the obvious issue with the DWI I would think you should question if you are capable of physically doing the job. You mentioned you are 40% disabled, I don't know exactly what that means but maybe you should question that as well. I will thank you for your service and seriously suggest you find a different line of work in lieu of the DWI's. You may also consider seeking counseling for the drinking.

I am working today and went to an FFA program at the high school as directed by my supervisor. At said program there were reserved seats for fire departments and our sheriffs office, but not for EMS. Now, I wasn't really looking forward to going in the first place, but I can't help but feel slightly bothered that EMS wasn't recognized at all. There were many paramedics and EMT's that lost their lives that day. Some of them are still suffering the after effects from that day. Am I wrong to be a little peeved?

I have had one patient that was initially pulseless, V-fib on the monitor, and he walked out of the hospital. He is the only one that actually made it. I had one other that was initially pulseless, we got a pulse back and he started fighting the tube so hard that we wound up extubating in the ambulance. He was A&O with some serious chest pain from CPR. He made it a few more hours and got to talk to his family before he died in ICU that night. It is really nice to see that one save around town. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

I have been at a coal mine 7 stories up, with a patient down a 20 foot hole about 8 feet in diameter, only accessible by a ladder that goes straight down. The floor was grated so I could see his blood all the way on the ground beneath us. I don't have a fear of heights, but that day I was a little nervous. Fire department was busy setting up an LZ for my patient so they weren't able to help with extrication or patient care. Just showing that you don't ever know what you may encounter. If that bothers you, you should seriously reconsider your job choice.

The EMT program I took was free. It was put on by a local hospital and the EMS supervisor taught it with help from other EMS personnel. 30 people started out in the class. I think 14 finished the course but only 2 of us passed national registry. Just realize money isn't everything.

I must say it sucks every time you see it. The difference is you learn ways to deal as time passes. Until you get a call that blows you out of the water and you have no idea how to deal.

I think everyone just wants you to be informed of the decision you are making. I wish I had heard half of what this board has to say before I became an EMT, just because when I started I wouldn't have been so surprised at what we actually do. I recently ran a hard call and because of that I want to tell you to run away, because right now I want to run away. We do things that change people's lives. Even when there is nothing we can do, we still become the person that tells someone that their mother is dead, or their child is dead. We become the person that the family hates, or loves. It is a huge responsibility for anyone. So, don't take their advice as an insult, take it as some people with quite a bit of experience trying to help you make the most informed decision you can.