medic_911

I have just finished my EMT course at PMA in Calgary and I have say it was fantastic... I did my PCP in ontario but withdrew during preceptorship because of illness and then continued here when I got here. Administration is kinda disorginiezed on getting dates and schedules, part of it i'm sure is because they want to stay small but there is such a high demand. The Hospital in Stony Plain was fantastic, it was such a good hospital to go to and they love to have students there, even if you arn't with PMA, i would suggest it. They are now starting to do 6 tours with Calgary EMS instad of 4, giving you more of a chance to do practice. I'm sorry you and your class had a bad experiance, but Me and most people i've talked to has had a great experiance with PMA. As for a book list, i would suggest to keep with you Paramedic Textbook - Mosby's if thats what you used in your PCP course. If you take a review of the class from them, quite often they will give you either worksheets or notebooks, i'll call them and ask.

Best 2nd Degree Type I video.... Ever!

**sorry about the file size folks... i don't konw how to make them smaller...** I had a great call the other day, I couldn't really find a place to put it, so here it is!! We are called to a local clinic where an 82 year old female has gone because she has been falling more and more over the last few days and is concerend. She has no medical history other than hypertension... which is quidet incrediable for 82. They put her on the ECG and..... She self converts in and out of 2nd degree AV block type II for a bit, completly asymptomatic, good blood pressure, sat at 98 on Room air her only complaint is she is feeing 'funny' and then it goes back to NSR... We take her to the local hospital and while we are giving report to the RN... i look over at the monitor and see.... Hmmmm... 3rd degree AV block... I ask her how she is doing, how she is feeling and this sweetest old lady looks at me and tells me she is completly fine and asks if she can get up to use the restroom... (which i promptly said no to... and that we would help her out with that in a bit... ) needless to say.. we got a bed right away... The doc's are about to put in a pacemaker in the middle of the ER to help her with this selfconverting 3rd degree AV block.. when they hear the monitors start to beep and hiss and flash and the patient says something about not feeling quite right.. and on the monitor she does this... still keeps on chatting away.. just feels funny... everyone looks around and they decide to put in the pacemaker faster... everything turned out ok and it was the coolest thing to watch them get the settings just right. It was strange that she was so lucid the entire time.. if you are wondering about the tight QRS complexes during the 3rd degree.. i was told by the doc that it was probabally because the condution was high in the ventricles. her ending rhythm when i left the hospital was...

The Twelve Days of Christmas EMS Style... On the First day of Christmas, my Dispatcher gave to me... Grandma who fell and hurt her knee... On the Second Day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...2 MG of Narcan for the out of work person who wants to end it all by taking her Husband's pain pills and won't tell me what she took and is feeling suicidal....and grandma who fell and hurt her knee. On the Third day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....Three stacked shocks for the 88 year old man who instead of paying the neighbor's kid 5 bucks to shovel his driveway, decided to do it himself and have the big one in the driveway...2 Mg of Narcan for the psycho chick trying to off herself...and grandma who fell and hurt her knee.. On the Fourth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....4 AM in the morning I have to go to the nursing home because someone has had the flu for like 16 years and all of a sudden needs to go to the hospital....NOW,...Three Stacked shocks for the full arrested popsicle,2 MG of Narcan for Morphine eating Momma...and Grandma who fell and hurt her knee.... On the Fifth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...Five minutes to eat.....4 AM shuttle call,Three stacked shocks, 2 MG of Narcan,and Grandma who fell and hurt her knee.... On the Sixth Day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....Six run reports behind because the computer guy can't fix the system...Five Minutes to eat!!!!!!!!!! 4 AM Shuttle, 3 zaps to the chest, gonna have a stomach pumped,and grandma who fell and hurt her knee... On the Seventh day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...Seven car pileup while everyone was trying to beat the light so they can get into Wal Mart the day after Thanksgiving thinking there is only 4 dancing Elmo Dolls...six reports behind...Five minutes to eat.......4AM is way to early, 3 stacked shocks, 2 of Narcan Pushed, and grandma who fell and hurt her knee.... On the Eighth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me....Eight flights of steps to walk up to get the 400 pound person who is having shortness of breath since LAST Christmas and can't walk...oh, and of course, the elevator doesn't work...7 cars a crunching, six reports a writing, Five minutes to eat. 4 AM shuttle,CPR in progress,2 MG of Narcan,and grandma who fell and hurt her knee... On the ninth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me Nine blankets needed to cover up grandpa because he is freezing and we aren't even out of the house yet but thinks he will get pneumonia and die for all of the 10 seconds we are outside...Eight flights of stairs, should have stayed home and bought it off of Ebay, six reports I'm writing...Five minutes to eat.....What the Hell time is it, should have paid the kid, 2MG of Narcan, and grandma who fell and hurt her knee. On the Tenth Day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...Ten Minutes till I can a give a report and get a bed in the ER because the nurses are busy figuring out who is going to lunch next....Nine blankets needed, Hope the fire department is coming, 7 cars a crunching, six reports I need to write, Five minutes to eat...Can't you wait till morning, stick a fork in him, he's done, Man I hope she shuts up...and grandma who fell and hurt her knee. On the Eleventh day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me.... Eleven times I tried to get the heat to work in the back of the truck and maintenance won't take the truck in...ten minutes waiting, Nine blankets needed, eight flights of steps to climb, Hope you have Progressive, Give me a new ink pen...Five minutes to eat....4 AM is early, 3 Leads all show he's dead, 2 MG won't touch her.. and grandma who fell and hurt her knee... On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my dispatcher gave to me...a 12 Gague IV needle that I put into the drunk 19 year old who tried to swing at me...it's really freezing, Hope you choke on your sandwich, 9 blankets for grandpa, How did you get up here in the first place, man your husband is gonna be pissed, six reports STILL down...five minutes to eat...Better than taking them back, Hope I recorded the code, Man, just pass out already...and grandma who fell and hit her knee... Merry Christmas!!

ues your own advise.

Focus_911.. from the 'moreon partner'... if you have an issue with me... have the deacency to talk to me yourself, not post it online.. at least now i konw they type of person you really are. And i left you for 20 min (i timed it) and had to call dispatch... so if you had an issue, i was less then 2 min away on the radio, you just had to figure out how to use it. Grow up

Outch!!! Thanks for the obvious answer... but you konw how these goverment medical folks can be... i was just hoping for a straight answer here...

Hello everyone! I am going to be an EMT (PCP) pretty soon here in Alberta.. if all goes according to plan... and i was thinking about getting my NREMT registration... anyone know the process?? do i have to go and do an EMT-B course?? any ideas where in northern montana would be good (closest state to me!) Any help would be greatly welcomed...

Foil

It might be a little tricky for you to go from Ontairo to Alberta when you havn't graduated your program (from personal experiance)... you would have to do a EMR course which is acredited by ACP... even if you have your EFR and BLS from ontairo... After you take your exam you'll have to write your provincial exam and then wait 6 weeks for your results before you can work for the summer... if you don't mind jumping through the hoops and spending about a grand on getting your EMR course and then doing your testing and then your registration then you could probally make about 4 back over the summer months...

I totally agree... you are going to be nervous for the first few calls, and the first few shifts that you do... the best thing that you can do is find an experianced veterin to team up with that will be able to calm your nerves. i remember the first time i drove lights and sirens to a call my foot was vibrating on the gas pedal the whole way there, and the first call i ever went to i was wondering why the ambulance wasn't there... then i remembered that i was the ambulance. when you are having an axiety issue.. just step back, take a deep breath, don't forget to exhale, and tell yourself that you know what you are doing and do it...

I have a latex sentisivity... my view on the latex issue is that the service that you work in should be aware of any conditions that their workers have and have approprate gear... including non latex gloves... a major problem that i have had was that all of our airway equipment (OPA, ETT cuffs... ect) do have latex, and so do our 'sterile' gloves for labor calls. A latex free service should be in place... just like peanut free schools...