MedicNorth

So, it happens to all of us... we get assigned a new permanent partner We work a few tours, and at the end of them we are exhausted because things are not as we feel they should be - the new partner has the IQ of Stephen Hawking, scares the crap out of us when driving, has an 8 year old`s sense of humour, the common sense of a cabbage, and skills that are barely on the right side of acceptable. Short of making huge destructive waves, you are stuck with that individual. I am interested in techniques and ideas on how to make this become a functional team. Go for it, everyone!

Hm... What do I make? Well, I make a pretty good living doing something I enjoy. I make a damned good lasagna at the station when the tones leave me time to get it done. I make a few people smile with my lame jokes in some tough situations. I make fun of people who are in this business and expect hero treatment. Its a job - an excellent fulfilling one, in spite of the gross parts and the sad parts and the horrible parts. But frankly, I appreciate the sentiments expressed by non-EMS people who repost things like MedicDelta did - not for accuracy, but for seeing that our service is valuable. Its funny, we complain bitterly about the positive press that Fire and Police get, whine when we are left out of hero lists after a tough multi-division incidents, bitch and complain about being underpaid and undervalued, and then crap on people who are making an effort to show some appreciation. Whackers are people who are in this job for the wrong reasons. Lets not get them mixed up with people who are outside our vocation but sending positive things our way. Thank you for the thoughts, MedicDelta

It sometimes helps to elevate the head of the board. It just gives a slightly better view of the world, aiding balance and awareness of the world. Being able to see only the lights on the ceiling are disorienting to anybody

You are not alone, Mobey. Cad, you sound very mature and intelligent, but I would have a problem with you riding my ambulance simply because of the age issue. Liability would raise its head as well. While the majority of the stuff we do is routine, there are times when there are things that go on that would make any adult want to hide in a hole. It sounds like you have a career path chosen, and I hope this drive continues, but you would be better off taking some courses that allow you to volunteer at events as a first-aider, or possibly as a school first responder. This would allow you to build up a resume that would indicate your commitment to EMS/prehospital care, as well as show your ability to handle some of the scenarios you are likely to encounter doing a ride along. Don't give up - we need young people who are here because they love it!

We are an extremely rural service, and although it is not a regular event, we will transport bodies to the hospital morgue if requested to by the police. In most cases there is an investigation that must be completed before the body can be removed, and we will certainly not wait around for that, nor will we return for body removal. I can think of only two instances in the past three years where we did this. I don't imagine it would be a regular thing in a large centre. For us the nearest coroner or funeral home is 150 kms away, a far cry from a city situation.

I would definitely add a BVM, C-collar. and glucometer, and would consider a small SPO2 monitor (perhaps a finger mount) as well. I guess it does depend on what you are carrying the bag for. Its easy to get caught in the trap of carrying stuff "just in case" . I dont know what falls within your scope - can you use OPAs? They would go hand in hand with the BVM.

Observing this as I am from a Non-american point of view, I would very much appreciate if someone could give me the actual and intended meaning of the word "arms" as it relates to the right to bear them. Does it mean weapons in general, or is it referring specifically to firearms? I am not at this point looking for an interpretation of the amendment itself, as it is quite clear there is not a consensus on this issue. Thanks!

lol - It has been a while since I said anything on here, but I I still bite like a trout when the bait goes by

Oh my..... This WAS offensive to me, both the attitude of the school and the wording of the post. It would appear that the poster has very little awareness of epilepsy, its symptoms, and its treatment. Rather than writing a long response outlining basic medical, legal, and human rights issues and procedures, I would recommend that this "future EMT student" do a little studying to find out exactly what WAS so offensive about the post. I will be happy to discuss it with him/her in this forum after some basic knowledge has been gained.

Very interesting, I agree. I doubt we will ever find out all the reasons behind this sudden move, but hopefully it will result in some different directions for a governing body that has not proven to its membership that ts is responding to the needs of its members and the public. I think that this is an opportunity for us in Alberta to become more involved, too. The organization is more likely to become more responsive if there are more of us asking for response!

Great post, Wendy. Does someone have a magic formula that will show us the line between bias and awareness? I think that we all, in at least some ways, adapt our treatment of a patient according to culture, gender, appearance,age, location,and probably a host of other factors. We can often attribute this differentiation to experience, especially if we have been in the field for a substantial amount of time. I suspect that some of this differentiation is accurate and beneficial, while some is either detrimental or at least not helpful in our assessment and treatment. The longer you work the more likely you are to come across every possible classic image. This does not make a set of rules that we can follow for every patient that seems to fit the category, though we are probably arriving on scene with pre-determined expectations. So once again..... who can tell me what makes our preconceptions valuable and professional, and what makes them simply bigotted and dangerous?

Did a lot of research, and found one that suits you perfectly. You OWE me now! http://www.sillyjokes.co.uk/big-picture.php?Picture=images/wacky/props/weapons/pirate-set-big.jpg&JS=Yes

Not much of an argument on this thread.... surely there must be someone out there who is against gay marriage. Jump in and make your points if you are there. Free expression, right? I am having trouble believing that EMS practitioners are all social liberals

Agreed. Obesity is a huge problem in adults in our western society, and it usually is the result of lifestyle habits developed as children. I am not sure about American statistics, but I would assume they are similar to those up here. According to Health Canada, obesity related health issues cause more deaths and cost our healthcare system more than smoking does. Most children do not get enough exercise, and have unhealthy eating habits that often mirror those of their parents. it is time to push hard to change perceptions, and reduce this problem we are saddling a large segment f a generation with. Change does not come easy, and frankly, I dont buy the self-esteem argument - if your has low self-esteem because you feed him too much and let him play vidgames all night, dont get upset with the billboard or the campaign - take active steps to give him the skills and habits to cope with the problem. Believe me, Self-esteem will rebound with success. He will also likely live a lot longer and more successfully.

This is sad news. Rob was the first person to welcome me here to the city, and we have had many long and spirited discussions in forums and in chat. His skill and knowledge in the profession, and his no-nonsense ability to make his point without pulling any punches made many of us stand back and reevaluate our thinking. His dedication to the betterment of the profession was deep, and he will be sorely missed. My condolences to his family, and to those who were fortunate enough to call him friend. Paul

Mom sais he has been sick lately - what KIND of sick? - Duration, Symptoms, Medications, possible diagnosis.... Epilepsy is only one cause for seizures.

Nice to meet you - Welcome, from the land of Nearly Winter !

Very impressed with your courage and honesty, Susan. I hope you are fortunate enough to find new employers in the field who will be too! Good luck, and kudos

Never too late to become a student, even with a previous degree - I am living (barely) proof of that! I dont know what your long-term plans are, or how good the prospects of making a living in EMS are in your area, but this is my retirement gig, after over 30 years in the education field. Hopefully you are one of those rare people who get a sample of this and continue as far as you can simply because you enjoy it. No, I wouldn;t do this for free, but it beats the hell out of shuffleboard and knitting as a retiree!

Ha, MAN I missed this place! Once again, Squint, you missed the point...... We all know that there are people who get free after doing reprehensible things, and when that happens we bitch and complain about the justice system and its lack of teeth. Believe it or not, there are "scum-sucking" defense lawyers who have done exactly what they were supposed to do - get an innocent person freed when the system had mistakenly accused them of crimes. They do a job, one that I would personally find unpleasant at times, but that job is to make sure that innocent people are NOT punished because in the opinion of law enforcement they did the crime. Yes, some guilty people are set free, but as Dwayne asked, would you not rather have some guilty people escape consequences to ensure that one of your loved ones is not wrongly convicted and punished? If you want to get rid of defense lawyers, you would pretty much have to also get rid of the prosecutors.... Much as I like the idea of a world without lawyers, all that would happen is that the government, the judges, or the public would make the decisions simply based upon their opinions. Most of these opinions would be influenced (indeed CREATED) by the media, and we know exactly how fair they are. Either way, you are looking for either a dictatorship, where the State makes all decisions, or anarchy, where anybody can (and will). Look at the bloodshed during the French revolution for example, where if you pissed off your neighbour all he had to do was report you and the guillotine gave you your "just" reward. Hell, we could have trials that were conducted like any American reality show, if you like. It would be great press to have the public voting on the internet after a 30 minute flashy on-air trial with a large-breasted woman as the host. Might be something in that Salut!

I dont think there are many people who dont believe that she was guilty as sin, but belief is not the same as proof. It then becomes opinion, and I dont think that anyone wants a judicial system that works on the basis of opinion.. There are certain safeguards built in to most western legal sytems that create a safety zone to protect the innocent. Without those safeguards,we might put away (or execute) a few more guilty people, but also a few more innocent ones. High profile cases like this one and OJ Simpson's boil our blood, but but we probably do not hear about those in which an innocent ordinary citizen has been acquitted thanks to those safeguards our forefathers built in. Trial by Jury beats the hell out of Trial by Media1!

Ah, Dust... It seems that most of our opposite polar discussions revolve around firearms... There are no holes in my theory.. I do NOT want to pack a gun as I go about my duties. Other than the fear that I might shoot my foot off, I have no interest in training to kill people. I would much prefer to allow those who are trained and motivated to make a scene safe for me. As far as most dangerous situations occurring unexpectedly, you are correct. This is not confined to EMS, though.... if we are to be armed to "protect ourselves" in our work, the same should be done for everybody, including postal workers, teachers, social workers, ER nurses... well, you get the picture. I know there are dangers in what we do. Most of them can be avoided by using common sense, as Squint so aptly pointed out. Those that can't, well, the odds of me being able to forget my patient and shoot first are not so great, especially when the other guy has a gun and is wanting to get the first bullet into me before I blow a hole in him. If there are services out there supporting this Militia form of EMS, I wish them luck. I wont be working for them.

Agreed with Squint - not a hope in hell that I am going into any situation that may require and firearm to protect myself. That is the job of law-enforcement, just as my job is to pick up and glue the pieces back together after the shooting stops.

Medevac is sometimes a possibility, but it is rather difficult to justify fixed or rotary for every call, or we would need an aircraft posted at the station.... I guess a case in point is that uyesterday I went 16 hours straight out, drove almost 900 kms, all for three calls! During this time the other crew ran 3 more, so there would have been 6 flights out of here in less than one day. Ground is likely going to continue to be the main process, I would imagine. I have considered bringing my portable DVD player and mounting it in the unit so the pts, especially some of the peds ones, can watch something during the trip. While it might not be acceptable to the "big guys", it would possibly help with patient comfort and happiness!