DwayneEMTP

You have got me Michael...I tried to find some clue that made the site a spoof or misdirected attempt at education....couldn't do it... Either way they seem pretty freaky..... With their claim that it's aimed at kids....it's gotta be a spoof... Dwayne

Well, whoever is right...I'm just happy to see ERDoc is posting again! Hey Doc!

Wow firefighter523, I'm glad you posted that....We were taught, like Rid said, in the Basic curriculum that you never cause, or allow bone ends to retract back into the body if it can be helped...because of the contamination...They pounded this into our heads... I dug out my "Emergency Care. Brady, 10Th ed." to see what it said. I found a ton of stuff on traction splinting but nothing about retracting bone ends, but it showed the same contraindications you mentioned above. Though I did find this..."Don't push protruding bone ends back into place. However, when you realign deformed open injuries, they may slip back into position under traction." (chapter 28, pg 646) I believe this is talking about manual traction and not traction splints specifically, though it would seem to be the same issue... I can't wait to see what others have to say on this.... Dwayne

Did he say why in each case? Dwayne

I agree with NREMT-Basic 100%... My first right along I was focused on staying out of the way. The paramedic was under the impression I was there to learn and made me to jump in and get busy! That's one of those "man, I wish I could take back those two hours" times. A different medic might have let me waste my whole day doing nothing....from other threads here it seems the majority of the people you'll ride with are on board with making you better than you were when you arrived...don't waste their time being timid...withing limits of course. Take everything you can get out of your hospital time and ride alongs...your time is very limited...make it pay! Good luck... Dwayne

Thanks for the response guys...Thanks for making me look at the bigger picture. You know what's funny...is the further I go in my education the more the simple questions start to grow teeth. Basic academy: Mid-shaft femur fracture without contraindications = traction splint. Patient = leg. Real life: Patient = whole person, vitals, moi, history, time to hospital, etc, etc, etc (all the etcs being stuff I'm sure I don't know yet). I'm beginning to believe that my school did a disservice by convincing me I actually had a handle on some things... I'm not bashing Basics. I went to the basic academy because I saw a woman get hit by a cab and didn't know what to do. I would be much more help to her now than before..(for instance I would now want to know if she was alive before freaking out over her broken arms and legs... :roll: ) It seems that each class I complete creates a bunch of "what ifs" for things that I was taught were pretty black and white. It's getting easier and easier to see the issues involved in giving 'simple' meds as a basic. I felt much more competent after my first 3 weeks of basic training than I do now after bio-chem and a little A&P. I'm not speaking for other basics...Even when both brain cells are firing I can't speak on the same level as most here....this is just my experience.... Perhaps the biggest benefit of my becoming a basic (me...no one else) is I'll be a much better source of information for 911 when calling for a paramedic. Thanks again for your help!! Dwayne

I wasn't sure which forum was most appropriate so decided maybe other basics could learn from this. I have a feeling these are dorky questions...but couldn't find an answer elsewhere....so here goes. Disclaimer (So we don't tie up the thread with how unfair it is to judge others, I don't have much info and will just post what I do have as it relates to the question. This is not meant to be a fair representaion of this call and I have no idea how this turned out!) Thank you. Disclaimer II (Though disclaimers such as the one above seem to be becoming necessary, I think it sucks and am not going to do it again. I'm leaving this one in the hopes of making a point.) Thank you. Man shot multiple times, hand, arm, femur. All on the right side. As they load him up his leg twists mid-femur (I'm not positive that mid-femur is the only injury to this area but am going to assume it is for the question) You can see the skin twist like taffy, I'm not sure how to describe it. As this injury came from a gunshot and not a fall is there a greater possibility that it is not a clean break but perhaps the bone is shattered...? If it is shattered, only in the mid-femur area, is this still called a fracture or is there another name for it? Again assuming it is slightly shattered (restricted to a small area. I don't have the language I need for this) would a traction splint be useful? Is it still applicable if you don't have well defined bone ends or would this be a contraindication? Both my brain cells are screaming that I should know these answers, or they should have been easily found...neither seems to be the case. So if I boneheaded this I'll take my beating... Thanks all...Have a great day or night! Dwayne

State moves to ease EMT shortage By Matt Adrian matt.adrian@lee.net wrote: SPRINGFIELD - Growing concerns about a shortage of first responders is forcing the state to fix problems with certifying paramedics. The Illinois Department of Public Health promised earlier this month it will create a test for certifying entry-level emergency medical technicians by January 2007. The promise comes after groups like the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association complained they had been locked out of the process for two years. "There may be times when we disagree on the strategy, but be assured we will only make decisions based on what are the best possible outcomes for the EMS community and most importantly the residents of Illinois," public health officials said in a memo. The Illinois Fire Chiefs Association still believes more work is needed. "It is a short-term fix," said Terry Mastandrea, the association's first vice president. "At least now we have a voice with the Department of Public Health and hope they understand that the fire service is a major stakeholder that needs to be part of the process." The move to resolve the testing problems comes after a two-year period that saw emergency responders and lawmakers become increasingly concerned about the lack of direction from the state. "We need a large pool of EMTs for our fire departments and ambulance services," said state Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson, co-chairman of the Illinois Fire Service Legislative Caucus. "In these very troubled times, we want to be sure we have adequate numbers of EMTs." The Department of Public Health required entry-level EMTs to be certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Critics of the national registry test argue the exam asked many questions not applicable to Illinois, such as how to treat scorpion stings and coral snake bites. The national registry also costs more and may not be offered in a convenient location, said Bloomington Fire Chief Keith Ranney. "There is some inherent inflexibility with a national system," he said. Creating a state exam for EMTs at the intermediate level also hit a snag after a pilot test led to a 100 percent failure rate. An interim test has been created until a permanent solution can be found. http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2006/09...news/118749.txt Hell...you all convinced me to get a two year degree instead of a cert....Turns out I should have just waited! Soon I should be able to become a Paramedic in a weekend.... This just frosts my boys....Who was brave enough to go public with the information that our people are so stupid they can't manage the NREMT/(P?) (it's not very clear) but we'd really like to hire them anyway... When I get my AAS in Emergency Medicine will employers even notice? Who wants to work with people that can't pass the NREMT? Who wants to be cared for by them? Is it just coincidence this is fire? Are hospitals and privates crying to lower standards as well, so they can find employees? (serious question) Yikes...I've done a dozen posts about whiners...and here I am...this just makes me a little crazy... Done with my rant...Now I see why you old timers are so stirred up about education.... Dwayne

+5 for not running away! Good job...I think you have a lot to offer... For someone like me that hasn't worked in the field yet I find this to be a great learning scenario....Had I given it some thought I might have viewed scene safety as being so dynamic....but I hadn't done so before...I tended to think of them as safe or not...I'll rethink it now. You may get some folks screaming about the racial stereotypes...but that doesn't invalidate them....(I haven't spent enough time in such non diverse communities to have an opinion) take the comments you can learn from and and let the rest blow on by... Glad you decided to stick around... Dwayne

James_ffemt, Just a few thoughts.... There are a ton of 'posers' on this and all the other EMS sites. One of the things that makes the City different is it's very uncomfortable to pretend to be something you're not and get caught. If you're here for a while I think you'll come to see the value in that. Other sites love embellished hero stories...here it's all about facts, education and common (and sometimes uncommon) sense. You more or less got caught in the culling process. I once posted a scenario from a book I read...Tons of "what an idiot. You'll believe anything!" posts. So I looked the book up on Amazon and posted the relevant chapters. Two things happened. First...some people I've come to respect said "ooops...I wish I would have handled that differently" (more or less) and second....I have been given the benefit of the doubt on many subsequent posts. Many seem to remember I was able to support my statements. Even if I had turned out to be wrong still, supporting my statements was required...and then accepted. I'm glad you stepped up with your articles...the 'posers' tend to go and stay gone when someone calls bullshit on them. I was embarrassed by some of the responses to your post. Someone in their first week of Basic class would see the scene safety issues, there was no need for the soapboxes...but you know what? It's a small price to pay in my opinion. I take the crap from the masses so I can benefit from the opinion of the 20 - 30 people I respect. I come here to have my thoughts and opinions judged by others. It's not always fun...but it's rarely wasted time. I hope you stick around. I'll bet you have a lot to offer. Your night would be a great scenario in the scenario section. Dwayne

Oh my gosh Rid....If I didn't laugh at idiots I'd spend half my time mad or disgusted... But I can see with your background where stupid people might not be as funny to you...I'm not there yet...so I gotta laugh at them... On the bright side, perhaps games like this will make these guys less likely to reproduce! Dwayne

http://www.yikers.com/video_japanese_show_...ong_answer.html Who thinks these things up? How come you never see girls doing this kind of stuff? (you know what I mean....) What is it about human nature that makes me laugh my hind end off while watching it??? Dwayne

PRPGfirerescuetech I have nothing but respect for you, but I disagree with you that these posts are pointless and fruitless. I my basic academy we reviewed dozens pics of accident scenes, trauma etc. an ran through "what ifs" and I would imagine we will do scads more in paramedic school. I can't think of a single educational venue that doesn't use pics to educate. How do you replace them with text? Viewing pics forces us to develop mental scenarios and resolve them. I believe it is an absolutely valid way of learning. I don't believe it becomes invalid because a few people get their panties in a bunch...if we invalidated every thread that stirred someone up the City might as well close it's doors. It seems to me the attitude in the City is shifting (yet I'm prepared to be proven wrong...again). People used to be wary of whining about things that hurt their feeling if they couldn't back up those feeling with valid facts. Now it seems that being politically correct is trumping education.... Are we to lose the wisdom of you, Dust, Rid, asys, and a few dozen others because they neglect to wrap their posts in velvet? Perhaps I am just stumbling on threads that are not indicative of the City as a whole...I hope so...for putting education above all else is what separates the City from all the "wanna be's" out there. I thank everyone for their thoughts....even if I don't like them... Please...let's get back to focusing on facts...and education...even if it stings sometimes... Dwayne

Yikes...what is going on here?? Basic...do a search on this subject and you will see that your statements are far from true. (1) Trendelenburg is far from proven as an effective method of handling shock. (Did you look at the info from the previous posts?) (2) Very few people support new people here and Basics in general like Rid does. (If you can't separate educational critique of the position from critique of the people that do the job then you're missing the point. Unfortunately for you, your stand on Trendelenburg makes this point for him.) Is everyone just ticked off about something today? (I guess me too since they seem to be pushing my buttons ) Have a good day all... Dwayne

Wow jmac...having a bad day? Other than not taking the question very serious I don't think there is anything wrong with us. I did a search on the pic before I posted...no mention of terrorism and I'm not sure it would change my thinking if there was. If you had been part of previous discussions of this type you would have see disclaimers such as "you weren't there, you don't know all the facts" ad nausium. Here we don't know ANY facts, therefore this is not judgment, it is simply a mental exercise. 'Not terror unless it's the U.S.'? Perhaps review some world history and you will see what an idiotic statement this is.... I will certainly bow my head again on 9/11. I also will never use a tragedy such as that to grandstand and attempt to prove my political correctness. Sorry you got shaken up... Dwayne

Hmmm...I might be able to hit the easy stuff... C-collar without necessary stabilization (blocks, board) Also back is bent. Not sure why the head and feet are both elevated unless that is a position of comfort, though it would be contraindicated for spinal stabilization (unless there are ways I don't know of...like most things). No obvious injuries noticeable from the pic...but...guessing again...secondary to a blast injury, would IVs (possible internal bleeding?) and oxygen be indicated? Perhaps she should be stripped to check for shrapnel injuries as well? Not sure...but those are my thoughts..... Dwayne

Kansas Stan, Dominion300, I think you both misunderstand the reason many of the rest of us DO come to this board. And that IS to be judged. I took several beating when I first came here. Because people took the time to show me that I was presenting myself as ignorant, uneducated and naive. Many boards are willing to be my personal "cheerleaders", and tell me how awesome I am for "trying". It is not my goal to try...it is my goal to succeed. If you can't read between the lines and see that Dustdevil and others took the time to tell you the truth then I'd be willing to bet you spend way to much time on "rah rah" sites....not much "rah rah" here. I will take one "Good question" from one of the experienced guys or gals here over all the "You might not spell good but we love you anyway's" (incorrect punctuation intended) in the world. One helps me grow...the other encourages me to fail. I'm sorry you all got your feelings hurt....but why would you want to hang out with people that don't demand anything from you? The previous posts were not unkind at all. They explained why the question, as asked, will not be well received by most professionals. They also explained that the goal as it was expressed would be bad for the poster and the industry. I think they were pretty clear and the poster is encouraged to succeed if they are taken at face value. Hang in there...Re-read the posts with a little thicker skin...Be glad that people with decades of combined experience were willing to explain to you how to be taken seriously in EMS. Good luck in whatever you choose! Dwayne

A friend sent me this article...not sure if it's posted before but maybe can't hurt to post again.. http://www.jems.com/educationandtraining/articles/13369/ Checklist for Success in EMT/Paramedic School David S. Becker The EMS Manager For those students just starting out in EMT education or students who have passed their EMT training and are now advancing to the paramedic level, I thought I would give you some suggestions on how to be successful (or more successful) in school. Regardless of your background—if you’ve just graduated from high school or college, or if you’ve been out of school for a number of years—you owe it to yourself to get the most out of your time commitment to becoming a member of the EMS workforce. These suggestions can enhance your learning experience and help you get the most benefit from your efforts to become an EMS professional. Embrace the change. From the first to the last day of class, every day will be about change. Every time you learn something new, you will change. Students who embrace the changes will find themselves seeking more opportunities to educate themselves and ways to challenge their learning abilities. They will have started on the path of lifelong learning. They realize that they know more today than they did yesterday, but less than they will tomorrow. Follow the rules. School can be good preparation for working in EMS. When starting a new EMS job, you’ll be expected to follow the rules; the same applies to attending school. Don’t think you can set your own rules or that academic guidelines don’t apply to you. Within the training program, someone will be watching you, seeing if you fit in and are able to be a part of the class—and the same will happen within an EMS agency. Be on time. One of the rules is to show up on time for class. Punctuality says a lot about your commitment to the program and your respect for the instructors. On occasion, you may get stuck in traffic or have an emergency that prevents you from arriving on time. But such delays should be rare; don’t make a habit of arriving five minutes late for class. Set your schedule to give yourself plenty of time to make it school early and be ready at the start of class. Dress professionally. And when you show up on time, leave your baseball cap in the car. Casual attire may have been OK in high school or maybe in your current job, but T-shirts with logos or blue jeans with holes should be reserved for your personal time. In class, dress a step up from casual. You don’t need to wear your best jacket and slacks, but your clothes should demonstrate that you care about being seen as a professional. Make time to study. Students who expect to show up at class and be passively taught everything are missing the point of being a student. Class is where an instructor shares with you the highlights of the material you are studying. No instructor can teach you all the knowledge you need to function as an EMT or a paramedic. As the student, you must spend as much time as possible reading and studying the course material. Learning means being involved in your own education and not just listening to an instructor talk. Learning means you’re able to talk about the new knowledge and share your experiences. It allows you to also take information from other students and apply it to your own development. Study with someone. Find a study buddy or form a study group, and spend time outside of class learning with them. The more time you spend reading and discussing the course material, the more you’ll develop your approach to patient care and your understanding of prehospital emergency medicine. EMS is a team sport, and you are only as strong as your team members. Working and studying with them makes everyone better. Practice, practice, practice. In the case of EMS skills, practice and a great deal more practice does make you better. The technical skills an individual needs as an EMT and as a paramedic are crucial in helping sick and injured patients. You perfect those skills only by practicing them over and over, until you can do them without really thinking of all the steps. You don’t proficiently learn how to take a blood pressure or other vital sign by performing it only once; you must practice it again and again. Improve your writing skills. While in school, work on your writing skills. A great deal of your life as an EMS professional will involve complete and accurate documentation of your patient care and treatment. It does you little good if you can perform all the technical skills but cannot provide a clear, concise written patient care report. Improve your speaking skills. Along with improving your writing skills, you must be able to communicate clearly. Especially important is your ability to speak with your patients and other medical professionals, such as physicians and nurses. Take every opportunity during your class presentations to enhance your speaking skills and to get feedback on ways to improve. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Making a mistake means you learned one way not to do something or, in some cases, 10 ways notto do something. But mistakes really mean that you’re making an effort, and so many times it’s the people who never make an effort who don’t succeed. The final two tips will make a major impact on your studies and ultimately your success: Have a good attitude. Hopefully, you’re getting into EMS for the right reasons. If your instructor asked you to write a paper on why you want to be an EMT or paramedic, what would you write? A number of students list their reason to become a paramedic as the only way to get hired at a fire department. Is your commitment to EMS as strong as your commitment to becoming a firefighter? Do you come to class every day looking forward to learning something new and to putting another piece of the EMS puzzle together? Or are you counting the days until you’re finished and believe you won’t ever need to study again? Even when you’re having a bad day at school, how you handle negativity and challenges demonstrates your ability to make a difference as an EMS worker. Remember the little things. As in most things in life, it’s the little things that matter. If you can’t get the little things correct, how can your instructors and eventually your supervisors expect you to do the big things right? For example, perhaps you don’t really feel the need to check your monitor at the start of your shift. It’s always worked and the crew before you reported they didn’t have any calls. One morning, you get a call for the cardiac arrest of a 25-year-old female. When you arrive on scene and begin to hook up your monitor, it beeps once and goes dead. Switching batteries doesn’t help, and nothing you do can get it to work. That little thing you thought was too little to bother with came back in a big way. So it’s important to pay attention to your learning and know that skipping over a small detail can have a big effect later. The same principle applies to your learning. Skipping a small step in your learning could have a big impact on your knowledge and skills later in your career. Learning is work, and it takes effort. Becoming trained as an EMT or paramedic is difficult. As the saying goes, if it were easy, everyone would do. The amount of time, energy and effort you take in your education and learning is directly related to your success in becoming a successful EMS professional. David S. Becker, MA, EMT-P, has been a paramedic for 28 years, holds a master's degree in Health Service Management and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. He is the EMS program director at Sanford-Brown College in St. Louis, Mo. Contact him via e-mail at dsbeckermo@msn.com

This should appear in every self-help guide to life book published. Work hard, learn your craft, avoid whiners, make your team better. Great post!! Dwayne

I worked as a hotshot in my earlier days besides the "con crews" from the prisons. Hard working guys....treated very bad by the guards. I had a lot of respect for those crews...but would not let them in my house, alone, with my family. I have been in trouble...been in jail...but when you screw up enough to go to PRISON (a distinction some seem to have trouble making) you certainly relinquish your rights to have access to people who are unable to care for themselves, their possessions and their medications. This has nothing to do with my feeling superior or perfect. It seems like pure logic to me. Are there many ex-cons that would be a credit to this profession? You bet....Are you going to test drive them on my friends and family until you know the difference? Not gonna happen. The prison system is certainly not about rehabilitation...I wish it worked the way it could...Showing our concern for a convicts future by putting them in EMS just doesn't seem to be the answer. And the argument that they have paid their debt to society....What is the rate of recidivism? Huge...haven't each of them (felons) been deemed safe to return to society? Giving a felon access to vulnerable people is kind of like having Dustdevil teach your 20 yo daughter about chastity....Your intentions may be good... Dwayne

boneknuckleskin, Perhaps you are all of those things. If so why are you having such a hard time seeing that people are not going to give your opinions any weight when you don't seem to be able to give your own interpretation of the strip. It will not longer be necessary to keep telling everyone what idiots they are once you explain the strip and show them why they are wrong. Other than being an ass simply for the sake of making a scene, it does seem you have something to offer. Shut em up by proving your point. Dwayne

I really like these threads. They tend to bring out the best and worst in people... nbsp, I don't really see why your post sure stir up any shit...I think it was pretty well stated and I can see your point. As a Christian (though today that term is not as specific as it used to be) I am often amazed by the arguments that are expected to sway non-believers to religion. I tend to start from the point of view that my faith is not based in provable fact (my feeling...others feel differently) and expect that anyone that is curious about my faith will expect me to have FACTS when I talk about it. I don't really have any....I have stories...that when put together...convinced me that there is more to life than what I can touch and feel. Someone else's stories would not have had the same effect. I don't believe mine will have that effect on others. We find our way or don't...I don't know what decides how it works. I also don't believe that faith makes you a good person. I know many atheists...without exception they are fine people...good friends...great parts of the community. (No...I'm not claiming to know all atheists, I'm sure plenty are assholes...just not the ones I know) Though I know many self professed Christians that I wouldn't allow around my family. What I wish for these discussions its that we could see that vs-eh? and nbsp make valid, logical points. By retorting with "I'll pray for you" (which obviously is not only a weak response but lost on someone that doesn't believe) or "Well I guess you're going to hell" we just degrade any opportunities for dialog...not such a good thing I think. These arguments are interesting to me because Christians seem to believe that speaking of God gives them credibility without the need to be validated. And atheists seem to have the need to disprove or at least disagree with anything and everything faith based. Gotta knock those bible thumpers off their thrones. Makes for some pretty fun discussions!! Have a great day all!! Dwayne

Man...yeah...laugh is probably best....but something about that does make you want to slap him till he wakes up.. That's one of those things that if you tried to describe it I'd say "shut up....now you're just making stuff up." Unbelievable Dwayne

I think most basic classes run from around 120-150 hours or so. Mine was 150 hours plus 40 hours of voluntary labs (which 4 or 5 of us out of 32 used) in two months. People smarter than me will need to weigh in on a one month class. I would have found it difficult to find enough study time in one month I think. Good luck! Dwayne