emtkelley

Can someone help me with drug calculations? I'm not getting it and would like some insight. Maybe break it down for me? Perhaps there is something that might "click" and help me to understand it better. Thanks!

We were discussing this in class the other night. I believe there is more to this story and will try to find out something if anyone is interested.

I don't care for them either. I think the worst one I saw was "I'm here to save your ass, not kiss it". Now that's special........

I Googled it and this is what I came up with: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navc...r+rapids+IA+EMS Perhaps you can find something there. If Medic is around Cedar Rapids, that is a good place to work, I have heard. Good luck and welcome to corn country!

Good luck! And dont forget to come back here with questions, ect. There are many seasoned medics here who have valuable experience they can share.

Aspen Mills makes a fabulous pair of pants. I love mine and although they were pricey, they are very comfortable and wash well. A few years ago, I bought a few pairs of pants from Galls. Maybe I got a bum lot, but the zippers blew in every one of them in a matter of a few months and I had to replace them (the zippers). When I contacted Galls, they refused to stand behind their product so I was turned off by them. I purchase my clothing from a private uniform store which provides uniforms to the majority of departments in my area. They cost more but will do alterations while I wait for just a few dollars. I always feel confident with my purchases from them. My husband likes Pro-Tuffs for the durability and ruggedness. They are comfortable and he loves all the pockets.

Welcome to the City and to EMS in general! I just got back on with my volunteer ambulance. We were doing stand-by at the football game last night and I started talking with a first responder who was with us. She is burnt out after a year, going to every call, meeting and getting kicked around by the others on the dept. She wants to quit now. So I told her to look into her heart as to why she got into this in the first place and go with it. It's what I am doing and I feel it is the best choice for me. The first time I was with the ambulance, I came in gung-ho and wanted to do everything and do it all now! I was quickly set straight by burnt out medics and those who told me "we have always done it this way" attitudes. I became one of them......the type of medic I never wanted to become. Like the others here have said, hang closely with people who's attitudes and skills you admire. Take what you need and can use and leave the politics, nastiness and negativity at rest. You will never get rich off EMS and there will be times you want to chuck it all. Reach inside yourself, do some reflecting and keep going. I truely love EMS and am willing to take the crap to keep providing the care and trying to make a difference in my patient's lives. Much luck to you!

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I posted a thread on here months ago about ADHD. I was overwhelmed by the responses both in the forum and in PM. So much support and lots of questions about ADHD. I would like to say something here. I started Paramedic class last week after being put on Strattera last winter. Literally, this drug has given me a new lease on life. Now, granted, I have just started back to school but I can feel the difference as I had flunked out of class last year. I concentrate, I don't daydream and I can sit still through lecture. I look forward to class and what the evening will bring me. I also have a great instructor who is making this fun and innovative for us. I still find myself unable to tell him about my difficulties and I don't feel as though I need to. I want to get through this class the same way everyone else is and I honestly feel as though I can do this. If it becomes a problem, I will speak up but for now I want to see what I can accomplish on my own. I need to break through something I have been in a habit with and that is piping up during class instead of withholding the answers because I feel as though I will answer incorrectly. I am working through that and I will become better at it. My brain is firing off correctly and I am thinking the correct answer before the answer is revealed. I have never felt these feelings before and I have to tell you, it is very liberating to me. I feel as though I have no boundaries and the sky is the limit to what I can achieve. Maybe I am feeling euphoria or something...I don't know. I feel like an equal in class and that I have the same opportunities as everyone else. I realize I am still very much into the beginning of class and there will be very difficult things we will be studying as time goes by but I'm not afraid of anything. I look forward to the challenge instead of ducking my head. If anyone has ever had these feelings or dealt with someone with ADHD, they know what I am saying. I am just happy I have found out what was going on and was able to work with my family physician to get this figured out. I don't look at this as a disability or anything......it's not for me. It's just a hurdle that I was given the tools to get past. And finally, if you or anyone close to you has felt like I have and has detected some type of issue with learning, please go to your Dr. and see what can be done. Don't let anything get in the way of your dreams. Get tested, be proactive and determine what your options are. Don't let it keep you from realizing your potential. I'm not letting anything stand between me and what I have wanted so desperately. Take care,

So my fisrt day went great! I like the intructor and am looking forward to this! Hope everyone else had a great first day as well!

Thanks for all the words of encouragement! My husband is attending class with me so we will be going through this together. He is an Intermediate and has been for several years. We went out with friends last night and tonight went out for dinner. I am working tomarrow morning cooking brunch at work and then I am going to relax for the rest of the day. I might paint the dining room on Monday as a source of calming my nerves even more. If I keep busy, I find I am much better off. I so appreciate the offers of help and good wishes and I will take you up on that help! I know there will be things that come up and I will be seeking out that help as the time arises. Good luck to those who are starting this new phase in their lives as I. I will be documenting my adventures in my blog on MySpace just for fun. Take care!

I start on 8/22 and am very nervous. I realize everyone goes through this and I have no doubts but I just need to vent a bit and hopefully get a few pointers. I am picking my book up on Thursday and plan on spending the weekend getting a few chapters read and becoming acquainted with the material. Any thoughts or advice will be greatly appreciated!

Pump It - Black Eyed Peas

I worked in a factory once and my supervisor used to wear long sleeve shirts with an white undershirt underneath. We were talking one day and he said it acts like a personal air conditioner when he sweats. I wear a white tshirt under my shirts I wear in the kitchen where I work as a prep cook and it keeps me somewhat cool. I have also done this with my uniform shirts and it feels so much better having white cotton between my skin and a polyester blend shirt. As for the pants, I saw in Galls.com where they have a thong for us women in uniform. If you don't like the butt floss feel (I don't care for it but thought I would mention it anyway) the white cotton underwear theory works well for me. I believe it was Dust who said he doesn't even wear EMS boots. He wears a type of no skid black shoe that works best for him. If you do a search for EMS boots, you will most likely find his post there. Walmart also has white sox (I believe they are the diabetic sox) also that are nice and cool for these temps. It's an incinerator here in IL as well and we are looking forward to cooler temps tomarrow. I will never complain about the winters here again!

Pump It - Black Eyed Peas great song to listen to on the way to a call:)

Actually, I'm in favor of the death penalty. As an EMT, I am offended we would be considered to be asked to partake in this activity. In turn, I will never carry a piece. It's not my game. My purpose in the EMT world is to try to make a difference in my patients lives by practicing medicine to the best of my ability for the good on my patients. Anyone caring to write these monkeys about their hairbrained idea can do so here: mocorxns@doc.mo.gov source: http://www.doc.missouri.gov/contact.htm I will be choosing my words wisely as I write and even though I understand they will most likely fall upon deaf ears, I feel it is important as a member of the profession to stand up and make it known we aren't going to be anyone's patsy.

***Why is it that it is expected that MDs and RNs will be held to certain ethical standards but we won't?*** Because this same group of folks who are kicking this idea around are the same ones who still believe we are ambulance drivers. :evil:

http://www.naemt.org/aboutNAEMT/capitalpunishment.htm NAEMT Position Statement on EMT and Paramedic Participation in Capital Punishment Adopted June 9, 2006 Statement The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) is strongly opposed to participation in capital punishment by an EMT, Paramedic or other emergency medical professional. Participation in executions is viewed as contrary to the fundamental goals and ethical obligations of emergency medical services. Background Health care professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, EMTs and paramedics, continue to be called upon to participate in capital punishment, particularly lethal injection executions. According to the US Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, thirty-eight states and the federal government had capital statutes in 2005. In 2006, in California, two anesthesiologists refused to monitor the administering of a barbiturate designed to render unconscious a convicted murderer before he was to be killed with two other drugs after a federal district judge ordered, for the first time, that licensed medical personnel administer a sedative before an execution. The execution was postponed and has prompted renewed discussions and debate about medical professionals participating in executions. Historically, the role of EMTs and paramedics has been to promote, preserve and protect human life. NAEMT’s EMT Oath is based on the basic principles of saving life, respect for human life and the non-infliction of harm to all recipients of emergency medical service care. The EMT Oath is a guide for the EMT and paramedic code of conduct and stipulates that the EMT or paramedic “follow that regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of patients and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous.” The obligations to rescue, save and preserve life are part of the essential trust relationship that the EMT and paramedic have with all people in a community and should not be breached even when legally sanctioned. Participation in capital punishment is inconsistent with the ethical precepts and goals of the EMS profession. NAEMT strongly opposes to all forms of participation, by whatever means, whether under civil or military legal authority. EMTs and Paramedics should refrain from participation in capital punishment and not take part in assessment, supervision or monitoring of the procedure or the prisoner; procuring, prescribing or preparing medications or solutions; inserting the intravenous catheter; injecting the lethal solution; and/or attending or witnessing the execution as an EMT or Paramedic. The fact that capital punishment is currently supported in many segments of society does not override the obligation of EMTs and Paramedics to uphold the ethical mandates of the profession. NAEMT recognizes that endorsement of the death penalty remains a personal decision and that individual EMTs and paramedics may have views that are different from the official position of the profession. Regardless of the personal opinion of the EMT or paramedic on the appropriateness of capital punishment, it is a breach of the foundational precepts of emergency medical services, and a violation of the EMT Oath, to participate in taking life of any person.

Sounds like they have made a decision. Move on and persue your job as a Paramedic. I am in a similiar situation myself and if you would like to PM me about it, I will be glad to share. You volunteered your services, they turned you down for their own self righteous reasons. Their loss, you know? Good luck with your Paramedic career!

Ditto of what Rid and Windsong said. Excellent choice of words........ This topic got very ugly in another forum, which will remain nameless. Some people left and I was one of them. I have not returned. I am ashamed I don't know my religion well, I cannot quote out of the Bible and I don't speak as eloquently as the others have. I have a rather unorthodox relationship with God but hey, it works and gives me peace in my life. God has provided well for me in acceptance, understanding, and placing me in certain situations when I doubted his love for me so I could once again renew our relationship. I try not to pray for things I want, but instead pray for forgiveness, and most of all acceptance and the courage to accept the things I cannot change. I live the Serenity Prayer to the best of my ability and it gets me through some of the worst stuff in my life. I was introduced to this prayer during my recovery and put a different spin on how I was going to remap my life. So, yeah......I believe in God:)

Thanks, Rid. Me and my adhd thanks you!

"Ambulance attendant" gets me, especially coming from my own brother who is a insurance adjuster for a major insurance company. I would think he would know the correct term:(

Why is it people come in to the all night clinic at 0300 for a sore finger they have had for two weeks and I have to wake the dr. up so he can examine it? Let THEM wake up the crankiest doc we have on call for the evening!

I really don't have any haunted station storeis but I work at a very old country club as an assistant cook (my family has been members out there for 56 years). The place is haunted and everyone has their stories. Here is what I have heard: Hanging frying pans which arrange themselves neatly on the floor only to be found by the manager the next morning. A face in the window in the room where the safe is kept. A small boy has been seen out of the corner of the eye on occassion. Lights from the upstairs that mysteriously turn on at night once you are out to your car after the place closes for the evening. Things that go bump, crash, ect. in the night up in the attic. Splashing up at the pool at night. The swinging bridge which swings when there is no one on it. I have seen a blur while doing my prep work. I look up and I don't see anything. My hair is tied into a pony tail so I know it isn't a loose hair. I go back to my work and I see it again. If I tell it to go away, it does. We have had some members pass away out there from heart attacks so I am inclined to believe it's their spirit who wants to stay in the clubhouse. They were all avid golfers and spent many a time out there playing golf and enjoying the clubs other amenities. The only thing that came close to getting me spooked was when I worked at an old hospital a few years ago as an EMT and in the clinic. The clinic used to be the maternity ward. Whenever I went back into the suture room which used to be the old delivery room, I used to feel so cold and creeped out, like something sinister happened back there. I shudder to think what might have occured. The hair on the back of my neck would stand up and I would haul butt out of there. I refused to go back there unless someone was with me and they all felt the presence as well. The room was a yucky green color with a horrible looking operating table that looked like a lethal injection cot. Very old floor tiling and old cribs with the high bars were stored in there. Ugh, it creeps me out thinking about it. Sorry so long.......

I live in IL as well. As long as the school you are going to is accredited, you may be eligible for a loan. If not, perhaps you could get a regular loan through a bank, a personal loan. Also, you might want to check with the school. Many times they have deferred payments you can make. The school I am going to does and I will be doing that if I don't get a grant or anything. Might be cheaper to do a personal loan or deferred payments than a student loan as I see the student loans have a higher interest rate in this state if not all over.