sirduke

No, not confused, just noting the fact that some people are rather free with throwing out a statement that someone is unprofessional just because they don't adhere to the same point of view that the other does.

Its sort of like me saying "you aren't a professional because you wear a blue shirt and I like green."

I like an occasional practical joke, does that make me unprofessional, I don't think so. I prefer polo shirts over Class A's, but don't care for t-shirts, does that make me unprofessional?

Its rather silly to throw out blanket statements in my opinion, but I'm not calling those who do unprofessional.

I am however a bit over-analytical, so perhaps I'm into redundancy.

Actually, the family was standing outside his door when we went in, one of his nephews was overheard to say, "Damn, I love Unk, but dat MoFugga STANKS!!"

He'd been down with the heat on for about 5 or 6 days. Lovely indeed.

How about using WD-40 on aching joints, know several people who swear by it.

During a "dead body" call, I had nothing but a HEPA mask and some green hand sanitizer, smeared it in the mask and went in, didn't smell the body, but ended up with a nasty headache and a buzz. Don't recommend that one.

No, I don't quote the Raven, so I'm not in Edgar Allen Poe's class... just detest the attitude that some have.

So far I guess I've conducted myself well at work, there haven't been any complaints.

I do have some stories published on the web however.

In a skinny minute if they would throw in a gastric bypass with the deal.

I'll have to concede that point, I know a medic who fits that bill to the letter, he looks like Joe Snuffy the Ragman, but he is a great medic.

But still, my contention is that just because Crotch and others don't share the exact same opinion I do, doesn't give them the right to brand me unprofessional or a Whacker.

Crotch, did you even read what I said?

Attitude leads your actions, I've met several EMS people who looked great in their Class A uniforms, were distainful of all jokes or humor, and yet were in my humble opinion were not professional, because even though they talked the talk, and made a pretense of walking the walk, their patient care SUCKED, and their attitudes did the same.

Guess the point I'm trying to make is this, we will never agree on everything, but just because you don't like my opinion on a subject doesn't give you the right to brand me a Whacker or unprofessional.

That study must not have been conducted in the humidity of south Georgia.

There have been several discussions on the forums lately that turned into a major pissing contest about who is or isn't professional. It seems that some of us have widely different opinions on what makes one professional or unprofessional, and are very unbending on their views.

Some very nasty attacks and unkind words have been exchanged, so I thought I'd open a thread on the subject and see where it goes.

So, to start off, let me state my thoughts, and then you can all chime in or flame on, whichever the case may be.

First off, just because my opinion on a subject differs from yours, doesn't automatically mean that I'm unprofessional. Everyone is entitled to his opinion, and we will never agree on everything.

Secondly, for those of you who brand anyone who disagrees with you, or is a volunteer, or a firefighter, as a Whacker, who made you God?

Have you ever considered that perhaps you could be the one who is in the wrong, or taking a subject to the extreme?

Professionalism has more to do with your patient care, attitude, and not so much with whether you think wearing a t-shirt is ok, or if playing a practical joke is ok.

Finally, as my old drill sergeant told me, "If you are the only one right, CHECK YOURSELF!"

We got a call that went like this.... "Radio to Decatur EMS, respond to ....... Road, reference to a 81 year old male not breathing but talking."

Well said, my hat is off to you. That is the point I've been trying to make.

Spenac, dude, you are my hero, but you need to get laid, badly!

Spent quite a bit of time in Beaumont, didn't care for it. Prefer to live where the ego's aren't as big.

The best thing to come out of Texas is I-10 East

Now I know why they call you VENT.

The problem I described is caused by the people in the county who keep electing county commissioners who refuse to fund our service so we can have more than two trucks in operation. Not as you imply by heartless evil asinine paramedics who delight in refusing to transport. We are bound by the rules and policy established the same body of commissioners, and they tell us what we can and cannot do.

I try to honor any request made by a patient, but in order to keep my job, I have to obey the rules. Sorry if that makes me a bastard.

The real question is, why would you want to live in Beaumont?

I've run into similar situations where I work, we are a small rural two truck service. Sometimes we have to refuse to transport to hospitals outside our county because we have both trucks out on calls, and the people get pissed, but our hands are tied. As a 911 service, we are obligated to keep on truck in the county at all times. Very often we get called and they request to be transported to a hospital 80 miles away, and we aren't able to comply. This always results in pissed off patients, family, etc, and the crew getting a ration of verbal abuse.

I've had calls where we get there and the reason they called doesn't justify an ambulance, or they expect us to wait till "so and so" gets there, and we explain why we can't wait, and transport, or if they refuse to go, we go back in service.

As for those nurses, they would definitly had a complaint against them.

Guess this will make me even more unprofessional is crotchrottey's opinion

May I ask: How is a polo shirt more functional when climbing a muddy bank or crawling in a car ?

Because the buttons don't hang up and pop off, and even if the two buttons it has do, you don't have your shirt flopping open, not to mention, you don't wear all the little metallic emblems with the polo which jab and fall off.

Like I said, picture your neurosurgeon walking into your room in a t-shirt that say "SURGEON" in big block letters on the back (with all the trademarks of a tshirt listed above: too small, stained, wrinkled, sweaty).

Agreed, but I don't expect my neurosurgeon to come operate on me in the middle of the night on the side of a road, nor do I expect him to have to lug my ass out of a bedroom in the back of a rat infested house either.

T-shirts need to go, if you want to call yourself a professional.

And finally, this is one thing that really pisses me off, some jackass unilaterally deciding that just because someone doesn't agree with everything they espouse, they are un-professional.

As someone mentioned earlier, if the service dictates T's, then you have little choice. I prefer Polo's because they don't carry all the little brass badges and horsecrap that the dept likes to stick on you. They are comfortable and functional.

The class A shirts are neither comfortable nor functional when you are crawling in a car, climbing a muddy bank, etc.

Yes we need to look neat, but at the same time, be reasonable.

I've seen the "coining", first time freaked me out, kid looked like he'd been beat with a strap all over his body.

Had an elderly AA lady who gargled bleach to cure her sore throat, never had heard of that one before.

My mother always swore by Vanilla extract for a toothache, it didn't work for me and that sheite is nasty.

Chewing tobacco juice on wasp, bee and ant stings, it works, so does a dab of bleach on the site.

Guess the nastiest one I can think of is when one of my uncles got finned by a catfish, he rubbed the fishes anal opening on the puncture site. He swore it took away the pain, but wtf?

Our service runs two ambulances and a rescue truck, which has a complete extrication tool kit on it, everyone is required to attend training in extrication upon being hired and we are constantly having refresher courses.

That being said, unless I am assigned to the rescue unit, I am in the car with the patient. Or, I am playing attendant to whoever is in the vehicle with the patient, playing step and fetch-it. But usually, I'm the one in the vehicle.

I know all the volly bashers out there will hate to hear this, but we don't have a paid fire service in our county, and our volunteers are great, they train their asses off, and it shows on scene. They have a extrication team who 99% of the time rolls when we do, assist us in extrication, and them boys is GOOD.

I guess I would have to say that I am very active during the extrication, unless of course it is obvious death, in which case having determined that, I move out of the way and await the coroner.

I wouldn't work it.

Thought I'd resurrect this one for two reasons, first I have experienced several doc's at the local trauma center who are pricks, they get bent all out of shape if you bring in a patient after 1700 hrs when they prefer to be sitting in their lounge watching tv.

Secondly, I figured Dust needed something to rant about.

I've worked with a spinner or two, both in the military and and EMS, it isn't fun. If you don't get them under control and quickly, it affects everyone around.

My platoon sergeant and later my first preceptor both drilled into my head an important fact, namely, if you let yourself get wound up and out of control you are USELESS to yourself and everyone else. Step back, take a deep breath, THINK, then act.

I do think however, that certain type personalities are more prone to being "spinners" than others, but I agree that age and experience do play a large part in reducing the tendency to spin.

I remember the first bad call I was responding to, heart at about 150, when my preceptor shouted at me "HEY!" "this is their emergency, not yours so calm the FVCK down". Kinda like being cardioverted, it put my head back in the right place and the call went smoothly.

It sounds callous, but there it is. If we/you let yourself get out of control, the patient is screwed.

As for the degreed programs vs tech schools, it depends on the student and the instructor.

Last spring, resident Francis Hapke filed a complaint with the state Department of Health about the service's response time. His wife, who was having a stroke, had to wait more than an hour for an ambulance to arrive at her home and transport her to New Milford Hospital. The state is investigating the matter.

Perhaps Mr Hapke should have advocated their becoming a paid service long ago, that way they wouldn't have to depend on a volunteer to come from home to the station, get a truck and then respond.

People have to realize that if you want prompt service, then you got to pay the price. Maybe one day we will have all paid services and then they will have a legitimate right to bitch.