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Katiebug

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Posts posted by Katiebug

  1. A few people have told me that the NREMT practice test was just like the real McCoy. They said they even saw some of the same questions. I've also heard that parameducators was good practice. I'm doing the NREMT practice test and taking a month to re read the textbook :blink: . I've been told the Brady is the best textbook to study.

  2. I'm about to take it too. I'm with you... Nervous as hell. I went through a one year program where all the information was crammed down our throats at lightning speed. Only about 7 or 8 out of our class of 22 graduated. People from my school are going well over 100 questions before the computer shuts off.

    People are saying to worry about the practical, but it's the cbt that's really the intimidating part.

    Here is what I'm hearing from the people that passed: Keep it on a basic level whenever possible. Go in thinking like an EMT Basic- not like a paramedic.

    I have one friend that did not deliver one drug, (other than O2), the whole test. He passed. They're saying that the Registry wants to know that you will cover your basic skills first before jumping to any advanced procedures.

    Take it for what it's worth, but that's the approach I'm taking.

  3. Sometimes you just have to lift when you know you shouldn't. My partner and I lifted a 370 lb woman last week. I am 6'2" and 226 lb. My partner is a little shorter but is a muscle bound ff working part time ems. We were sore for days.

    With two strong men weighing nearly 500 lbs together, this was still a dangerous activity. All it takes is one wrong twist or a loss of leverage and you are down.

    Another example is an old classmate popped his knee out while twisting with a pt. So body mechanics is not just for your back. Protect every joint.

  4. The only problem I have with expanding the scope of practice for EMTB is that most in my B class can barely grasp what we are doing now. I don't believe they belong in the class any more than I belong in an algebra class, yet some of them will pass. I could pass algebra, but I wouldn't be a good mathmatician. Especially if a little calculus was added to it.

    This is my niche. I love this field and I will continue on to be a medic. Some of us could handle an expansion of protocol, but I don't think some others should.

    There is one fellow in my class, though I like him personally, if he asks, "is that gonna be on the National Registry" one more time I might just punch him in the face. That is a case of just learning enough to pass the test. I hope he doesn't respond to someone in my family. He certainly does not want or need more responsibility.

    One thing I agree with the medics on; if you want the responsibility, show that you do and take the class. I wish some colleagues and I could do more, but not at the expense of some others getting the same responsibilities. That could wind up being more cases of EMS looking bad.

    I'm sure I'll take a few punches for this post, but I feel it's the reality of it. You can't assume everyone is going to do a good job, regardless of the profession.

  5. In Memphis BLS services start out at 9-10 bucks an hour. If you want to make a decent living you can try to get on the FD, but your chances are about 1 in 2000. Even if you do, you have to split your time between the ambo and pumper because all ff have to be EMT certified.

    Paramedics have a better than 50/50 chance of being hired on the fd and spend 99.9% of their time on the ambulance. Almost all trauma calls are routed through the FD so the pm's run their arses off while the ff play x box. That also means that almost all private does here is transports.

    I don't know what private pays pms here, but the fd starts out at 45,000 /yr + OT and benifits. Max out at 60,000. The shift is 24, off, 24, off, 24, four days off.

    I'm taking a 2.50 pay cut to run transports until this time next year when I graduate pm training. It's a sad state of affairs when I take a pay cut to leave Home Depot to make sure someones beloved grandmother stays alive from point a to point b. I want job satisfaction though, so I'll take the cut.

    This time next year I'll be a fd paramedic and making well above average income for the area. I'm just sorry no one offers that kind of pay and bennies in the private sector.

  6. My suggestion to anyone is"would you do this or say in front of your mate ?" .. if not it is probably inappropriate. Equal is only fair, and she should be respectful, the same as you would be.

    R/R 911

    Brilliant. How many marriages would be saved if everyone took this advice? I love it. Good insight Rid.

  7. I am 33 years old and just getting into this field. I am finishing up this semester top of my class. I am top of the class because I am the most motivated. For the last 5 years I have been a roofer. For five years before that I hung drywall. Want to talk about breaking a body down? As far as physical strain goes, this job is a cakewalk. Lifting the occasional bariatric is fine with me.

    I have spent the last few years kicking myself for not using my head to make a living instead of my back. Now I have found EMS and I love it. Now I can help people, provide a valuable service and almost eek out enough money to live on. This time next year I will be a medic. I am here to stay.

    Too old? Never. If you find something you love, at least you can have a happy life doing it. Trust me, it's better than doing something you hate no matter how much you make. Happiness is more valuable than money. I'll take job satisfaction and low pay over a life of regret and plenty of money any time. Appearantly, so will you, cause here you are. Do what you love, and you will be rich.

  8. Sounds like your boss likes to treat the pulse ox instead of the pt. If someone is having trouble breathing, they should get O2 regardless of what the machine says. The pulse ox is handy, but it has its place. I would trust my own eyes and the pt more than the machine.

    Bob is a retard. If he questioned your methods, he could have done it quietly and in a conversational tone. I guess his ego is more important than the pt.

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