nypamedic43

Unfortunately there isnt a temp card. Given the time frame and the fact that thier cards expire at the end of the month...maybe they should have been more proactive and taken the recert class earlier than a week or so before thier cards expire. Just a thought ....

tsk is right. Insurance underwriters wont insure a driver of emergency vehicles who is under the age of 21. At this point the EMS field is saturated with EMT"s that have gone through the "puppy mill" classes. And most of them are finding it difficult to get hired anywhere.

There isnt a temp CPR card. I've always either gotten them at the end of class or had to wait until the regional office printed them and sent them to my organization. Why do they need a temp card?

I posted this on my facebook profile a few weeks ago.

At this time he doesnt have any physical deficits. The problem is memory. He is staying with his parents for awhile to be "watched" which he is hating at the moment lol.

Lol I love the goonies

Timmy is coming home today!!! I am so relieved and I can't stop smiling lol!! To all of you that said a prayer or thought about it....thank you from the bottom of my heart. This truly makes me marvel at higher powers and the wonder of modern medicine

The Americans with Disabilities Act is here : http://www.fema.gov/oer/reference/ada_1990.shtm It does not specifically name the disabilities covered. However, I have to agree with kiwi on this one. It really is up to the employer as to whether or not they can accomodate you in this case. If you can't see at night to drive or carry out your responsibilities they may not hire you. Alot of this job is visual. You will really need to contact prospective employers to get a clear answer. Good luck

traumatic medical conditions?? or trauma conditions and medical conditions? Do you want to hear stories about the multi-car pile up or the little old lady that hasnt felt well for the last month. The 2 are worlds apart and, honestly, nobody wants to hear about the little old lady that hasnt felt good for the last month. It doesnt sell stories or books or movie rights but big explosions with dozens of casualties and fatal car wrecks do. Go figure.

I dislike the mother may I mentality that pervades the EMS systems in this country. I dislike QA/QI but I have grown immensely because of it, in terms of documentation and patient care. I dislike having to deal with higher level providers (nurses in particular) that look at me like I am thier personal transport bitch and I dont deserve a report as to why I am taking thier resident to the ER or even the respect to come into the room to make sure we have delivered the right patient to the right facility, at the nursing home. I like the fact that I can help people. At this point in my carreer the cons outwiegh the pros.

Hi Brent. Long time no see. just wondering why the confession here? As for not working as an EMT at the moment....recent events have made me rethink why I am in this business and may be be getting out as well.

Timmy has been moved out of ICU to the step down unit!! Next stop...home!!!

Well it's been 6 days since Timmy was flown to Strong. The surgery went very well. He is talking and joking around and playing on his laptop. Status updates are coming from him directly now. He has to have another angio done on Thursday and if it looks good he can come back to the area (not home) on Friday. Some memories are still foggy but there are no physical deficits. Happy news )

The problem you will run into is that every state is different in what they allow thier basics to do. Some states have EMT-Basic. EMT-Intemediate, EMT- Advanced Intermediate, EMT-Critical Care, and EMT- Paramedic, with various certs in between those. What one state will allow the next one wont. AND they dont all carry the same drugs. I wish you luck in your endeavor.

Talked to Timmy's wife last night. Apparently our local hospital knew he had an aneurism somewhere but couldnt find it. So they flew him to Stong....and they found it almost immediately. Its just behind his left eye but he also has blood in the back of his brain as well. Anyway, he underwent a procedure yesterday where they placed a coil. From what his wife said the procedure went well and as long as there isnt a secondary bleed somewhere his prognosis is now quite good. He will need some rehab though and he has some confusion probaly from the pressure on his brain, but she said that that was clearing up as well. Its kind of scary when you think about it. How fast your life can turn upside down. We dont think it can happen to us but it can...and does. We dont like to think about our own mortality but because of this, I have put a plan in place and my wishes on paper in the event that something happens and I cant speak for myself. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. They are so very appreciated!

Last update for now..apparently the neurologist wasn't comfortable with taking on Timmy's case so he was flown to Strong Memorial in Roch. NY last night. This...is not good.

You dont want to decompress in the side, thats where ED staff will put a chest tube. Decompress mid clavicular just over the 3rd rib. Repeat as necessary. Start 2 large bore IV's with ringers left at KVO rate. His pressure is good at 110. Cant be sure that there isnt a tamponade going on though and his breathing should inprove with the decompression. If it doesnt, there could be a tamponade. JVD and deviated trachea are late signs. Oxygen at 15 liters by NRM. Suction as needed Cardiac monitor and 12 lead 2 IV's of ringers at KVO rate to keep pressure where it is cover the entrance and exit wounds. How is his belly? rigid? distended? does he have rebound tenderness? The goal here is to load him and get moving and prevent decompensated shock from beginning. He doesnt need trendelenburg as he isnt hypotensive. Keeping him in a semi fowlers will help prevent blood from pooling in his airway but still suction as needed.

UPDATE:: He is in ICU, undergoing more tests because they cant see where the bleeding is coming from. Dr. Kung ( the best neurologist in the area) is foregoing surgery, at least for now. He is thinking that it is a leaking aneurism but all he knows for sure is that is subarachnoid in nature and he is waiting for aditional testing. I should know more tomorrow when I talk to Tim's son. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

I've been doing genealogy for years and have several family lines back to the year 1000 or so in England. If I wanted to print off the graph it would be over 3000 pages...way too much for my little printer to handle. I also cross stitch and am working on a forest/deer scene for my dads birthday. Words with friends and hidden chronicles on FB. Other than that Jayse keeps me busy.

I am asking people to say some prayers for my friend and co-worker Tim Golden. This morning he was taken to the ED by his son with a bad headache, stiff neck and nausea/vomiting. CT and MRI have confirmed a major bleed and he has been sedated and placed on a respirator to try to get his ICP down and the neurologist figures how best to attack it. I know that some of you have your own way of believing or not...but however you believe...please say a prayer for him. I worked with him yesterday and he was fine, no complaints of any kind. So this news first thing this morning has me very upset...floored actually. We've been asked by staff to keep our visits to a minimum for several reasons, mostly for him, and asking for prayers or whatever is the best I can do for him right now. Thank you.

Saving someone from a cardiac arrest is just doing our job. Outcomes post arrest are grim. I've worked 2 arrests in the last week, got a pulse and a pressure back on both of them, only to find out they passed a couple of days later. I sometimes wonder to myself...Have I done them any good at all. I dont think I have. I prolonged thier lives long enough for family to say goodbye. I guess that should be enough but it isnt.

In NY, EMT's are now allowed to give oxygen, albuterol, ASA, epi pen and are able to assist the patient in taking their OWN nitro and inhalers. That's it. They arent even allowed to check a patients blood sugar :/

The question is posed for how to prepare for a test on evaluating trauma and when to call ALS. The point? TESTING. So the answer is...you call for ALS as soon as you have completed your scene size up and determined how many patients there are. Whether or not you are ILS. Some of the replies have mentioned protocols and medical direction and what exactly is an ILS provider. Totally irrelevant in the testing scenarios. You go down the sheet...scene size up, is the scene safe, BSI. how many patients and do I need help. The answer is yes...you need help. Call for ALS. Then do your assessments. Note injuries, fix what you can and package the patient. Reassess patient. Hand off to ALS. Done. And dont forget to check for pulse, motor and sensation before and after packaging the patient and reassess ABC's. Trauma assessments aren't rocket science. If you follow the sheets you will be fine. edited for spelling...again

Can the paramedic save a life? Yes, a paramedic can save a life. It's what we are trained to do. Does that make us heroes? No it doesn't. Maybe to the family it does but we shouldnt be calling ourselves heroes for doing our jobs. Is it arrogant to call ourselves heroes? Absolutely it is. What makes a hero or a lifesaver? Being a lifesaver really only entails doing your job, to the best of your ability, every day. Being a hero requires that extra effort to go above and beyond, putting your life on the line so that someone else can live. I personally have no interest in being a hero...thats for the fire services. Would I put myself in harms way to save someones life? Yes....and then kick myself in the ass for doing it later. But I wouldnt want to be called a hero because of it....in some cases that would just be plain stupidity on my part.

I have never given morphine...and only have given valium a handfull of times. However, lately, I've been giving zofran like candy. But thats not locked up and if I absolutely needed the morphine or midaz, I send my partner back to the rig to get the narc box.