MedicAsh

So I was looking on Facebook and one post from a co-worker caught my eye. It was a post about being an EMT/Medic/Firefighter and how people NEED to thank us for the job we do. While I realize there is some pride in our jobs when does pride turn into the "Hero Complex"?

Let me define my definition, to me the Hero Complex is when pride gets taken too far and you believe that EVERYONE should Thank you for your service and they should bow down to your because you are the "mighty lifesaver". (Hmm Sorta sounds paragod-ish)

Well, maybe I am just naive here or maybe I am just strange, but I don't think anyone owes me anything for being in my profession. This is what I want to do and this is what I love. If I get a Thank You out of something hey thats cool but if I don't thats ok too. As long as I know I did my best for the patient.

So while some may feel this is an overreaction on my part, the person who posted this on Facebook is one that feels they need to be held on higher ground because they "save lives". They believe that once you become an EMT or Medic that you are the hero. It makes me wonder if some people are getting into EMS for the wrong reasons.

So here is my question to you, do you feel that there is a point where job pride becomes a hero complex? Do you think that people NEED to thank you because you save lives? I want true honest opinions here. At what point do we draw the line and say this is a thankless job and we all need to put our big kid undies on and just accept that?

Be gone all unwanted Trolls!! (Ok humor me, lack of sleep and nothing to do at this moment.)

Ok I can't help myself here.......Sorry

What about the Ogre?? Thats me!!! Oh and the Grinch Yep thats me too Ok I better stop while I'm ahead. I couldnt help myself. LMAO

I like the city for the fact that I have learned a lot from the people here. Yes there are some people that are "tough" but some of those people have challenged my thinking and helped me as a Medic. I know I don't get the chance to get on here much, but when I am I find it helpful and it also gives me a place to visit with many friends I have gained over the years. I have run into Trolls but they are part of life. You never will rid yourself of the trolls. I guess I have learned to just laugh at them and move on.

So is all that clear as mud? I am running on no sleep LOL.

Book smarts and street smarts are very different. Take the opportunity to get your confidence up while you can. I have learned that you need to be confident but not cocky. Once you get out there on your own, its a whole new world. Prior experience or not, Its just like starting over again. There are some things I wish I would have done more of in clinicals. I am slowly building up my self confidence in the field but it hasnt been easy. Baby steps are good but the best thing to do is step out of your comfort zone and just do what you need to do. I hope classes are going well.

Our protocols dont address this directly but according to my medical director you treat the seizure as you would treat any other seizure. The one main thing you want to be careful of is the patient's respirations. If they are showing signs of cushings triad this is when you really want to watch the airway and consider intubation. He also said that in a situation like this unless specifically stated in your standing orders, to contact medical control. It saves your ass and its always a good idea to ask when you are unsure of something. Our medical control here is great about us calling if we are unsure.

I have been here since September 2006. Wow time does fly.

Pumpkin Seeds!!!! I always have them in my coat pocket and in my mail box. I get razzed about it all the time. They are my addiction. Other than that I really don't snack while on shift. If for some reason I do, I have fruit in the fridge or granola bars in my locker.

Dwayne said it perfectly. Ill tell you that as a new medic there is a lot going on. Hiding in your shell isn't the best thing. You may be out of your comfort zone but you just have to do it. Its been hard for me to do but it helps to just step up to the plate and bat rather than just stand there hoping for a "ball".

I found that memorization of the sheets helped! That is what worked for me. When I went into my oral stations, I wrote my entire assessment out on a sheet of paper they provided me with just to cover my bases. It also put things in order for me when it came time to give the "hospital report".

I also found that they day before the test I refused to touch the sheets. I tend to over prepare though. I am strange like that LOL

Ash

I just got my medic so stations are still fresh in my mind.

The oral station is where my instructor told me to verbalize everything you can think of. I failed one first try but passed it second try. They aren't hard but I forgot to verbalize. Just make sure to know your trauma and medical assessments for this one. You don't have to go into too much details but make sure you cover all treatments and how you will transport.

As for random basic station for us it was KED, however, Around here (Wisconsin) they also get long boarding a fair amount of the time. Usually its KED, long board, or splinting.

As Jake said above, all the rest of the stations are the same. Overall it wasn't too bad. The check off sheets were my best friend for a while, but I was also doing registry as a new grad. Don't let the "street" habits get in the way of "proper" habits.

Good luck and remember, BSI.....Scene Safe!!

I did trend vitals but honestly I dont remember what they were at this point. I can look at my report when I get to work tonight.

Our 2nd rig is a BLS rig so we dont have 12 lead capabilities on that life pack.

As for history she has never had anything like this. She lives alone and the house is kept very neat (although she said it was messy. she needs to see my house LOL) There have been no changes in anything lately. She just started feeling yucky today. I can follow up tomorrow night when I go back to work.

oops I just saw the cancer question. The cancer was diagnosed a long time ago and she has been in remission since.

Ok guys I want to get some input.

Dispatch:

90/f with chest pain and is sweaty

Arrival:

(Once you get into the house) You find an elderly female standing in the living room. She says she feels fine now and feels silly for calling. She agrees to be checked out. Patient is alert and oriented, skin is warm and dry, She states she had pain "here" (pointing to epigastric area) and felt like she was "going to throw up". It lasted 10 minutes and went away and now she feels fine. She woke up this morning not feeling well.

Initial Vitals:

200/70

pulse 80

resps 22

O2 97% on RA

Cardiac monitor shows sinus with PACs.

Pain is currently at a 0/10. At its worst it was a 4/10.

History:

Had ovarian cancer. She is on no medications (except Tylenol PRN). She has "3" allergies but is not sure what they are. She last ate breakfast at 0600 (its now 1100). She is hard of hearing but mentally sharp as a tack.

Patient does not initially want to be transported. We talk her into going in to get checked out. Patient denies pain, nausea, dizziness. Patient taken out to the ambulance. Still states pain is 0/10. As we are pulling out the aspirin and asking her if she is allergic to it she tells us that she "has problems" with it and absolutely refuses the ASA, so its not given. Patient transported. During transport she still denies pain and says she feels normal at this time. Rhythm stays sinus with PACs.

Is there anything else you would have done for this patient. Don't look at this as a medic stand point. Look at it as a basic standpoint with IV and EKG certs. (Sounds strange but humor me).

Ok, I am on 2 different services but here is what we have for my primary service,

1-24/7 staffed paramedic rig

1-24/7 on call rig

8-paramedics

4-Basic IV Techs

6-casual staff (all but one are Basics)

The other service I dont have a roster for right in front of me so I am not 100% sure as to exactly what we have there.

As the others have said, do NOT assume that if someone is tachycardic that they are hypertensive. Patients going into shock may be tachycardic but be hypotensive. That is why they teach you to assess your patient. This way you can find out what is going on and so you can put all the signs and symptoms together to create a working and differential diagnosis.

Why didn't they teach me that nothing ever goes according to the book????

LOL

I think one of the most important things I had when I started off was a list of all the area ER codes. When I started it seemed as though everyone just assumed I knew the codes and were frustrated when I asked. We have 5 ER's that we go to and every one has a different code.

When I started I carried all sorts of things...Now I carry trauma shears, a field guide, and pens. I find that pretty much does the trick for me.

We dont need the ER codes. We have one hospital we mainly transport. MAYBE 2 but that is very rare.

Thanks everyone. I start my official Paramedic training Monday. This is my last 2 days of working as a basic. Its actually kind of scary the idea of me being a medic.......EVERYBODY RUN! lol

I would have to add the following things:

A good stethoscope, not many employers provide you with a good stethoscope.

Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia, a quick and very effective guide to medications, provides doses and what that dose is used for.

Hemostat, unlikely you will see an arterial bleed and yet well enough to clamp it. I use it to clip blankets together when its windy, open bottles of Nitro or when I need to hold something tightly. You never know when you will need one.

Carabiner, I clip a couple to my belt to use when I take multiple IV infusion. I hang the bags together so it is easier to transfer all the IV's.

And that's about all I carry besides some gloves, pocket knife, flashlight, trauma shears and my cell phone. I don't feel weighted down and have never needed anything else when working 911 and transfers. Hope this helps.

I have a good stethoscope. Mine is a Littmann Cardiology II. Thanks for the ideas. Ill look into getting the Pharmacopoeia, and hemostats. I have a caribeaner in my locker, I just never carry it LOL. Its a good point about IVs though. Thanks!

Here's an interesting discussion on this very subject. Please read it in its entirety. Please pay particular attention to the dynamics of the thread. With any luck it'll be an informative, yet entertaining, read.

Wow quite the interesting post there. After reading that I think maybe I need to go invest in a tazer gun. LMAO!! ok well maybe not.

Ok, so I know there are posts about what to carry with you while you are on duty, but my question is (for all you "older" medics) What would you suggest to a new paramedic to carry with them??

I don't know when Ill start orienting as a medic but I dont know what I should carry with me for work. Right now I carry my trauma shears, flashlight, and pager. Do you think I should carry a guide book with me? If so which one would help me the most? I am not one to carry a lot with me while I am working. My personal stethoscope goes in the ambulance when I am on duty so I have it for calls so I dont really carry it with me, but its there.

I want to see what the current and past medics would suggest for a newbie. Thanks

I bought a pair of Thorogood Omega series boots. They took a while to break in but now I LOVE them. They have held up great for me and they are comfy. They also keep my feet dry and warm. They were just under $150 but well worth it.

The one that kind of hit my partner and I both pretty hard was we were dispatched out for a possible stroke. We got on scene to find the first responder doing CPR. We looked at each other like um...wait what happened?? So he ran outside to get the med bag and I got her hooked up to the monitor. She was in asystole. First responder kept doing CPR and I got the IV going and put a combi tube in her for an airway. My partner went out and was talking to the husband as this was going on. We did our rounds of meds and the husband said that he wanted her just to go. My partner called medical direction and he ok'ed us to call it on scene. After I got everything cleaned up and out to the ambulance I went into the kitchen to help my partner with the husband. He asked if we could call the priest which my partner went and did immediately. So we decided to wait on scene with the husband and the officer until the priest had arrived. As we were waiting we kept offering the husband coffee, water, if he wanted us to call anyone and he declined everything. He was sitting there talking to us and he was just in a state of shock. He kept looking at me saying that they had just watched the news at 10pm and she was fine. She had no complaints of anything. She was her normal self. He was talking about how when she got sick with cancer how he was 100% devoted to her and how he took care of her. You could see that he was a genuine person. He lived for his wife. So the officer on scene and I looked at each other and we could just tell we both wanted to just hug this guy. The priest had arrived and we gave our condolences and left. We had a ways to get back to the hospital so my partner and I were talking about the call and he asked if I had heard what the husband had said. I looked at him and told him no. He looked at me and said, "The husband told me when you were in the room and I had him in the kitchen that he knew his wife had just died in his arms and there wasn't anything that he could do to help her." My heart sank. I honestly don't think I will ever forget this guy and his wife. It goes to show that there is 100% true love out there. He was devoted to her.

The only thing that comes to mind is using sand bags and duct tape to hold a patients leg in a position that she could tolerate while transporting for a hip fracture. Fentanyl was not touching her at all for when we tried to move her. As long as we didn't move her leg she was fine so we put her on the backboard, put the sand bag at the end of her foot so it wouldn't slide down ward then using duct tape to keep the leg and sand bag in place. My medic thought I was insane (well the ER did too) for doing it but HEY it got the job done and the patient was more than happy that I did it because it made things tolerable for her. They asked where I learned that and I told them that working in no where Wyoming you have to come up with things like that to help you out.

We dont see it much here but when I was doing clinicals in the city near by we had quite a few of them. The main treatment for these was care of the ABCs. Depending on LOC, we may do a fluid bolus or give fluids wide open. We always have an IV established and of course the cardiac monitor too.

We don't do Benzos unless we contact medical control. The patients that we have had have not had to be restrained at all. We were able to get them to go with us without a fight.

Oh no I know the learning continues, but I wanted to come across is I am done with the official schooling and testing. No, I have a LOT to learn!!! It still feels like I am a basic. Yea its strange changing rolls.

That is awesome!! LMAO