Captain Obvious writes a column for JEMS

[Kaisu]

This was fixed when we were required to write a run report on every pt during our truck internship and the preceptor had to sign off on the accuracy of every report we wrote.

Now that's a great idea. There are people in class that are making up the calls, filling in information that they forgot to get, etc. This process is only as good as the intentions of the people doing it. It is one thing that really bothers me - character is so important for this job. Thanks for the conversation. I really appreciate how you confronted me with tact. It's a skill I need to learn.

[spenac]

Now that's a great idea. There are people in class that are making up the calls, filling in information that they forgot to get, etc. This process is only as good as the intentions of the people doing it. It is one thing that really bothers me - character is so important for this job. Thanks for the conversation. I really appreciate how you confronted me with tact. It's a skill I need to learn.

Every patient I see in my ambulance ride outs as a Paramedic student require me to write a full PCR on them and be signed by my preceptor as well. I thought all schools did that? Guess I learned something new today.

[Dustdevil]

As an experiment, I turned in a chart that was written by my preceptors. (The first chart was allowed a take back - in other words you could turn it in but it didnt have to count if you didnt want it to.) My preceptor's chart earned a 23/30. The charts I have turned in subsequently have earned 29 and I actually got a 30 on one of them.

More obvious evidence that field experience prior to EMS education can be seriously counterproductive.

[FormerEMSLT297]

.....

IOne reason that cops usually make much better medics than firemonkeys do.

I LOVE it,, thats GREAT... he he he

[Arkymedic]

Now that's a great idea. There are people in class that are making up the calls, filling in information that they forgot to get, etc. This process is only as good as the intentions of the people doing it. It is one thing that really bothers me - character is so important for this job. Thanks for the conversation. I really appreciate how you confronted me with tact. It's a skill I need to learn.

That is why I require any students that ride with me to fill out all of their stuff before I sign. I too feel character is an absolutely important part of our job and one of the most lacking traits that we see too often. In my class we had some that were like that and I would ask them if they were going to cheat and lie in school, what happens when someone's life is in your hands? Something I was taught a long time ago was that you can lose everything you own and hold dear but if you maintain your integrity, you still have everything.

[ptemt]

Dennis Edgerly, the author of the article, runs the HealthOne EMS paramedic education program in Denver. HealthOne is associated with Swedish Medical center in Englewood, CO. The program is accredited and can lead to an associates degree through Arapahoe Community College (local), those are the objective facts. Subjectively, Dennis is an excellent, motivated educator. Look for him at regional EMS conferences as a speaker. I have just completed his didactic program and am now in the field internship phase, and looking forward to a late June completion and NREMT exam.

[JPINFV]

To be clear, I have no qualms with the author or the author's text. It is a very well written article. My problem is that there's a need for an article like this as there didn't seem to be anything earth shatteringly new or unique in the article. Things like proper documentation should be taught in class and refined and QA'ed by the EMS agency, not by a column in a magazine.