funkytomtom Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 I signed up for clinicals at the university of utah from 1400 to 2400 on friday. I figured that would be a good shift to see as much as possible. Anyone have any advice on doing your clinicals (this is for my emtb class) or any cool stories? I read the one on the home page about the guy dying after cpr, pretty good read. Anything else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubanurse Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Keep your eyes and ears open/... ask questions when appropriate aka not in the middle of a code...etc... try to learn as much as you can! Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tskstorm Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Everything you see in the Hospital will be useful to learn, and important later in your career, enjoy your experience, as far as stories go on your clinical then tell us a story ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkytomtom Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 I hope I get some good stories! I'm excited to see some real patients and maybe do some things for real...although I'm sure I won't be doing much (I'll have to keep my neurosurgery skills hidden). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tskstorm Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Take vitals .. listen to lung sounds If you don't know what normal is how can you know what abnormal is!!?!?!?!?!? Do the little things for the nurses and technicians and they will find you when/if something cool is going on! good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomeViking09 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Take in all you can, do what you know how to do and ask to learn, don't get in the way (well at least not too much) and help out when you can. The hospital is the best place to learn you patient assessment skills b/c they tend to be less rushed and the majority of you patients will be stable. When you get to your EMS clinicals focus on learning how things work in the field. I got to work a few codes in clinicals but learned more from the calls that most people hate to go on. (Had what started as a BS call for a ERSF PT at a Dialysis center with a blown shunt that turned into a bloody mess in the back of the truck 1/2 way to the ER) but pay attention and learn all you can. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gypsy Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hopefully you'll see more than I did when I did my clinicals but one thing I can pass along is don't be scared of asking, "How can I be helpful?" Don't be shocked if they have you making a bed or something but they will remember the person looking for something to do over the one standing in a corner doing nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott33 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 (edited) Don't be shocked if they have you making a bed or something but they will remember the person looking for something to do over the one standing in a corner doing nothing. Any good EMT school will have already advised the facility of clinical expectations of the students. This should not include "making beds" or anything similar. Clinical time is sparse enough in EMT school without making it less productive by being used as a skivvy for lazy arse CNAs. I agree with tskstorm - take plenty of vitals, lung sounds etc. Edited April 13, 2009 by scott33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom5706 Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Let me tell you my experience. I was scheduled from 3pm to 8pm. After I checked in, the nurse asked me to check vitals on rooms 1-5. Of course they were all hooked up to the auto machines, so all I had to do was push the start button and wait. that done, I was asked to take labs down the hall to the lab.. Done. Then all hell broke loose. Had a man come in with a cardiac issue. Nurse me asked if I had ever connected a "pacer". I said no. She took me by the hand and said'its time to learn". She applied the first lead and handed me the rest and said "you do it now". I did and she showed me what it looked like on the monitor. KEWL stuff. She kept me by her side and tought me alot of proceedures that you really dont cover in the class. Be prepared to do alot of walking, making beds, andtransporting pt.'s to the floors. The doc's were great, and if they had time they will teach you too. Just be on time and ready to learn. One last note. When it was time for me to leave at 8, the nurses said, "do you really have to go?" What started out to be an 3-8, turned out to be a 3-1 a.m. Both days. I had a blast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gypsy Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Any good EMT school will have already advised the facility of clinical expectations of the students. This should not include "making beds" or anything similar. Clinical time is sparse enough in EMT school without making it less productive by being used as a skivvy for lazy arse CNAs. I agree with tskstorm - take plenty of vitals, lung sounds etc. I just know the hospitals I went to when we had patients we got to work with them but we were slow alot. So I did what I could to make myself useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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