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Medic school


BoCat9

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OK, I'm having problems with IV's. I can mainly get them in class and on people that let me use them as guinea pigs, but on my patients, I have a lot of problems. I got one on my first ride along day, but I have missed every one since, except the one I hit a valve on. It's really starting to irritate me. Maybe I just get nervous or something. Any advice?

I had this problem too. Check your angle, hold FIRM traction below the point of insertion, and above all else (in my opinion) DON'T take your time! Now, what I mean is, don't sloooowly insert because A: it causes undue discomfort, and B: Going slow tends to "push" the vein. Firm, steady pressure will penetrate skin and vein, then just advance slightly after you get flash, to ensure the catheter is in the vein.

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  • 1 month later...

Well, finally getting the hang of the IV's, so I'm happy. And I passed medical module 2 with a 100. Over the hump and now I'm feeling like I may get through this year! Woo hoo! Just thought I would give you an update. Trauma up next. :fish:

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Well, finally getting the hang of the IV's, so I'm happy. And I passed medical module 2 with a 100. Over the hump and now I'm feeling like I may get through this year! Woo hoo! Just thought I would give you an update. Trauma up next. :fish:

Hang in there. It will be worth it in the long run.

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Well, finally getting the hang of the IV's, so I'm happy. And I passed medical module 2 with a 100. Over the hump and now I'm feeling like I may get through this year! Woo hoo! Just thought I would give you an update. Trauma up next. :fish:

You're keep your head up, actually, keep your head down in the book! Almost there, any other questions please ask so we can help you!

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  • 1 month later...

Well, I passed Trauma with an 88. Special Considerations for a few weeks. Drug calculations test next week, so I really need to practice those, esp the Dopamine and Lidocaine drips.

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  • 1 month later...

Two modules left in class, Operations and review. Then the alphabet classes. I feel good about it in the fact I think I'll pass the class and get my medic. Is it normal to get extremely nervous about what will happen after you get your medic? I am feeling that way right now, have been for a week. I keep thinking about what will happen when I get my first true ALS call. What if I forget something and the patient dies? What if I mess up? :confused:

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Two modules left in class, Operations and review. Then the alphabet classes. I feel good about it in the fact I think I'll pass the class and get my medic. Is it normal to get extremely nervous about what will happen after you get your medic? I am feeling that way right now, have been for a week. I keep thinking about what will happen when I get my first true ALS call. What if I forget something and the patient dies? What if I mess up? :confused:

It should scare the crap out of you to know you will be making life and death decisions with so little education.

I will tell you from experience though that if you force yourself to stay calm no matter how bad the call is you will recall your education and do what little we as Paramedics can do to help people.

If you make a mistake don't hide it. Tell the hospital when transferring care, document it, and follow your service and states requirements for reporting your self. Then learn from the mistake and become a better Paramedic for it. Do not beat your self for mistakes, learn from mistakes. One way to avoid many mistakes is take the few seconds to confirm right med and right dose in the protocol book. Anyone that tells you you should not look in the protocol book to verify meds is an idiot.

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  • 2 months later...

I have one month and 2 days until my practical testing and I'm getting nervous. Any tips on how to relax about it and prepare the best I can?

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I have one month and 2 days until my practical testing and I'm getting nervous. Any tips on how to relax about it and prepare the best I can?

You will think about getting nervous on your first ALS calls, just remember though, you have given up your right to freak out. Nerves and good decision making rarely go hand in hand. I taught myself early on that when I felt my nerves start to kick in to make that a marker to slow down, and then slow down some more. You were called because at this time, at this place, you are the highest level of care available. You were called to help. You get paid to be calm and do things that make other people afraid, right? I was afraid every time I pushed a new drug for the first time. I wanted to do as I see many medics do, come up with an excuse not to do it. "The hospital is right around the corner, there's better lights/more people/different options/yadda yadda there!" You've studied, sweated, worried, neglected your friends and family for this education...when the time comes choose to use it instead of run away from it. And when you feel the nerves? Slow down.

As far as practicals, I give everyone that's asked the same advice, though I don't believe any have listened. The thing that will kill you during practicals is fear. You'll get your brain all bunched up with anxiety, rush, and do foolish things. There truly is a simple solution to this. Assume going in that you are going to do every single thing wrong. Assume that you will fail so badly that having to retake the entire test is already a given. Assuming that, what could there possibly be to be afraid of? The mistake people make in my opinion when taking tests is that they worry that they might not do well. Then, each time you run into something that you're not sure of, it reinforces your idea that you will fail, ultimately leading you down a path to a self fulfilled prophecy. Instead, assume from the beginning, and you have to really focus on this until you believe it, that you won't possibly know the answer to anything. Then what happens is, immediately you see that the test is not that difficult and you know something, and....wait....you know something else! Holy shit, this is easy! So instead of positively reinforcing your idea/fear that you will fail, you are constantly proving to yourself that you know more than you thought. See? One leads to fear, the other to calmness.

When I took my first practical I had a friggin' awesome day! It was one of the calmest days I'd had in medic school. Others were literally vomiting before going into certain stations. I could give a shit...I'd already failed, all I had to do now was play the game and go home.. I flew through, didn't miss a station, and went home while some others retested late into the evening, yet I never broke a sweat.

Fear and anxiety are your enemies when you need to focus. At every turn find a way to defeat them and you will truly stand out in intense situations.

Good luck..you're going to suck! (Do fine)

Dwayne

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You will think about getting nervous on your first ALS calls, just remember though, you have given up your right to freak out. Nerves and good decision making rarely go hand in hand. I taught myself early on that when I felt my nerves start to kick in to make that a marker to slow down, and then slow down some more. You were called because at this time, at this place, you are the highest level of care available. You were called to help. You get paid to be calm and do things that make other people afraid, right? I was afraid every time I pushed a new drug for the first time. I wanted to do as I see many medics do, come up with an excuse not to do it. "The hospital is right around the corner, there's better lights/more people/different options/yadda yadda there!" You've studied, sweated, worried, neglected your friends and family for this education...when the time comes choose to use it instead of run away from it. And when you feel the nerves? Slow down.

As far as practicals, I give everyone that's asked the same advice, though I don't believe any have listened. The thing that will kill you during practicals is fear. You'll get your brain all bunched up with anxiety, rush, and do foolish things. There truly is a simple solution to this. Assume going in that you are going to do every single thing wrong. Assume that you will fail so badly that having to retake the entire test is already a given. Assuming that, what could there possibly be to be afraid of? The mistake people make in my opinion when taking tests is that they worry that they might not do well. Then, each time you run into something that you're not sure of, it reinforces your idea that you will fail, ultimately leading you down a path to a self fulfilled prophecy. Instead, assume from the beginning, and you have to really focus on this until you believe it, that you won't possibly know the answer to anything. Then what happens is, immediately you see that the test is not that difficult and you know something, and....wait....you know something else! Holy shit, this is easy! So instead of positively reinforcing your idea/fear that you will fail, you are constantly proving to yourself that you know more than you thought. See? One leads to fear, the other to calmness.

When I took my first practical I had a friggin' awesome day! It was one of the calmest days I'd had in medic school. Others were literally vomiting before going into certain stations. I could give a shit...I'd already failed, all I had to do now was play the game and go home.. I flew through, didn't miss a station, and went home while some others retested late into the evening, yet I never broke a sweat.

Fear and anxiety are your enemies when you need to focus. At every turn find a way to defeat them and you will truly stand out in intense situations.

Good luck..you're going to suck! (Do fine)

Dwayne

LMAO

Interesting attitude, Dwayne- reverse psychology. Hey- whatever works for you, I guess, but that's not a good idea for me. Fear and anxiety over exams and practicals simply motivated me to work harder, study more, do more drug cards- whatever I happened to be worried about. It never got rid of the fear or anxiety, but I realized that by the time the tests or practical came, I was as prepared as I was going to be. Rely on what you studied, and do the best you can. At the time of the exam, there is simply nothing more to worry about- either you will do well, or you will tank, but either way, at that point it's simply too late to do anything about it. It was a rare occasion when I felt absolutely confident and fully prepared going into an exam/practical situation, but it did happen.

I think that once you pass your exams and become licensed, a little fear/anxiety is actually a good thing. It makes you focus, makes you recall your training and knowledge. Even after 30 years in the business, I still get twinges when we have a critical patient. If that anxiety ever completely goes away, that means I have become an omnipotent provider(not in this lifetime), or I simply no longer care(time to quit the job).

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