Jump to content

Taking Vitals


snoopy911

Recommended Posts

AH, okay.

Seriously, everyone who complains of abdo pain aren't allowed to walk down a flight of stairs? Damn, that's a restrictive policy. Also tells me that you guys aren't really trusted, are you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

AH, okay.

Seriously, everyone who complains of abdo pain aren't allowed to walk down a flight of stairs? Damn, that's a restrictive policy. Also tells me that you guys aren't really trusted, are you?

NYC has lots of sue happy people. Protocol is written that way to protect the provider in the long run, it encourages getting a signature for protection of liability.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EMS Student Pet Peeve!

Holy cow, nothing pisses me off more, than someone fudging the vitals. If they do it in the classroom, they'll do it in the field. I was the "patient" at a class several years ago. Every student, I was 120/80, Pulse 80, Resp. 16. First, I intentionally slowed my breathing to 10. Second, my pulse was running about a hundred because I had a cold/fever. Third.. My BP prolly went up, every time I blatantly knew they lied. Used to be, I ran 108/70 range. Anymore it's prolly 140/90. But when I hear someone say 120/80, I tell them to check it again on the other arm. But on the ambulance, I'd sooner do it myself, than rely on NIBP, just personal preference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had an EMT at my company that the made "mentor" he was telling the new hires that were new EMT's to "make up vitals" if your unsure or can't do them. This kid was drunk often and had many fights with is ex that got him arrested, but they liked him. meanwhile, I sat there and fought to be a mentor, but then realized is it worth it for 50 cents more an hour???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just want to clarify a point here Snoopy, not related to the issue of your partner fudging the vital signs (absolute shame on him!). Is it standard on these transports for the EMTs to take the vital signs? And why would he be giving report to the receiving staff when there are 2 RN's and possibly an MD and/or RT?

Inquiring minds are wondering... :confused:

Cheers and don't let YOUR standards fall,

:thumbsup:

Edited by Aussieaid
Link to comment
Share on other sites

EMS Student Pet Peeve!

Holy cow, nothing pisses me off more, than someone fudging the vitals. If they do it in the classroom, they'll do it in the field. I was the "patient" at a class several years ago. Every student, I was 120/80, Pulse 80, Resp. 16. First, I intentionally slowed my breathing to 10. Second, my pulse was running about a hundred because I had a cold/fever. Third.. My BP prolly went up, every time I blatantly knew they lied. Used to be, I ran 108/70 range. Anymore it's prolly 140/90. But when I hear someone say 120/80, I tell them to check it again on the other arm. But on the ambulance, I'd sooner do it myself, than rely on NIBP, just personal preference.

Yea, no benefit in that, If they never learn to take them they never will.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just want to clarify a point here Snoopy, not related to the issue of your partner fudging the vital signs (absolute shame on him!). Is it standard on these transports for the EMTs to take the vital signs? And why would he be giving report to the receiving staff when there are 2 RN's and possibly an MD and/or RT?

Inquiring minds are wondering... :confused:

Cheers and don't let YOUR standards fall,

:thumbsup:

Yes it is standard to take vitals. They have to be filled out on the state forms, and also on the forms for the companies.

And we are talking about 2 diffrent things, what I am currently doing; mostly interfacility transports, with an EMT partner, and what I will be doing once i get my driving experience: Working with the Critical Care transport team for the peds hospital.

EMS Student Pet Peeve!

Holy cow, nothing pisses me off more, than someone fudging the vitals. If they do it in the classroom, they'll do it in the field. I was the "patient" at a class several years ago. Every student, I was 120/80, Pulse 80, Resp. 16. First, I intentionally slowed my breathing to 10. Second, my pulse was running about a hundred because I had a cold/fever. Third.. My BP prolly went up, every time I blatantly knew they lied. Used to be, I ran 108/70 range. Anymore it's prolly 140/90. But when I hear someone say 120/80, I tell them to check it again on the other arm. But on the ambulance, I'd sooner do it myself, than rely on NIBP, just personal preference.

Completely unrelated to my thread, but to what 4c said,

One time in EMT school I had a slight heart attack, cause people had just gotten in trouble for faking vitals, and it was my final exam practicals. The "patient" was one of the instructor's father, he was about 83 at the time. When I took his BP and pulse, I was terrified to tell them what I had gotten, for fear that they would fail me. His pulse was around 44, and his BP was about 80/50 if remember correctly. After asking me if I was sure that was what I had heard, with a totally straight face, they explained. That is completely normal for him, and they always used him as the patient for that section, to weed out the ones that faked vitals. If you came up with 120/80 for him, you fail! But boy was I freaked out for a minute!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Completely unrelated to my thread, but to what 4c said,

One time in EMT school I had a slight heart attack, cause people had just gotten in trouble for faking vitals, and it was my final exam practicals. The "patient" was one of the instructor's father, he was about 83 at the time. When I took his BP and pulse, I was terrified to tell them what I had gotten, for fear that they would fail me. His pulse was around 44, and his BP was about 80/50 if remember correctly. After asking me if I was sure that was what I had heard, with a totally straight face, they explained. That is completely normal for him, and they always used him as the patient for that section, to weed out the ones that faked vitals. If you came up with 120/80 for him, you fail! But boy was I freaked out for a minute!

We had an instructor that used to play patient, that only had one lung, for the students that faked lung sounds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with HR over an unrelated issue. I think I am going to bring up the fact that i worked with a partner who didn't take vitals, and see where it goes from there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with HR over an unrelated issue. I think I am going to bring up the fact that i worked with a partner who didn't take vitals, and see where it goes from there.

Be prepared to follow through, with telling them who the partner was, when it occurred etc... and to put it in writing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...