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Self Confidence and taking lead.


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Hello again all sorry I have been gone for a while.

I was talkin to my program director today and he said that I needed to stop second guessing myself and get confidence in myself and my knowledge.

He stated that I need to lead the calls now since I will be testing out in April. He stated that if I don't start picking up and treating as a paramedic would and stepping out of the student roll and as a paramedic in itself then I would start being marked down on leadership.

My question is, how do i build that self confidence? I know my treatment plans but will easily second guess myself when questioned by my preceptor as a test in itself. It is hard for me because I walked into medic school two years ago with only being an EMT for 6 months and running as a medical transport EMT for 3 months. I joined a volly rescue squad around my college to gain that street knowledge needed that I was lacking.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

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I don't think there is any easy answer. Repetition is the best teacher. If you know your treatment plans (I'm guessing protocols/standing orders), then just do it! Assess the pt. and treat them accordingly. When I precept, I will on occasion question the student's treatment during the call, but usually after. Not trying to question their abilities, but just their thought process. What I would like to see them do is respond quickly with a well thought out response.

Your progamme director is right in telling you to step up. Obviously the feed back from your preceptors has led to his conversation with you. The time to gain confidence is now while you have another medic with you.

Your inability to want to take charge is nothing new. I'm sure all the providers on this site went through it at one time or another when they were being precepted. That being said, all of them also grabbed the bull by the horns and ran with it. If they didn't, they wouldn't be working for very long. Sometimes decisions need to made quickly when it comes to treating pt.'s. Go with what you have been educated to do and treat the pt. Someday, you will be out on your own and won't have a preceptor to help you. You need to step up now. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, that is why your preceptor is there, to make sure you don't.

I'm not trying to bust your chops, and you still have until April, and by then you should be good to go with the testing w/o fear.

Good luck man! Keep us posted on your progress!

Edited by JakeEMTP
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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".

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LOL Ash...I guess my tough love talk worked. In a perfect world, every patient will be a stay and play type, giving you time to think about what your going to do and then do it. No pressure, no stress. However, in the real world, we often do not have that kind of time. Now is the time to find your feet, your way of doing things. Hone your critical thinking, decide on your treatment plan and then...just do it. There will come a time, when you won't have a safety net and right or wrong, you will be responsible for your actions. Be prepared to stand by your decisions and defend them if necessary. Its that first big step that hangs ALL of us up. We all have gone through this and survived it. You will too.

Take the plunge...you won't regret it and you will be amazed :)

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Yes, I would say take the plunge as well, because now is the time to make mistakes and learn from them. Hiding in your shell in class will not help you in the field when you are the lone medic who has to make the decision. Even if your employer puts you with a strong veteran, there will be calls that you only see once every 10 years or so, so now is the time to step up.

If you are second guessing yourself constantly then I would say you either 1. Didnt learn A&P, assessment, and/or protocols fully or 2. You just dont have enough experience. Obviously if the first is correct, study more. IF it is the second you might go talk to your local ER manager and see is she will let you volunteer to observe (not treat) patients for a few shifts. You will see many different illnesses/injury and can see the step-by-step treatment process for each. I am guessing it is the first though since you are the only one being singled out, and the rest of the class started out on equal footing. You might try finding the star student in your class and ask how they study/practice and then mimic them.

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Thanks all I took lead on the externship I had the next day and it felt really good and I got remarked that I did well just need to slow down a bit. I actually am one of the top students in my class I just have very little EMS experience so I'm still gaining my footing but hey, baby steps. The patient I had was a load and go treat on the way.

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  • 1 month later...

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.

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One of my preceptors told me this.."Be a duck..calm on the surface and paddling like Hell under the water". The only person stopping you....is you. One of the EMT's that rode with me and my preceptor alot ( RIP Ryan) looked at me and told me this.." You have the makings to be great in you...you just have to get out of your head. DO what needs to be done". I had HUGE confidence issue while I was in school. I didnt want to cause the patient anymore discomfort. Then, like someone flipped a switch, it didnt matter if I did or not. They needed an IV, they got one, even when they flinched, tensed up or pulled away. It will only get easier with time.

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Confidence comes over time with experience and knowledge. Clinicals is the time to build that confindence with experience. Make sure you know your stuff, the protocols and most importantly the why and how it works so when they ask why did you do this you can explain why with more than it is protocol. As a preceptor I want my students to know why they are giving or doing xyz. Don't get worried when the preceptor wants to reflect on a call or call you on the spot. A good preceptor should in my opinion do this. Ask for constructive feed back.

We want you to be ready to run the calls by yourself when you are finish. You never know where you'll end up working and we need you to be ready to lead. Good luck!

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