kndoug1 Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Hey everyone! I've been away from the site for a while while trying to get through the didactic portion of the medic program I am enrolled in. And now that the book part is done, I'm getting ready to start my clinicals and internship next week and needless to say, I'm super nervous about it! I was hoping to hear from some of you about what you find most difficult about working as a medic in the field. Hoping this will give me an idea of what to work on and study up on. I know the areas that I am weak in and will definitely be picking my preceptor's brain about, but what do you as experienced providers find to be the most difficult aspect of your jobs? I know it's kind of vague, but really wanted to leave it open and get as much info as I can from those of you that have been there done that, or even from those going through their internship now. Thanks for any help you give me in advanced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Instructor Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Probably the biggest hurdle to overcome is being prepared for everything. The trouble is that you usually will get calls that you never had enough training for. Having an understanding and being able to employ the cognitive and psychomotor aspect of pre-hospital emergency medical care will always be of best help to you. Never get in the 'tunnel vision' rut and always think outside the box. Use your gut instincts that develop with your experiences. If at least, identify, adapt, and overcome the best way you can. First and foremost, make sure you develop a sound patient rapport module. A caring voice, gentle touch, and calm demeanor may be the best medicine you can use. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DwayneEMTP Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Excellent advice from P_I.... One important thing that I see that hold many students back is their, fear, lack of desire or inability to get out of 'student mode.' Being a good student while doing clinicals is vital, but you must remember that this is where you cut the cord. You have to learn as much as possible while all the time practicing to lead. During clinicals most of us, when uncertain and under stress, will/would choose to be more respectable and submissive, assuming that we should 'step back and learn while the really smart people take care of the hinky patients.' This is just really bad thinking. Your clinicals will be much shorter than you will need them to be. Knowing every drug and procedure is great, but on nearly every call there will be something that you don't know. Now is the time to learn to lead when you don't feel qualified, as very often you will feel that way when loosed on the streets. Seldom am I the smartest person on scene, but unfortunately it's not uncommon that I am the only one willing to put my little pea brain's limited resources into action, take ultimate responsibility, and attempt to move forward in a logical manner while attempting to create best outcome that I can see for each call. You will be the leader on each scene that you're responsible for. Shouldering that responsibility in a kind, professional, responsibly aggressive manner takes practice. Learning to use your resources without wrongly deferring to their intelligence instead of yours when you're uncertain, likewise. I've never seen a student that came to clinicals with the intention of growing to be separate instead of showing how competent they could be if only allowed to 'watch for a while.', nor was I such a student...but I wish that I would have been. It can at times be a fine line. You're posts always seem to show your great spirit and intelligence...just make sure that the stress of clinicals doesn't cause you to want to be regressive and submissive...in that way lies monsters... Good on you Girl...If your previous posts are any indication I truly believe that you are going to be a really, really good medic. Dwayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kndoug1 Posted January 3, 2012 Author Share Posted January 3, 2012 Thank you to you both! Some really good advice there. Dwayne, that was more feedback than I ever could have hoped for, and unfortunately you both basically pointed out the one thing I know I have to work on. I tend to be the shy type when I am unsure about what I am doing, but at least I know that about myself and that's just something I will have to work on. I am hoping to get paired up with a preceptor that likes to teach and remembers what it's like to be the student. Not that I need or want someone to hold my hand, because we all know that EMS is just not that kind of profession, but to have someone who knows how to teach rather than just bashing you for every mistake would be nice. The school sets us up with a preceptor, so should know soon! Thanks for the advice guys, will definitely keep it in mind next week when we hit the hospitals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MongoMedic Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 KNDOUG, I totally agree with Dwayne on every aspect of his post. Although I will add this there is a difference in being confident and arrogant. When you are confident you show it by doing it in a manner that you know what you are doing, not by just talking about it. Being arrogant in this business can be quite dangerous. Because of the simple fact arrogance is being able to talk a good game, but having no clue of what you are doing. This can not only hurt your reputation as Medic but it can also kill someone. During your clinicals, this is the time to not only take what you have learned from the books and put them into practice. It is also the time to ask questions and simply say "I don't know" if you don't know the answer. Because if you don't ask the question you will not know the answer. If you make a mistake, don't worry about it, learn from it. That is what this time is for. Always remember this the training, education, clinicals do not stop once you get that Paramedic Patch. It is only the begining. There are countless ways to renew, improve, and learn new procedures, skills, and information that will help you in your carreer as a Medic. MongoMedic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
island emt Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 One of the hardest things new medics suffer from is a lack of self confidence in their abilities and knowledge. You need to be a TAKE CHARGE type of personality in this business. As Mongo said there is a difference between confidence and arrogance, How you relate to your patients and other providers will make a big difference in making you a better medic. Remember that most of our Pt's are having the worst day of their lives, and so are their families.. At least in their minds. Go forward and learn something new from every pt encounter, Don't ever stop learning no matter how many decades you work in prehospital care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) One of the hardest things new medics suffer from is a lack of self confidence in their abilities and knowledge. You need to be a TAKE CHARGE type of personality in this business. As Mongo said there is a difference between confidence and arrogance, How you relate to your patients and other providers will make a big difference in making you a better medic. Remember that most of our Pt's are having the worst day of their lives, and so are their families.. At least in their minds. Go forward and learn something new from every pt encounter, Don't ever stop learning no matter how many decades you work in prehospital care. In my clinicals (many moons ago) that was a common criticism of me during my first couple of weeks of clinicals. The guy(a good friend) I rode with most often told me to buck up and run the fucking call like I was the lead medic. He said that I had one more shift to get my ass in gear and take charge. I returned to the service and rode with him again, I took charge of each call and ran it the way I saw fit and only a couple of times did my preceptor push me in a different direction. After two shifts my friend asked me how I felt. I told him really really good. I told him that I knew the process but was afraid to act on that process. Once I did act on it my confidence swelled and I felt completely at ease with myself and my abilities. It took a swift kick in the old ass to get me to change my focus from nervous to confident. At the end of my clinicals my friend said "you have gone beyond my wildest expectations and become one of those medics I want treating me" He also said that all the other preceptors I had worked under came to him asking what the change in Ruff was? They all were impressed with the change in me. So once you get some confidence it makes a world of difference. It did for me I have taken this to precepting new medics and new employees. Give them a couple of shifts to get acclimated and then make them realize it's their show and I'm only there for the ride and of course to save their asses when they go after the tree's instead of the forest when the call is only truly a forest. Edited January 3, 2012 by Captain Kickass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asysin2leads Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I would temper "taking charge" with the knowledge that you are just starting out and have no experience. I wouldn't trust someone who has never worked a code before to run a code. Do be aggressive. Don't be a shrinking violet. But I would suggest not trying to "take charge" unless you know what you're doing. One of my pet peeves is people who try to take charge who have no business taking charge. Which constitutes a great number of people I have met. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFIB Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) I approach my clinical as if I were proving my worth to a potential employer and do what I think they would expect if I were working for them. Clinicals are OUR time to learn under supervision I I try to take full advantage of every second. So I know that I have been trained, studied hard, and are going to perform as many skills as my preceptor will allow. I mean I would do their inventories, wash the truck, get them coffee, carry their bags, change bed linings, take out the trash, show up for the shift with doughnuts and constantly be hovering over them offering to help. I was always concerned that I was coming off as a whacker and probably would if my personality were not so calm. Most times if I were any calmer I would fall into a coma. It probably helps that I am a "little" older than your average EMS student as well. In exchange I get to perform a lot of skills. I got to run assessments and learned a lot from each of my preceptors both in the ER and on the streets. I am constantly in their way and asking questions. I ask them for at least a verbal operational debrief and take my medicine when they did not like or disagreed with something I tried or wanted to do. I always felt that I was pestering them and was surprised at the great reviews I always received at the end. So from my experience clinical is a place for learning and doing. The best practitioners don’t sign on to watch, they sign on to do. I think preceptors like for their students to be involved and learning. Any preceptor who thinks that students are a bother or inconvenience should probably not precept. Back to your original question. I love the idea posted by Dwayne, Mongo and others that we are training to lead. One of the hardest things for me is getting over the idea of iatrogenic failure. I constantly worry about doing the best for my patient. This gives me a huge burden when I try to lead. Frankly it scares me every time I take lead. If you walk into clinicals with the humble, servant leader mentality you will do great. Context not changed in edit. Edited January 3, 2012 by DFIB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I would temper "taking charge" with the knowledge that you are just starting out and have no experience. I wouldn't trust someone who has never worked a code before to run a code. Do be aggressive. Don't be a shrinking violet. But I would suggest not trying to "take charge" unless you know what you're doing. One of my pet peeves is people who try to take charge who have no business taking charge. Which constitutes a great number of people I have met. Asys, my friend would have never put me in charge of the majority of calls if he didn't fully feel confident in my skills and knowledge. WEre there a good many times that he jumped in and said "Do this instead or try this or why don't you think of this instead of this" and I was eternally gratefull for that guidance. He never let me fully run a code but he let me take the reins all the while he was right behind me sort of as my safety net. I as well jump in at the opportune times or the times when the forest is going to fall on the student and push or pull or point him/her in the right direction. I know good and well that it's not the students license they are practicing under, they are practicing under my licensure and also my medical directors license. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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