What is your 'opening line'

[emtdennis]

^{Hi I'm Xxxxx from Medford volunteer ambulance, you're in luck we finished our coffee break!!}

^{OK, it's something I wish I could get away with saying.. Usually it's}

^{I'm Xxxxx, from Medford Volunteer Ambulance, what happened? (while I am checking A-B-C). This also gives me a hint about a patent airway and A&O and lets the patient give me their version of things.}

[Mateo_1387]

Usually...

"Hi, I'm Matt, this is Bill, Whats your name?"

They give me their name, most of the time

Then "How are you feeling today?" And go from there.

I also try and shake their hand, its just the southern thing to do. Plus it gives me that permission to touch.

[Eydawn]

If I'm out in the field: "Hi, my name is Wendy, I'm one of the EMTs that will be treating you. What's going on?" Or some such. Sometimes it's "Wow! Bet you hit the pothole that the five riders before you did, am I right? Let me see that helmet..." (Lord, that was an interesting bicycle race standby...)

If I'm on the hospital floor: "Hi, my name is Wendy, I'll be one your CNA's today. How's it going/how you doing? How's your pain?"

If I'm settling someone in right after they come up from the PACU (recovery room), I do have a few pat lines... "This here is the call button and TV remote. See the bald red guy on the large button in the middle? Push on the bald red guy if you need help. Or any of the orange crosses on the bedrails. Hear that loud beep? I just turned on the "don't get up without the nurse" alarm... if you get up without calling, bells and whistles go off and folks come running. Please call first!"

My other one is after I dc IV's... "See this? It's called Coban. I'm wrapping it around your arm. If you start bleeding through it, put pressure on it. If your fingers start to go numb, please take it off. Basically, if something isn't right, please do SOMETHING!" (Usually we dc IV's immediately prior to discharge)

Wendy

CO EMT-B

RN-ADN Student

[Kiwiology]

I always love how people say "we're from the Ambulance" ... like no shit there is a bloody great ambulance parked in the driveway (or at least we TRIED to park it in the driveway if I was driving ...), two or three people with "ambulance" written all over their uniform are standing inside your house with a shit ton of medical equipment and at some point somebody in the immediate surroundings may, just may have called 111 and asked for an ambulance

[BushyFromOz]

I always love how people say "we're from the Ambulance" ... like no shit there is a bloody great ambulance parked in the driveway (or at least we TRIED to park it in the driveway if I was driving ...), two or three people with "ambulance" written all over their uniform are standing inside your house with a shit ton of medical equipment and at some point somebody in the immediate surroundings may, just may have called 111 and asked for an ambulance

And yet despite all that, i still get askedevery so often if i have ever had to shoot someone... perhaps i liike a little sketchy, like bryant or knight?

[Kiwiology]

And yet despite all that, i still get askedevery so often if i have ever had to shoot someone... perhaps i liike a little sketchy, like bryant or knight?

WTF the Vicpol and MAS uniforms look nothing like each other; one is light blue and sports a giant hand cannon revolver and the other is very dark blue with "paramedic" written all over it

[Arctickat]

I always love how people say "we're from the Ambulance" ...

It gave birth to me.

[Kiwiology]

So is your mum Jugs?

[Arctickat]

Naw, I was an immaculate conception. The back doors of the ambulance burst open and I spewed forth.

[Kiwiology]

ew sounds pretty nasty and here I was thinking Canada was pretty looking eh?

Oh SCOP found out about my getting destroyed on hillbilly moonshine and causing a scene in Tennessee; they suggested I should apply for registration in the Yukon or Northern Alberta ... hmm, will that be a problem?