Advice From All You Medics

[OneTime]

WE PASSED 2000 Views!! The responsibilty thing as always been scary to me! As cops you really dont get sued much. Unless its a civil rights thing, But those are really few and far between, unless you are heavy handed. We had our legal lecture the other day. As a cop there isnt much that you can't go back and fix if you screw up, short or shooting the wrong person. Most of what we do is paper work and you can almost always fix that. But as a medic you dont get to go back or get a do over. Push the wrong drug or dose, you cant pull it back.

Plus when I get out of school I wont be working on a engine or rescue with other medics. While Im waiting to get on Air Rescue my plan is to hire on with a Private Ambulance Co in a rural area outside of Phoenix (all the companies in rural area mostly do transports) So if I take a job with a rural company, Ill be working a EMT/Medic Crew. Guess who will me the medic...ME!
Coupled with the fact that I'll have extended transport times. So no "will be at your ER door in ten minutes!!!" So Im way nervous. Guess I'll be patching a lot.

As far as the Tatical Medic.. Thats my plan after I graduate. There seems to be a new trend with tatical medics to train existing EMS/FIRE medics on SWAT tactics instead of training a cop to be a medic. I think it makes more sense. If I was shot I rather a EMS or Fire medic working on me than a cop that has been crossed trained a went to medic school. The medics that are trained on swat stay on the outer perimeter and are not the ones kicking in the doors.

I know that sounds hypocritical to what im doing. But I dont plan on just going to medic school and then doing the bare minium to keep my cert. This is a passion of mine and I plan to get as much experience and education as possible.

 

[OneTime]

Update. We got into skills. We did intubation and RSI. We spent two days reviewing BLS skills to. We did some scenario based extrications and KED board use. On an Expedition note: I pulled the Land Cruiser up and use as one of our crash vehs. The instructors were digging the 80.

 

[jh504]

Update. We got into skills. We did intubation and RSI. We spent two days reviewing BLS skills to. We did some scenario based extrications and KED board use. On an Expedition note: I pulled the Land Cruiser up and use as one of our crash vehs. The instructors were digging the 80.

I know that yall are glad to be getting some hands on practice.
We just went through intubation and RSI this weekend. That was some sobering stuff.

 

[OneTime]

Well so much for class getting easier. I'll be honest. I feel a little overwhelmed at times. I guess it has to do with sitting in class and not actually applying what we are learning. I see strips come in from the field and they are no where near the nice clean text book strips. Maybe it will become clearer when I get into clinicals.

 

[jh504]

I know how you feel. We are at the end of our 1st out of 3 sections. I have been treading water for the past two tests but managed to get out with an 87 and an 85. I am really looking forward to the next section starting with Trauma. I am going to re-group and hit section two hard.

 

[OneTime]

Funny you use the term regroup! I have been thinking the same thing. We have a tes next friday on general stuff. Chaptersfrom our Brady book, on communication, interviews etc.... huge chapter on physical exam staff that doesnt apply to pre-hospital. It more like what a doc does in a general physical. And the chapeter is huge! The questions are.. "What is the zone of space called between you and the pateint that is with in two feet? Or what is the term called when you repeat back and answer the patient gives you? WHO FREAKING CARES!!!! I have to learn Epi and Atropine by Friday!

I just what to get passed this test, and "regroup". I enjoyed class the first few weeks. Now I am just in auto pilot mode. Each day just blurs into the next. I go seven days straight with work and school and often feel like a zombie. Ok rant and venting over.....

 

[jh504]

Funny you use the term regroup! I have been thinking the same thing. We have a tes next friday on general stuff. Chaptersfrom our Brady book, on communication, interviews etc.... huge chapter on physical exam staff that doesnt apply to pre-hospital. It more like what a doc does in a general physical. And the chapeter is huge! The questions are.. "What is the zone of space called between you and the pateint that is with in two feet? Or what is the term called when you repeat back and answer the patient gives you? WHO FREAKING CARES!!!! I have to learn Epi and Atropine by Friday!

I just what to get passed this test, and "regroup". I enjoyed class the first few weeks. Now I am just in auto pilot mode. Each day just blurs into the next. I go seven days straight with work and school and often feel like a zombie. Ok rant and venting over.....

yeah I totally understand where your coming from. Our next test is on communications and some other stuff that I dont remember the lecture. After that it is trauma and then cardiology. Very excited about that!

 

[OneTime]

Still chuging away. Two more drug profiles this week. Dopamine and Lidocaine. 5 days of ACLS week after next. 3 month of school and so far only one day of skills, (intubation) I guess being a paramedic is 95% knowledge.

 

[OneTime]

We covered infusions today: dopamine, lidocaine and epi. A little confusing. I will caring a cheater for those.

 

[kellymoe]

We covered infusions today: dopamine, lidocaine and epi. A little confusing. I will caring a cheater for those.

It's been a while since I have worked as a medic but do you still piggy back dopamine or do you give infuse 400mg in 500cc and titrate to effect? Lidocaine is one that our medics dont use as much as when I was active as a medic, I used to push lido and lasix on a daily basis back in the 80's for CHF, now I just dont see as many CHF'ers anymore, must be better Rx. treatments now.

 

[OneTime]

Dope is no longer titrated for effect. (Hey im starting to get the jargon. not bad for a cop) Our instructor told us he use to run it wide open, then back it off as pressure and HR came up. I assume thats how you use to run it. There is now a table you use to set your drips rates based on how much you are giving.

Kelly I guess Santa Barbara is burning good. Makes me miss working in Ventura.

 

[kellymoe]

SB fire is starting to mellow out a bit with a on shore flow. We have several engines up there that should be coming back soon.

Glad things are good on the medic front.

 

[OneTime]

IV's tomorrow!

 

[kellymoe]

IV's tomorrow!

Have fun. I am not one to brag but I was an ace at IV's and intubation back in the day.
Yesterday I went to get blood work done at one of those labs where all they do all day long is take blood. You would think they would be good at hitting veins, right? Wrong!! I sat there as she proceeded to drive this scalp needle in and out trying to hit my AC that was clearly there. I seriously nearly asked her to stop so I could do it. I guess 20 years of starting IV's in dark rooms on the floor or the back of a bumpy rescues tends to pay off. Maybe they should require phlebotomist to ride along on a rescue in South Central LA for a few weeks to get good at their job.

 

[OneTime]

Well I did it! Got my first stick. A few actually. My partner went first. This may sound odd, but I dont do good with blood. As a spectator. I dont do well if I am just watching. If I am providing the care, for some reason its a whole different story. Maybe I get that rush of symapathetic response.

So when my buddy went first I turned away and didn't look. I could hear the instructor saying "Good, good you are in. Now advance the catheter. Ok pull out the needle." Then all the sudden I hear this, "HEY PUSH DOWN HARDER!" And I could feel this warm fluid gushing down my arm and on to my leg. My partners starts saying, "Oh crap oh crap!" All my class mates run over a watch the cop bleading. He finally got it stopped and I worked up the nerve to look. I guess I bleed good.

After seeig the mess from my partner's first try, I was nervous. The first time I kind did it real slow and sheepinsh. The second time I decided to change my attitude and visualize it, and have a sense of confidence. I think confidence is a good attitude to have.

In all, it was good times. Of course the real test comes at 0200 with over weight CHFer while rolling in the back of a rescue.

Hey Kelly. (You might be the only one left following this thread anymore.) I remember doing my clinicals for EMT back in 92 at Killer King. There was this heroine addict that three of four nusres could get a line on. He kept saying "you got to go right in the pit. Right in the pit." He kept after them telling them to let him do it. They gave in after a while and he hit it first try.