Advice From All You Medics
- Thread starter jh504
- Start date
jh504
Explorer
Had day two of ACLS today. Passed the written with a 96 but I got tripped up on my mega code. In the middle of the code I defibrillated unresponsive V-Tach which had a slight pulse. I knew that cardioversion was the right route I just got caught up in it. My instructors said they thought I had a handle on things throughout the weekend though so I am getting a chance to remediate practical tomorrow.
Once we are finished with cardiology a huge weight will be off of my shoulders. This is pass or fail time and its all down hill afterward.
Onetime, good luck with your clinicals!
Once we are finished with cardiology a huge weight will be off of my shoulders. This is pass or fail time and its all down hill afterward.
Onetime, good luck with your clinicals!
jh504
Explorer
Remediated ACLS practical with flying colors and also passed my Cardiology state practicals today. One more test and cardiology will be done with. I am looking forward to that!
On a side note, I had a pretty exciting call this morning. We responded to a 10-50 rollover, subject pinned. The car had run off the road and began to flip down a 30-40ft bank. The car hit a tree on the right front and it stopped it from rolling further and positioned it a few feet down the bank. So the car is perched on its right side teetering off the side, held up by a tree at the right front head light. To make things more interesting the woman was rather hefty. She was A&OX3 with only small lacerations visible. We stood by until Fire brought in there brush truck and attached a winch to the left rear frame to keep it from falling on down the hill, then I climbed down into the car through the left rear door (driver's door was jammed). We could not position a backboard to extricate her so I called for a KED instead. The first time I have ever used one in the field. We were able to pull her out with the KED and alot of man power, and transported her with probable rib FXs.
I enjoy those kind of calls that throw a little bit of a twist on a shift full of dyspnea and sick calls.
On a side note, I had a pretty exciting call this morning. We responded to a 10-50 rollover, subject pinned. The car had run off the road and began to flip down a 30-40ft bank. The car hit a tree on the right front and it stopped it from rolling further and positioned it a few feet down the bank. So the car is perched on its right side teetering off the side, held up by a tree at the right front head light. To make things more interesting the woman was rather hefty. She was A&OX3 with only small lacerations visible. We stood by until Fire brought in there brush truck and attached a winch to the left rear frame to keep it from falling on down the hill, then I climbed down into the car through the left rear door (driver's door was jammed). We could not position a backboard to extricate her so I called for a KED instead. The first time I have ever used one in the field. We were able to pull her out with the KED and alot of man power, and transported her with probable rib FXs.
I enjoy those kind of calls that throw a little bit of a twist on a shift full of dyspnea and sick calls.
jeepmedic46
Expedition Leader
Good job on your ACLS test and your state practical. Definately sounds like a good call amidst dyspnea calls.
Youngunner
Adventurer
Sounds like things are going well for you! I was fortunate to be immediately promoted to Paramedic so I've been working as a medic for the last couple of months. I've gotten nothing but critical calls since...talk about being thrown to the wolves! Sure is good experience!
So, Ive been following this thread pretty regularly and havent seen an update recently.... I take it that youre pretty busy.
When do you start your clinicals? What choices do you have? Are you able to go to trauma centers?
What about vehicular rotations? Where do you do those?
When do you start your clinicals? What choices do you have? Are you able to go to trauma centers?
What about vehicular rotations? Where do you do those?
jh504
Explorer
Yeah I personally have been pretty busy. It has just slowed down since we are finished with all our cardiology stuff.
We started clinicals a while back. I have 300 out of 500 hours completed. I wish that I could go to a trauma center. We have got 4 within driving distance of my class and I cant go to a single one. I am trying to get into a cath lab at one of our hospitals just to observe.
I am able to do clinicals where I am currently working so that is actually a plus. We have a lot more leverage for ambulance time than we do with hospital time.
We started clinicals a while back. I have 300 out of 500 hours completed. I wish that I could go to a trauma center. We have got 4 within driving distance of my class and I cant go to a single one. I am trying to get into a cath lab at one of our hospitals just to observe.
I am able to do clinicals where I am currently working so that is actually a plus. We have a lot more leverage for ambulance time than we do with hospital time.
I just finshed my clincals. We did 120 hours in ten 12 hour shifts. We were sent all over Phoenix to varied hospitals. Almost all my shifts were at truama centers, with the exception of my Labor and Delivery shift. Even my peds rotation was peds level 1 trauma.
My highlight was a 16 y/o MVA t-bone pt who had a whole in his ascending aorta and lacerated spleen. I followed him into the OR and watched as they cut down to his femoral, inserted die, found the whole. Then they inserted what seemed like a 5' long catheter and placed a shunt and inflated it to patch the whole from the inside out. Way cool, but very technical.
After they fixed his heart, the truama surgeon came in, bascially gutted the kid from his ribcage to his pelvis, reached in elbows deep with both hands and pulled out everything till he found his spleen. Kinda reminded me of carving a pumkin when you cut off the top and scrape out all the seeds. The whole experience was an awesome anatomy lesson.
I did not like seeing the patients family agonize over their loved ones. Im not use to dealing with pts familes on scene very long. I seem to be much more patient with my kids of late.
We move to vehiculars next week for the next two months.
Is that a light I see in this tunnel?
My highlight was a 16 y/o MVA t-bone pt who had a whole in his ascending aorta and lacerated spleen. I followed him into the OR and watched as they cut down to his femoral, inserted die, found the whole. Then they inserted what seemed like a 5' long catheter and placed a shunt and inflated it to patch the whole from the inside out. Way cool, but very technical.
After they fixed his heart, the truama surgeon came in, bascially gutted the kid from his ribcage to his pelvis, reached in elbows deep with both hands and pulled out everything till he found his spleen. Kinda reminded me of carving a pumkin when you cut off the top and scrape out all the seeds. The whole experience was an awesome anatomy lesson.
I did not like seeing the patients family agonize over their loved ones. Im not use to dealing with pts familes on scene very long. I seem to be much more patient with my kids of late.
We move to vehiculars next week for the next two months.
Is that a light I see in this tunnel?
zidaro
Explorer
Dont kid yourself just yet. You are in the light right now, Clinicals. A skylight, just wait till internship- good times, buckle in. Then they give you a license and the real education starts.
I just went from EMT-B to P at the beginning or this year (finished school in Dec. 08). Its awesome but a hellofa ride. Enjoy every bit. This thread brought back some great memories/pains of the experience that seemed to last forever and is now but a memory, a good one (with some bad).
Great to be at the Paramedic level and provide that care some people cant live without.
good luck and enjoy:victory::beer:
aaron
jh504
Explorer
Thanks for the post, and congrats on the basic to medic leap! Its good to hear from someone else that skipped the intermediate step and came out alive.
I have about 3-1/2 months left in the program, and I have finished 300 hrs out of 500 of clinical time. I cant wait to be done!
I noticed you said that you had to do an internship. How exactly did that work? We dont have to do an internship before we receive our paramedic certification. As soon as we finish the class we can go take the state test.
zidaro
Explorer
I differentiated clinical time (hospital rounds) from field time (time on a rig working under a preceptor paramedic). Internship ie. field time. Im thinking all medic courses require this time and hope I am right. In my course, once signed off by my preceptor as a competent field medic, I was then able to take Nat. Reg. BTW, I went to school in reno,NV- REMSA.
Congrats again on almost being done w/school. I'm still traumatized and its been almost a year!
jeepmedic46
Expedition Leader
Congratulations to both of you. We had 400 hrs of clinical and 100 hrs of ride time with 100 points. Some people ride more then the 100 hrs if they don't get the 100 points. Medic school was great would never do it again though.
jh504
Explorer
Ok I understand. Yes we do 300 hours of time on a truck with a paramedic preceptor. Then 200 hours of hospital clinical time. I wish we did 400 hours on the truck and 100 or less in the hospital. After you have spent 48 hours in the ER there isnt much more reason for a paramedic to be there.
Yea my first three of four 12 hour clincals rotations were exciting. Then I go t tired of being there. Oh but I did learn what happens when you think you have palpated a vein and you stick an 18 gauge in a tendon!! Watched a 300 lbs man go through the roof. OOPPS Live and learn I guess