Recent content by dudemanguy

EMT11..,The local ALS ambulance service I deal with on calls has a couple EMTs who are Intermediates instead of Basics, but they literally do the same job as the EMT-Basics and get paid the same. Their Intermediate certification is pretty much useless. On calls Ive never seen them do anything a...

BrushBunny91 A normal Pulse rate for an infant would be around 120 or therebouts, depending on how old they are. The logic is that if its less than 60 AND there are obvious signs of inadequate perfusion despite adequate ventilations, then compressions would be warranted. This is per the AHA...

I have heard the NREMT is doing away with EMT intermediates(the skill level, not the EMTs themselves), and they are replacing it with AEMT. Therefore EMT I courses are no longer being offered, at least not in my state. Can someone tell me how AEMT differs from EMT-basic, and how I would go...

Thanks NVrob, Whether or not I did compressions would have depended on whether or not I felt a pulse, agonal respirations or not. I was worried maybe CPR guidelines have changed or maybe people with more field experience knew something I didnt.

I have what may be a stupid question here, but youll have to excuse me as I just volunteer as a first responder and have only worked one cardiac arrest. Is there any time when you see agonal respirations that you wouldnt automatically begin Compressions? What if the patient had a pulse(the...

Just out of curiousity, when they say not letting the alcohol evaporate completely before taking a sample can give you a high reading, how much of a difference are we talking?

Take some anatomy and physiology classes and find out what the "gore" is and what it does. The human body is a very complex organic machine, rather than looking at it as something that is gross or scarey, educate yourself about it. As an EMT you have a job you have to perform, you should be...

I'll add something more to this. I wasnt trying to bash or whine about nurses, so much as point out the hospital environment is different than EMS. EMS seems to have a little bit of commaraderie. You wont find that in hospitals(or LTC facilities). You will find a lot of bickering and back...

They dont say nurses eat their young for nothing. Hospitals can be a pretty cut throat sink or swim environment, long term care facilities too. I work as a CNA and if a Nurse needs to tell a CNA something they should already know, its not a good thing, and if they need to do it more than once...

It may sound funny, and its certainly not rocket science or something to brag about, but theres some truth to that. You deal with female patients with compromised immune systems lying in their own crap, if you arent careful how you wipe them and clean them up your gonna cause them a lot of...

When you have a current license that states your an EMT-B and allows you to work as one would be my opinion. Although there are probably people who are certified as an EMT-B with the NREMT who never bother getting a state license because they just wanted the certification as a feather to put...

I used to think being a CNA would be really easy compared to EMT. That is far from the reality though, one CNA who doesnt know how to do their job can be devastating to the health of patients they work with in a long term health care setting and create a lot of headaches and nightmares for the...

EMS is an underpaid profession no doubt, but the fact is its a job many people like to do and some even do it for free. Employers generally pay what is necessary to attract and retain people, and no more. I work as a CNA at a long term care medical facility, and the turnover rate is really...

I'm always amazed when I see posts like this. Clinicals/ride time were such a huge part of my EMT class. We had students that were dropped from the course because of unsatisfactory conduct/performance during clinicals. We had clinical objectives that had to be signed off by precepters etc and...

If you wait around for a full time EMT job and you have no experience as an EMT, you might be waiting forever.