Recent content by OregonEMT

Hang a pine tree air freshener around your neck.

I agree, it can be difficult to differentiate which stage of shock your patient is in based on presenting signs and symptoms. Especially on scene!:)

What generally happens when someones blood pressure tanks? A sudden loss of consciousness in hemorrhagic shock is a good indicator that the patient is entering compensated shock. These are signs/symptoms I have personally seen in the field.

With compensated shock you will see restlessness, anxiety and sometimes a look of impending doom. The "shift" from compensated to decompensated is usually a major LOC change. Remember that patients will present with different signs and symptoms, although these are pretty common signs I have...

When I was learning IV's my main downfall was over-thinking the process. It's a definite technique that you will develop with practice. One of the biggest mistakes I notice is people either incorrectly pulling downward traction or forgetting it all together. You will hear this a lot but...

I'm confused. You can't stand being a paramedic due to this one isolated incident? Or could it be that you can't stand the person that you work with? Can you give us a little more detail including specific aspects of working as a paramedic that has led you to "hate" your chosen profession...

I have heard about House of Cards, I might have to check it out! Just started Eastbound and Down with Danny Mcbride, pretty good so far.

With so many courses being offered online these days I bet you could make some serious progress obtaining a degree while on shift. (depending on how much downtime you have)

I sometimes wonder what I would do without netflix! Me and my partner just finished band of brother's. I would highly recommend watching it if you haven't already. :)

So what kind of stuff do you guy's like do on a slow day on shift? Study? work-out? Movies? Any good station prank stories? I for one love to fire up the BBQ in the summertime and read a good book.

Some of the best advice I got from my chief when I first started. Keep your head down and do your job, stay completely out of the station drama. Grown men acting like 15 year old gossip girls is more common than not.

Sounds to me if you are documenting all of this, and making sure you're superiors at the top of the chain are aware of his actions and doing nothing, it might be time to find a new job. Or, if he is not getting terminated for his actions, it leads me to believe you won't either if you just...

Things just seem to be getting worse for them.... Absolutely one of the worst employers I have ever worked for. I understand that RMA's profits are what put's food on employee's tables, but when profits supreme over patient care so much that you passively require EMT's to outright lie on...

Being stressed is normal, and in most cases it can be beneficial to you. After about 45min of studying I would always take a break and let the material "marinate" just remember excessively long cram sessions don't work very well in EMS. Also be sure to get a good night's sleep before test day.

During my training I was starting an IV on my patient, I informed my proctor and went for it. We arrived at the ER and the MD. was far from thrilled learning I had stuck and 18G IV in the patients Dialysis Fistula (Whoops!). You live and you learn...