So I been working as a emt for a year now . So far I like my job and what I do. I just got hired at a new company that is mainly 911. I love running 911 but I'm having some trouble, specifically in doing assessments. I've done them before but on scene I been freezing up and getting lost in my flow ( order of opqrst, sample, etc). If I don't improve by day 4 I'm going to be failed. How can I improve on my assessments and just stay calm on scene?
Fto training isnt going good...
- Thread starter Jn1232th
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NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Practice.
akflightmedic
Forum Deputy Chief
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You do realize there is no "order" you must follow right? Those memory devices were created to help you not forget what should be asked, however if you collect this information at some point during your assessment, then you are doing what needs to be done.
Having said that, following the order as taught is one of the more logical approaches to gathering the information, so you really need to practice...over and over again. It will not be long before this is all just second nature. Your issue however is highlighting one of the main differences between a technician and a clinician.
Having said that, following the order as taught is one of the more logical approaches to gathering the information, so you really need to practice...over and over again. It will not be long before this is all just second nature. Your issue however is highlighting one of the main differences between a technician and a clinician.
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Exactly what ak said. Those mnemonics are just to help you not miss important information. You aren't in class anymore- there is no official order of how you must ask your questions.
Two pieces of advice:
1) Relax. Being evaluated by an FTO can be stressing. Even after feeling competent and comfortable in the field as a paramedic, I remember feeling overly stressed at a new job during the FTO period. It's completely normal. Odds are your FTO isn't being nearly as critical of you as you think he is.
2) Pre-game. When you're dispatched to a run, start thinking of the likely scenarios you'll come across and relevant questioning. For example: If you're dispatched to a shortness of breath call, likely issues will be Asthma, COPD, CHF, or anxiety. So while you're responding, start thinking of relevant questions about their shortness of breath, and questions to help you differentiate between the most likely possibilities. Then when you get on scene, your mind will already be in the right place and you won't be stumbling around as much.
Two pieces of advice:
1) Relax. Being evaluated by an FTO can be stressing. Even after feeling competent and comfortable in the field as a paramedic, I remember feeling overly stressed at a new job during the FTO period. It's completely normal. Odds are your FTO isn't being nearly as critical of you as you think he is.
2) Pre-game. When you're dispatched to a run, start thinking of the likely scenarios you'll come across and relevant questioning. For example: If you're dispatched to a shortness of breath call, likely issues will be Asthma, COPD, CHF, or anxiety. So while you're responding, start thinking of relevant questions about their shortness of breath, and questions to help you differentiate between the most likely possibilities. Then when you get on scene, your mind will already be in the right place and you won't be stumbling around as much.
Gurby
Forum Asst. Chief
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Better yet, don't wait until you're dispatched to a call.... Do that NOW. Read the scenario forums here, go to emsbasics and read scenarios there, and run through the calls from start to finish in your head. Re-run any calls you've personally done over and over in your head until you do everything perfectly and are confident that if you got the same call again, it would go smoothly.
MrJones
Iconoclast
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And don't practice until you get it right; practice until you can't get it wrong.
Jim37F
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Ask your FTO to go over scenarios with you, coach you on how they want you to run calls, after all they're your Field TRAINING Officer, they're supposed to be training and guiding and coaching you and helping you succeed.
zzyzx
Forum Captain
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This has me thinking about how flawed EMS education and training are. It should not be so punitive like in this case where this new EMT is being told that he is going to be failed if he can't do a good assessment. (And I'm sure his preceptor is a master of clinical assessment, LOL!)
We follow the firefighter model of "education." You don't need any education going into a fire academy, and the training that is given to you is pass/fail. Whether that is the right model for the fire department is debatable, but it is not the model for medical education.
Nursing students and especially medical students are required to have much education prior to enrolling in nursing or medical school. Once you're in, the instructors do everything they can to help you to learn and be successful. They don't try to fail you. In fact, very, very few people fail nursing school or medical school, or their nursing or medical internships.
Why are we still wedded to this "old school" firefighter model of "education?" Professionals don't train like this.
We follow the firefighter model of "education." You don't need any education going into a fire academy, and the training that is given to you is pass/fail. Whether that is the right model for the fire department is debatable, but it is not the model for medical education.
Nursing students and especially medical students are required to have much education prior to enrolling in nursing or medical school. Once you're in, the instructors do everything they can to help you to learn and be successful. They don't try to fail you. In fact, very, very few people fail nursing school or medical school, or their nursing or medical internships.
Why are we still wedded to this "old school" firefighter model of "education?" Professionals don't train like this.