Newbie Seeks Advice

[rjw225]

I'm brand new to EMT (haven't even started training yet) and would love to get the perspective of folks who've been at this for a while. I'd be tremendously grateful for your insight into any of the questions below:

• What advice or information do you have for someone entering EMT training?

• What are some ways that I can be an excellent student without being a big goober?

• What mistakes did you make early on that you'd like to share?

Thanks so much!

 

[MrBrown]

I'm brand new to EMT (haven't even started training yet) and would love to get the perspective of folks who've been at this for a while. I'd be tremendously grateful for your insight into any of the questions below:

• What advice or information do you have for someone entering EMT training?

• What are some ways that I can be an excellent student without being a big goober?

• What mistakes did you make early on that you'd like to share?

Thanks so much!

Welcome.

I am unable to offer any specific guidance regarding American education because I have not been exposed to it from a learning standpoint.

The following generically applicable comments should help however;

1) Emergency medical services is the application of medicine in emergent out-of-hospital settings. Remember that you will be seen as medical professional in the eyes of your patients and thier families; to them you are all knowing, wise and experienced with the ability to treat whatever you come across. They are (for the most part) ignorant as to what an "Ambulance Technican", "EMT", "Paramedic", "Intensive Care Paramedic" or "Advanced EMT" is; they have probably never heard of "basic" and "advanced" life support and don't understand a "scope of practice".

2) Having said that; conduct yourself in a professional manner and make an attempt to get a professional education. Enrol in a college-level anatomy and physiology and pathophysiology courses (the pathway of disease and altered physiology) and some basic pharmacology wouldn't hurt either. The six or ten pages of A&P in my EMT-Basic book is just not adequate to render proper medical care.

3) Even while in school show up with your boots polish, your shirt tucked in, your name badge (if you get one) on straight etc; take pride in your appearance and that of your profession. Don't roll up with your hair down to your bum and two weeks of growth on applicable areas for your sexuality (or not so applicable areas if you're on those sexy hormone pills :lol.

4) Read a medical journal or two; Journal of Prehospital Emergency Care, NEJM, JAMA, Lancet etc are all fairly good. You can get free extracts from PubMedwww.pubmed.com and may be able to get free access through your school if it's at the local community college or a unversity. Even if you can't get full access to the articles at least look around for words like "paramedic" and "prehospital" ("EMS" is not used so much in the journals) at what research is being conducted.

5) Understand paramedicine is still in many areas the b@$t@rd child of the medical profession; not all of what we do is based in double-blind, peer reviewed prospective trials; we are still doing things that Johnny and Roy did in the seventies and may or may not have any benefit.

6) Please don't be a "junkie" - this job (at least in this part of the world) is not about "trauma" and "lights and sirens" or "cool toys". (See No. 1). You are doing yourself and the professional standing of EMS a dis-service if all you want to do is drive fast with lights and noise, shock people and give them drugs. Don't get lights and decals and signs and stars of life on your car and tattooed on your bum!

7) May I suggest soem light reading?

• Marieb's Anatomy & Physiology 7e (Green book)
• Merck's Manual of Patient Symptoms
• Any good pathophysiology reference (I don't have one off hand)

8) You may not be able to as it may be your course book, but stay away, far, far away from anything published by AAOS and that has an orange cover; they're nasty and awful and full credit to Nancy Caroline, MD but those books are really bad (that's more personal experience but they're not very good).

Whew, I hope that helps!!

Oh here, have a brownie the plate is over there ....

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

my emt course used the orange aaos book. i hated it. it was incredibly boring and extremely repititive

 

[46Young]

MrBrown put it across very well.

Be forewarned that the education Nazis here come across very strongly and some of those make a habit of belittling and driving away those new to this forum and line of work. Feel free to ask anything that you want here, and don't let the education Nazis bully you and make you feel stupid. You'll get some good honest advice if you can tolerate and sift through the sometimes overbearing education rants.

VentMedic will give you tons of good links to whatever you need to better yourself.

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

speaking of vent medic...

MrBrown put it across very well.

Be forewarned that the education Nazis here come across very strongly and some of those make a habit of belittling and driving away those new to this forum and line of work. Feel free to ask anything that you want here, and don't let the education Nazis bully you and make you feel stupid. You'll get some good honest advice if you can tolerate and sift through the sometimes overbearing education rants.

VentMedic will give you tons of good links to whatever you need to better yourself.

on than note in the chat room we were discussing the reliability of administering drugs via ET tube, and i had asked about fluid in the lungs partially blocking systemic absorbtion of drug administered, and someone had said vent would know. If vent or anyone reads this, do you have an answer?

 

[NJnewbie]

Mr. Brown, Thank you for posting that information. I'm also a newbie and it's immensely helpful to me as well.

 

[MrBrown]

on than note in the chat room we were discussing the reliability of administering drugs via ET tube, and i had asked about fluid in the lungs partially blocking systemic absorbtion of drug administered, and someone had said vent would know. If vent or anyone reads this, do you have an answer?

I'd say you are right but I'm not sure ..... she would know and it could be worth a seperate topic

Drugs down ET tubes are fast going away here.

 

[el Murpharino]

• What are some ways that I can be an excellent student without being a big goober?

Don't worry about the giant lightbar, BDU pants, belt accessories, and portable 250-patient MCI kit until AFTER class...

 

[Delando]

Finding job as EMT-B is hell. getting a licences, shoots, certificates and the class itself cost me almost 2 grand.

u might get to deliver a bably in to this crazy world- priceless

 

[el Murpharino]

Finding job as EMT-B is hell. getting a licences, shoots, certificates and the class itself cost me almost 2 grand.

u might get to deliver a bably in to this crazy world- priceless

Do they measure "shoots" needles in caliber as opposed to gauge?

 

[surname_levi]

my mistake at the beginning were bad study habits. i recommend getting 1 or 2 chapters ahead of lectures.

 

[firedog3700]

+1 on being a professional. Your first seven seconds of patient contact will make or break you with that patient.

When you get through, never stop learning, and never stop looking for improvement. JEMS is a great mag to subscribe to for this.

As for screw ups, let's just say I could fill a book.

One that I am often reminded of by my co-workers was the LOL that was short of air. I'm trying to interview the patient, and she's not talking to me. Finally I asked "Are you having trouble speaking?" at which point she put the voice box to her throat and said <metallic voice> "Yes I am." Lady had her larynx removed a few years prior. Nobody told me!

You will have screw-ups. Pray they are only embarrassing and not harmful to the patient.

Now go with God, my son.