Rituals

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smallsislost

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Is there anything special you like to do to get "pumped" for a call weather it be at the beginning of a rotation or at "oh god 30 in the morning"?

My partner and I have made themed CDs for any call situation wether it be psych, od, domestic, mva, etc.
 
I had a newbie partner that insisted on playing "Artist in the Ambulance" on the way to any decent sounding MVA.

He is no longer with us. I'm a little fuzzy on the details, because I blacked out when my eyes rolled back in my head and the voices started, but I may have beat him with an O2 tank around the fifteeth time.
 
I’ve worked hard to squash any kind of “pumped” feeling prior to or going on any calls. IMO, it only contributes to tunnel vision. Plus, if you make contact with a patient in an “amped up” state you run the risk of agitating the patient creating unnecessary additional anxiety.
 
I have a really unusual ritual, it goes as follows:
-I call en route
-I copy additional dispatch info
-I map my driver to the call
-I alert FD that we're responding and switching to the "fire" channel
-I try to form at least some sort of game plan

No music when I'm going to a call.
 
I clear intersections to the right for my partner if I'm riding or focus on not wadding up the ambulance if I'm driving.

There's no reason to get pumped up before a call, if anything you should be calming yourself down.

I do have a "ritual" at the start of every shift. Well I guess you could call it that. I have a very specific order of doing things when I get to work. Leave my house at 0545, get to work at 0600, put my crap in the unit, check the warmer to make sure there are 2 NS bags and tubing in it, strap the IV caddy in, turn on the onboard O2, check the cot for a mega-mover, a blanket and a pillow, joke around with coworkers, grab the first out bag and airway bag, check the portable O2 cylinder to make sure it has air in it, goof around with coworkers some more, clock in, check out the monitor, radios, gurney battery and toughbook, even more goofing around with coworkers, maybe flirt with the cute VST if she's working, check the monitor to make sure it's good to go. More goofing off. Sit on my *** waiting for my partner then when he gets there we check narcs out of the Pyxis machine, talk to crews coming off the street to find out if it's busy, goof around with them, make it a pain in the butt for them to finish their shift (if they are a friend) take a leak further disrupt my friends EOS tasks and tell dispatch we are in-service for the day then drive to our post and pass out for another couple of hours or start running back to back calls. Recently it's been back to back calls rather than passing out for a while.

I don't know if that counts as a ritual.
 
Agreed with Rob, no need to get pumped up before a call. I work to calm myself down before each and every call; that way I run each call consistently, from the GLF to the trauma patient I RSI and decompress, I try to use the same demeanor for both, and often succeed. Approaching the call in an adrenaline fueled furor puts people at risk, and quite honestly, kind of makes you look like a crazy person.

As far as morning rituals go, I usually try to do as follows. Leave my house between 15-45 minutes early, depending upon which station I'm at. Once at work, I'll start the coffee, put my food away, check my email, clock in, get the ALS keys from the off going medic, check my narcotics, check my med. bag, check my airway kit (including all of my laryngoscope blades), check the monitor, check the gurney battery, check the main O2, check my meds and exp. dates, and finally, eat breakfast and watch cartoons.
 
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smallsislost said:
Is there anything special you like to do to get "pumped" for a call weather it be at the beginning of a rotation or at "oh god 30 in the morning"?

My partner and I have made themed CDs for any call situation wether it be psych, od, domestic, mva, etc.
Click to expand...

I wish I could come up with a better version of the oft-used fire-service quite:

"Garbage men don't get excited when they turn a corner and see garbage piled up on the street, so don't get so excited when smoke's showing, its our job. Relax, you're the fire department, that's why they called you."

I don't get pumped for calls, it's my job to go to them. Even if you don't get paid, if you're on an ambulance, expect to run calls.
 
My ritual is carefully wrapping up my half eaten meatball sandwich.
 
I complain to myself as I climb out of bed about why they weren't asleep at 3 A.M. like me rather than going around stupid stuff that resulted in waking me up.

I'm a little grumpy when I get woken up because then I have insomnia and can't go back to sleep.
 
Tigger said:
I wish I could come up with a better version of the oft-used fire-service quite:

"Garbage men don't get excited when they turn a corner and see garbage piled up on the street, so don't get so excited when smoke's showing, its our job. Relax, you're the fire department, that's why they called you."
Click to expand...

Andy Fredricks was a genius that was taken far too soon.
 
My ritual is to get in the truck, buckle up, and turn the airway seat around:P.......well unless its a mva, then im on the firetruck, and thats another story.
 
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Prior to every shift I open my flashlight remove and physically check my batteries, open and check my glove pouch for 6 pairs, open and check my knife and sharpen, check my rip shears and sharpen, polish my boots, and place my scope and radio strap on the side view mirror. I then put my MTA hat on the dash, and will wear it when I am taking a stubbed toe to the hospital
 
I have a morning ritual that I need to share. I call it "the terminator". First I crouch down in the shower in the classic "naked terminator traveling through time" pose. With my eyes closed I crouch there for a minute, visualizing either Arnold or the guy from the second movie (not the chick in the third one because that one sucked) and I start to hum the terminator theme. Then I slowly rise to a standing position and open my eyes. It helps me to proceed through my day as an emotionless, cyborg badass. The only problem is if the shower curtain sticks to my terminator leg. It ruins the fantasy.
 
the_negro_puppy said:
I have a morning ritual that I need to share. I call it "the terminator". First I crouch down in the shower in the classic "naked terminator traveling through time" pose. With my eyes closed I crouch there for a minute, visualizing either Arnold or the guy from the second movie (not the chick in the third one because that one sucked) and I start to hum the terminator theme. Then I slowly rise to a standing position and open my eyes. It helps me to proceed through my day as an emotionless, cyborg badass. The only problem is if the shower curtain sticks to my terminator leg. It ruins the fantasy.
Click to expand...

Thank you Reddit ;)
 
I want my partners to look and act bored but attentive and competent.

Biggest ritual used to be taking two slices of bread with every firehouse meal so I could finish it enroute.
 
I pee.

I blame my mother from when I was a kid. Gotta pee before I go anywhere; even to store on my day off.
 
MSDeltaFlt said:
I pee.

I blame my mother from when I was a kid. Gotta pee before I go anywhere; even to store on my day off.
Click to expand...

Pumped for a call?!!! Absolutely not! I usually curse the entire way there about how f'ed up our EMS system is and how the people who call aren't even human.

I walk in, take my iPod off and put it in my locker. I put my gear on the truck. 2 portable radios? Good. Check narcs. Done. Grab a bottle of water and I'm good to go.

Or, get a call from the off-going crew asking, 'Dude. Where you at?'
'Just go off the bus. Around the corner.' 'Ok. We just got a run'
In which case, I walk in, jump in the truck and do the run. At hospital, I discover a bloody BVM in the first-in bag, no glucometer strips, ONE portable 02 tank half-depleted(and no main 02 and 4 empty portables. Really guys? You couldn't at least change the portables out?), no 20ga. IV catheters, one box of D50, and portable radios chirping bc batteries are low. I laugh to myself. Awesome.
 
I have various rituals. I find comfort in ritualising things because I have a terrible memory.

My pen torch, drug book and decision tool book goes in my top right pocket. My 3 pens and note pad in my top left. Wallet in my left pants pocket. Phone, pen knife and torch in my right. Keys in front of radio on my left hip, pager on my right.

I always get to work early so I get there before my partner. If they get there first and check the truck, I'd have to check it a second time which would look crazy so its just easier if I do it all. I obsessively check the truck in a particular order. I lay the IV draw in the back out in a certain way. I need to have a certain amount of towels. I clean... Everything. And god help us if I don't have insyte cannulas instead of protectives. Then I have breakfast. Then I check my work email and eBulletins. Then I make myself a cup of tea; strong with half a teaspoon of sugar. Shortly after that, I take my morning constitutional... I poo.

If I get a job before all this happens, I basically can't function. I'm not even kidding.

I can't say I do anything to "get pumped" for a job. I often find stressful jobs easier if I've had a jovial conversation with my partner before getting there so I usually encourage that before any job that seems like 'the big one'.
 
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When the tones drop.

Write down address.

Get in truck.

Put address in GPS

Wait for update from dispatch.

Put gloves on.
 
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