Tip/Tricks

[CSchlesinger908]

Hello!

There may already be a post like this but I didn't see it.

With that being said, as the title implies if you have any tips or tricks that you've picked up over the months/years you've been in the field of EMS. Feel free to share them.

 

[akflightmedic]

Pull up the slack out of your pants before you squat.

Cannot even begin to count the number of pants I have blown out on scene.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Have a cute female partner and the fire department will always carry your bags

 

[CSchlesinger908]

Pull up the slack out of your pants before you squat.

Cannot even begin to count the number of pants I have blown out on scene.

Yes!! Learned this the hard way!!

 

[Bullets]

Carry a sharpie anything unmarked becomes your property in seconds

 

[Tigger]

Have snacks. Be the hero.

 

[Jim37F]

Never cook a meal in the station for the very first time. Test cook it at home first and use family/friends as guinea pigs. That way you can adjust ingredients, techniques, make sure you don't set off smoke alarms (like I did earlier, fortunately at home lol)

 

[gotbeerz001]

Never cook a meal in the station for the very first time. Test cook it at home first and use family/friends as guinea pigs. That way you can adjust ingredients, techniques, make sure you don't set off smoke alarms (like I did earlier, fortunately at home lol)

And no curry...

 

[NomadicMedic]

The one who shouldn't walk always want to and the ones who can, won't.

Never stand when you can sit to talk to a patient.

Never miss the opportunity to pee.

Always call a patient sir or ma'am.

If you have to ask if you should, you probably shouldn't.

Dilute your D50.

Get the RSI orders before you need them.

Talk to somebody about the bad calls.

 

[OnceAnEMT]

Pull up the slack out of your pants before you squat.

Word. The PITA about scrubs is they and the knot slowly slip. At least BDUs have a belt. I'll be through the end of a crawly cave and not have to adjust my BDUs.

 

[BlueJayMedic]

The one who shouldn't walk always want to and the ones who can, won't.

Never stand when you can sit to talk to a patient.

Never miss the opportunity to pee.

Always call a patient sir or ma'am.

If you have to ask if you should, you probably shouldn't.

Dilute your D50.

Get the RSI orders before you need them.

Talk to somebody about the bad calls.

Dilute the D50..... Genius. Easier to push?

 

[TheBuffOP]

Pull up the slack out of your pants before you squat.

Cannot even begin to count the number of pants I have blown out on scene.

I ripped mines stepping off (took a big step). Good thing I had a spare back at the station.

 

[TheBuffOP]

Some of these you guys probably already know.

• When you first meet the patient show some compassion and grab their hand. This way you can access their skin temp, pulse, cap refill.
• Tell the pt you are going to check their pulse, but first check their RR without making it look obvious.
• On bariatric lift assist pretend you are doing something more important (talking to the family) and let fire do the work. =p
• Don't really trust PD if they said they cleared the scene. Always be cautious.
• Eat when you can.
• If the EMS room is loaded stuff your pockets.
• When the medic is giving Narcan...stand back.
• Have some spare gloves (one size bigger) on your pocket. If your glove rips and your hands are sweaty, then you can easily put another one on.

 

[Martyn]

When you take a BP in the rig while it's moving put your feet on the stretcher...it deadens some of the noise you hear from the truck

 

[NomadicMedic]

Dilute the D50..... Genius. Easier to push?

Yes. And easier on fragile veins.

 

[akflightmedic]

Have some spare gloves (one size bigger) on your pocket. If your glove rips and your hands are sweaty, then you can easily put another one on.

Actually, while a great idea...another thought along this same side of reason is to DOUBLE GLOVE. If I pulled up on a trauma scene in which it appeared to be multiple patients or potentially "messy", I would double glove. If the outer pair became soiled, I could then peel them off and still be gloved with no wrestling on a new pair since the hand sweat had already started.

 

[TheBuffOP]

Actually, while a great idea...another thought along this same side of reason is to DOUBLE GLOVE. If I pulled up on a trauma scene in which it appeared to be multiple patients or potentially "messy", I would double glove. If the outer pair became soiled, I could then peel them off and still be gloved with no wrestling on a new pair since the hand sweat had already started.

Ah, yes, I forgot to put that one. Yeah, on traumas with more than one patient I double glove as well.

Off topic: I was watching Nightwatch season 2 and on their latest episode one of the medic's is starting an IV without a glove. Is that cool or nah?

 

[Jim37F]

Considering my last Dept freaked out if we weren't wearing eye pro when IVS were started much less shaking the pt hand w/out gloves like I saw in one episode....

(Some captains wanted us to wear the eye pro all the way from dispatch to handover...)

 

[reaper]

Sounds like a great place to work.

 

[TheBuffOP]

Considering my last Dept freaked out if we weren't wearing eye pro when IVS were started much less shaking the pt hand w/out gloves like I saw in one episode....

(Some captains wanted us to wear the eye pro all the way from dispatch to handover...)

Same for me, I would have to wear my goggles until I left the patient at their beside in the ED.