Woo Hoo!!

[mcdonl]

Ok, the department has cut the check and I am on the roster!!

Now I just need to study the RIGHT text book and get started. Very excited. Also excited that the hospital I work at had a "scrub" sale / fund raiser today and I was able to actually get something of use to me... a new BP cuff, stethoscope and watch!

I am ready to go! Just a handful of things to strap to my 5.11 pants, and a couple grand worth of lights on my truck and I will be a GOD. (hehe... sorry... last sentence was a joke....)

 

[bunkie]

:lol:

I really wish I would have had my own bp cuff during class. It would have helped so much when we were practicing PT assessment. What kind of scope did you score on? I had to buy a new one (once we started pt assessment) because I couldn't hear bp with my old one. Do you know what your text book will be? We used Brady Pre-Hospital Care 8th Edition. Seemed to be a pretty good book as far as testing for Nationals later was concerned.

Good luck to you! Congrats on going to school.

 

[mcdonl]

I am not sure of the brand off the top of my head. It was in the $40 range. That was the middle of the road price, and it had the different sized ends for pediatrics. The BP cuff was about the same, and came with two different sized cuff's.

There were some up as high as $200, but I figured that would be a good present when I pass the exam.

I test on my wife and kids a lot... lol... they are sickly and prone to trauma in the living room.

We will be using the Brady 11th edition. I am about 2/3 of the way through the AAOS Orange books, so I will have a pretty good understanding the concepts now I just need to settle into the class and go!

 

[bunkie]

It may be a good scope, but I'd test it while doing BP (If you know how to do them). I had a scope from when I was a vet tech that was just fine listening to heart and lung sounds. But when I needed it for BP I couldn't hear anything out of it over all the noise in the classroom. It sucked having to track one down half way through class and pay 70 bucks for the sucker with no time to order one at a better price. :lol:

 

[Seaglass]

First of all, congrats!

I've never missed having my own BP cuff, but having my own steth and penlight has proven critical. Make sure you mark everything you get as yours, though... gear has a way of walking off. I painted my name in nail polish and magic marker on everything I couldn't get engraved or safely engrave myself, ordered the weirdest colors I could find (breast cancer awareness sales are great), and haven't had any problems yet.

 

[bunkie]

First of all, congrats!

I've never missed having my own BP cuff, but having my own steth and penlight has proven critical. Make sure you mark everything you get as yours, though... gear has a way of walking off. I painted my name in nail polish and magic marker on everything I couldn't get engraved or safely engrave myself, ordered the weirdest colors I could find (breast cancer awareness sales are great), and haven't had any problems yet.

I second that. I wrote my entire name, not my initials on my scope. Not as easy to manipulate when you have the whole name on there. :lol:

 

[NomadicMedic]

I have a very pretty light "ceil" blue Littmann. Nobody is gonna walk with that sucker. Also, engraving your name on it is a big plus.

I also have my own BP cuff, simply because the cuffs on our BLS trucks are crap. Always broken. That the company cares so little... just disheartening.

 

[mcdonl]

Well, I have taken my wife and kids BP about 20 times this weekend and it seems to work great!

I have put my name on everything. I like the nail polish idea. I got these for the class, not for when I start doing my time in the rescue units.

It depends. The way it works for driving, and fire call's I have my gear in my POV due to me being 6 minutes from the station. I may end up having a "jump bag?" for call's that are on my end of town... not sure yet I am just starting out in the EMS world.