So close I can taste it

Nearly there.  Three more weeks until freedom rings...and I have to find a job. 

Every thing I do at this point is a reminder that I am one step closer to that coveted and long-elusive paramedic card.  Finished my paper, done with clinicals, took the practice test, last test in this class, last homework in that class...all a reminder that God-willing, I'll finally have my disco patch.  Granted, it's worthless until I find a job, but the fact that I'll have it in my hot little hands is a good start. 

Fifteen years ago I became an EMT-B because I wanted to make sure I could handle the stress of being a doctor. While in class I thought about becoming a medic, but would not have been able to handle the combined load of medic school (plus clinicals) on top of my 18-20 credit semesters for my undergrad. And the family wasn't happy about the EMT class...you can imagine what would have happened with the idea of medic school.

But the idea stayed with me. Through college, the failure to get into medical school (primarily a paperwork snafu that went unresolved, so that my applications were essentially circular filed), the failed attempt at nursing school, and several dead-end biotech jobs.  EMS was the one thing I kept coming back to; the one thing that never bored me to tears or frustrated me until I wanted to totally quit and never come back. It was the one thing that made me "light up" as a friend said.

And on June 3rd, when I finish my practical test and am just waiting for them to send that card, I will have finally finished the journey I started all those years ago, when I was hoping just to gain a little extra knowledge before med school.

And the next person who says, "but you're so smart! You should be a doctor" will be shot.

Light!

My clinicals are officially over!  I am that much closer to finishing.  All I have to do now is finish my paper and the presentation that goes with it, pass my oral boards, 2 more tests and a final.

Hardly anything....*snort*

Sometimes you wonder...

So, my question was this:  Is this how the alarm company sent it to dispatch, or did dispatch come up with this as a summary?

Sounds

There are many sounds I hate.  I now have a new one.

The sound of a mother crying over her 18 year old child's body.

She was the one who found him unconscious, not breathing, with no pulse.

Pierced me to the heart, it did.

No parent should have to bury their child.

Surprise!!! Your turn!

It really sucks when you walk into drill night and the person charge says "Hey, remember those ideas for drill we were tossing around the other day? Why don't we do one of those!" 

This is especially hard when you were talking about scenario-based drills and you haven't had the chance to come up with any scenarios.  Not to mention that aside from you and the person in charge of drill there are only 2 other EMT's and everyone else isn't in class yet. 

Still, I don't think I did too bad.  I threw together an MCI drill, giving people slips of paper with various injuries on them, and told the EMT that they were first on scene and only had 2 more units coming immediately available, and to triage the patients.  They then had to defend their decision.  It made a lot of people stop and think about what triaging is supposed to do.  I think I need to come up with a set of cards with various injuries on them so we can do this again.

Also, I suspect that I will be called into action again to help with drills, so if anyone had any ideas for good, relatively short drills, mainly for brandy-new EMT-B's and those that are basically first-aiders, please share.  Also, any good calls that you could share (without violating HIPAA of course) would be helpful in making scenarios to help train the new kids.

Surprise!!! Your turn!

It really sucks when you walk into drill night and the person charge says "Hey, remember those ideas for drill we were tossing around the other day? Why don't we do one of those!" 

This is especially hard when you were talking about scenario-based drills and you haven't had the chance to come up with any scenarios.  Not to mention that aside from you and the person in charge of drill there are only 2 other EMT's and everyone else isn't in class yet. 

Still, I don't think I did too bad.  I threw together an MCI drill, giving people slips of paper with various injuries on them, and told the EMT that they were first on scene and only had 2 more units coming immediately available, and to triage the patients.  They then had to defend their decision.  It made a lot of people stop and think about what triaging is supposed to do.  I think I need to come up with a set of cards with various injuries on them so we can do this again.

Also, I suspect that I will be called into action again to help with drills, so if anyone had any ideas for good, relatively short drills, mainly for brandy-new EMT-B's and those that are basically first-aiders, please share.  Also, any good calls that you could share (without violating HIPAA of course) would be helpful in making scenarios to help train the new kids.

More BLS than ALS

So, I consider the system I've spent most of my time in to be fairly lP optimal. Sure, it's not perfect, but compared to the other systems I've experienced over the past 1.5 years, it worked pretty well.  For the most part, BLS calls were handled by BLS crews and ALS calls by ALS crews.  Any overlap was due to dispatch and patient reporting, which is normal.

Compare that to a nearby area in which I spend a fair but of time for clinicals.  While their system is similar to the one I am most familiar with, they seem to have far fewer BLS units.  They also have required every recruit class in the past several years to become medics (at the least, EMT-I's).  This means you have a whole bunch of ALS units running BLS calls, and a lot of medics getting burned out quickly.

And a bunch of medic students who getting a poor ALS clinical experience.  In my time in that county, I can count on one hand the number of ALS calls I have had, over at least 120 hours. 

Now, I know it may seem counter productive to complain...after all, if they want to pay me for being a glorified taxi driver, then by all means.  And I understand the desire to provide advanced care for as many people as possible.  But in this day and age with budgets being what they are, it may behoove departments to remember that our call volume is generally 80:20 BLS:ALS.  It might be a better idea to have more BLS units and strategically place the ALS units to a better advantage.  You may find you have better, less burnt out medics, and more money in the bank.

Then again, I'm just a student...what do I know?