advice for new emt’s _ pink

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representing not just yourself, but EMS crews everywhere. Not to sound dramatic about it, but these people are my tribe, andI take that seriously. Many of them have put in more years than youve been alive trying to advance this job into arespected profession.

Your reputation is by far the most important tool you can have on your belt. Admit when you are wrong and learn from your mistakes.

Leave your drama at home. Everyone is guilty of bringing problems at home to work from time to time, were human. Dontmake a habit out of it. Believe me when I say that patients and your partner dont want to hear you screaming at your

significant other on the phone.***********

Learn Thy Truck.

Participate in the rig check. Ask questions. Get acquainted with the layout of the truck so that you know where everything is.Having to tear apart the cabinets in back to find restraints while a little old lady or a psychotic drunk is pummeling you is notfun.

Familiarize yourself with how your stretcher operates. For some reason they didnt teach us in school how to raise and lower it with help or on our own. They didnt teach us how to put it away by ourselves. Ten minutes of getting to know your stretcher (How YOU doin?) will save you from at worst, dropping the cot with a patient on it (and blowing your partners

back out) and at best humiliating yourself in the ambulance bay when those around you figure out that you cant put thestretcher away by yourself.

Learn what the buttons do on the console in the front of the truck. Learn how to turn the lights on and off, how the sirenoperates. Know how to turn on the power to the back of the truck. Learn where the battery switch is (if your truck has one).

Familiarize yourself with the radio. Have your coworkers show you how to change the channel and adjust the volume. Learnwhats expected when communicating with dispatch and the ERs.

**********

Fake it ti ll you make it does not apply when it comes to equipment or skills.

If there is a piece of equipment that you dont know how to use, dont touch it.If I ask you to do something and you dont know how to do it, tell me.If you are in the back with a patient and there is something the patient needs that you dont know how to do, tell meimmediately. Its okay, really. We were all there at some point to some extent.

Under no circumstances do you ever fabricate a vital sign reading. If you cant hear it or feel it, there may be a reason.

**********

Practice your basic skills. Then practice them again. And again And again.

BLS skills are the foundation of everything ALS stands for. BVM ventilations can be just as effective as dropping an ET.Theres never been an IV or fancy electrical tool that has saved a patient whose ABCs were not being managed effectively.

Many trucks have monitors on them that will take a BP for you. All initial BPs should be done manually. Many monitorscan prove to be at the very least occasionally inaccurate, and at the most way the hell off .

Listen to everyones chest. Breath sounds, at the beginning, can be very confusing. The more breath sounds you hear thatare normal, the better. This way when you hear something that is off, itll stick out.

**********

Know when to speak up and when to shut up.

If you have a legitimate concern speak up.If you have a question ask. And listen to the answer .

e for New EMTs | Pink Warm and Dry http://www.pinkwarmdry.com/blog/2009/04/advice-for-new-emt

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If you have no idea what you are talking about sit down, shut up and observe.Its okay to be confident, but dont be cocky. Karma will bite you in the butt faster than you can say fresh meat. (AMEN,Bernice!)

Watch what you say in front of a patient and/or their family. Patients are people first. Nothing will piss me off more than if you talk about your patient to myself/a nurse/anyone else like they arent there.

Stay off of your cell phone when were with a patient. No phone calls, no texting.

********** Know your Role.

Many of us come into this job with thoughts of saving the world. We want to help people at their worst moments. We wantto be Superman, and fly in with our ambulance and save the day, rescue a bus filled with Nuns and discover the cure for cancer, all in one shift.

Thats not the way it goes.

Youre not going to save the world.

Many of us get stuck on transfer trucks doing the dialysis shuffle or running bariatric patients to their podiatristappointments. There is little that is glamorous about this job, but that doesnt make your role any less important than that of someone working on a first-in primary 911 truck. These are still people who depend on you .

If you are on a 911 truck, realize that you are going to get called at ridiculous hours for even more ridiculous reasons. Peopleare going to abuse the system. Youre going to be called to transport people with popped pimples, drug seekers, and peoplewho just (quite literally) want a ride across town. Accept that its going to happen, and move on.

**********

Realize that its okay to be emotional.

You are going to see a lot as an EMT, even if youre not on a dedicated 911 truck. Youre going to become attached to patients. You are going to develop relationships with these people. And a lot of them are going to die. You are going to read

their names and see their faces in the obituaries. Youre going to learn more about their lives.You will probably have particular runs that will wake you up at night in a cold sweat.

Caring about your patients is okay. Crying is okay. Asking for help is okay. Needing help dealing with these runs does notmake you weak.

Needing help dealing with these runs does not make you weak.

Yes, I typed it twice. On purpose.

If you find yourself having problems sleeping, or sleeping more than normal, or drinking more than normal, or just in generalfeeling bad about anything Find your partner or a coworker to talk to.

**********

Remember to breath.

Starting any new job can be stressful. This one is no different. There is a lot to learn, and relearn. Youll be tossed intosituations you couldnt even begin to imagine.

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, take a second to breath. My EMT instructor once told us to check our own pulsefirst, as long as we could find one wed be okay. He knew his stuff. I still find myself unconsciously checking my pulse whenIm in a situation that is outside of my realm of experience.

Keep your head up, and your eyes open. Youll get through it, reader. Keep us posted on your progress!


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Blogroll , EMS

8 Comments

JS14/04/2009

This is a great post. I think Im going to print this and give it to every student I have from now on With your

permission of course. JS

1.

Epijunky14/04/2009

Hey JSOf course you can! Like Id have a problem with it Truthfully, I wish someone had given a copy of it to me while Iwas in basic school.

2.

Bernice14/04/2009

I KNEW there were things I was forgetting. All solid advice.

3.

the Happy Medic14/04/2009

Fantastic list! I love the attention to emotion, too often overlooked. You left out the part where they know what timeeach coffee shop opens, but that can wait a bit I guess.

Thank you for a great post,

Happy.

4.

40lizard14/04/2009

Oh Epi,

Thats a wonderful post! May I direct my classmates to it? Most of us are still at the Oh s, what am I doing herestage but it would be a great guideline once we hit the streets for real. Which with 4 weeks of school left scare theliving daylights out of me!

5.

RobertB15/04/2009

While youre talking about things that you carry on your belt (reputation), its worth mentioning that wearing as manyholsters on your utility belt as Batman doesnt make you look cool. Besides, who needs to lug all that junk aroundanyways ? I totally agree with the rig check part. For a new EMT, this is the BEST way to learn WHERE everything isand what it does (and also where to find a new one in the supply closet when the last crew forgot to restock it).

6.

hilinda15/04/2009

Excellent post. Should be required reading- and not only for new EMTs. Some good reminders for those who have been around a while, because no one knows everything.

7.


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I will join the ranks of those printing and sharing, if you dont mind.

Old NFO15/04/2009

Excellent post EPI, and it applies not only to EMTs but most jobs! Im going to give it to some of my co-workers

8.

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