EMS is an interesting field because it has been all men for so long, they don't even bother to act like men instead of boys. In the last week I've had conversations about: the terrible blow jobs suffered by one man from his wife and his fond memories of his last great blow job; the relative hot-ness of various women wandering near; the tramp stamp tattoo and how it leads to the anal sex; and so on. I can't even remember them all, but most of them were inappropriate and if voiced within 2000 feet of a human resources person probably would've resulted in the immediate firing of everyone in the room.
I also spent 2 days this week riding with one of the biggest flirts in the company. When we go to the hospitals, he frequently disappears for 20 minutes or more and if you track him down, he's flirting with a nurse, an aide, admissions people, radiology techs, or pretty much any female under 40 and under 200 lbs. It doesn't bother me to ride with him as long as he doesn't make us late for calls, and even though I don't believe he was sincere, it was entertaining to be told you are pretty or beautiful 6-8 times in an 8 hour period. Yes, he's married. No, he doesn't do anything beyond batting some eyelashes and saying innocuous things. He's one of the people I was warned by some women about when I started at this company, but nobody has any suggestion of anything he's ever done to anyone. He's a Lt. at a fire department, so he's well aware of "the line".
It is interesting insight into the psyche of men though, and there is actually quite a diverse group at this company. Guys who are sports jocks to family men to crazy punk rockers covered in tattoos. The one thing they all agree on though, how much they like to talk about women and sex.
08 September 2006
06 September 2006
It's official
Just returned from getting the official sign-off on my class. I am hereby qualified to pay $145 to take the national registry exam to become an EMT-Intermediate. When I pass that, I will be qualified to send additional funds to the state so I can be licensed to practice.
Now that class is officially done, I'm going to vent a little. This was BY FAR the single worst class I've ever had the misfortune to pay to take. The lead instructor didn't give a rat's ass about us personally or the class as a whole, including not bothering to show up for several nights of class where things promptly went wrong. The outside lecturers showed up and flipped through the power point slides produced by the book editors (and you can guess how great those were) with no apparent preparation or thought going into the lectures. There were inconsistencies between information given out by guest lecturers and answers on quizzes/exams because those instructors had no input into what we were tested over. Lab instructors were not even trained, had no idea how we were going to be tested, and couldn't run the stations the way the exams were offered. When we got to the hospital and ride-along time, all the feedback about our class was negative and reflected how unprepared we were to be treating real patients. Our instructor claimed we had a "poor attitude", but for most of us, that developed as we realized the impossibility of achieving any actual proficiency from this class.
Ugh. The only thing good I can say about it is at least my job is reimbursing the cost so I don't feel like I was personally screwed out of the $700. Now, onward to learning what I should've been able to do as an Intermediate in 1985 since that is the national test I have to take.
Now that class is officially done, I'm going to vent a little. This was BY FAR the single worst class I've ever had the misfortune to pay to take. The lead instructor didn't give a rat's ass about us personally or the class as a whole, including not bothering to show up for several nights of class where things promptly went wrong. The outside lecturers showed up and flipped through the power point slides produced by the book editors (and you can guess how great those were) with no apparent preparation or thought going into the lectures. There were inconsistencies between information given out by guest lecturers and answers on quizzes/exams because those instructors had no input into what we were tested over. Lab instructors were not even trained, had no idea how we were going to be tested, and couldn't run the stations the way the exams were offered. When we got to the hospital and ride-along time, all the feedback about our class was negative and reflected how unprepared we were to be treating real patients. Our instructor claimed we had a "poor attitude", but for most of us, that developed as we realized the impossibility of achieving any actual proficiency from this class.
Ugh. The only thing good I can say about it is at least my job is reimbursing the cost so I don't feel like I was personally screwed out of the $700. Now, onward to learning what I should've been able to do as an Intermediate in 1985 since that is the national test I have to take.
04 September 2006
Template changes
Don't be too surprised if the look changes every day or so until I settle on something new...feel free to give feed back on ones you like.
31 August 2006
Final exam
Last night was the final in-class exam for Intermediate class. I passed the written test easily and felt good about all the practical stations. At the end of the night, I found out that I failed two practical airway stations (they were both completed at the same time) because I forgot to say that I would wear gloves. Stupid reason to fail because I always put on my gloves before I even get out of the ambulance, but a failure criteria anyway. So I get to go back next week and retake those stations.
I was going to go back next week anyway because our instructor conveniently "forgot" to have our course evaluations ready for us last night and he definitely needs the feedback. He needs it so much that several people have written to the state certification department about what the program needs and whether they should even be certified at all.
I also managed to get suckered in to an 8 hour shift on Saturday and covering half a shift on Sunday, so instead of having the whole weekend off, I really just have Monday off. I'm such a sucker for a sob story...
I was going to go back next week anyway because our instructor conveniently "forgot" to have our course evaluations ready for us last night and he definitely needs the feedback. He needs it so much that several people have written to the state certification department about what the program needs and whether they should even be certified at all.
I also managed to get suckered in to an 8 hour shift on Saturday and covering half a shift on Sunday, so instead of having the whole weekend off, I really just have Monday off. I'm such a sucker for a sob story...
27 August 2006
Last day of ride time
I finished my last day of ride time last week and now I just have to pass the final cumulative written exam and the practical stations and I am D-O-N-E with this class!!! Ride time was fine, it was my only day at the station I work out of, so it was nice to ride with people I'm more comfortable with. I think I did okay - definitely more performance anxiety because these are people that I need to have respecting my skills and wanting to work with me, or I'm still going to be stuck on a transfer truck regardless of my certification. I went on several calls with one of the supervisors and several with one of the other medics who let me start 2 IVs (successfully!) and push D50. Several people were reasonably impressed that I pushed D50 through a 22 gauge catheter (22 is a pretty small diameter and D50 is 50% dextrose solution which is about the consistency of molasses, not easy to push through a small opening).
Today is my first day completely off of work, of any kind, in quite a while. K is even home today and we've been taking advantage of some dreary weather to relax and take it easy inside. We were supposed to fix the hole in the ceiling today while there were two of us to lift drywall, and to finish the long-postponed shopping, but neither of us really feels like it. No big plans for the holiday weekend, just a softball party on Friday (we lost out of the playoffs this week) and then hopefully some med school apps to work on if they're here by then.
Today is my first day completely off of work, of any kind, in quite a while. K is even home today and we've been taking advantage of some dreary weather to relax and take it easy inside. We were supposed to fix the hole in the ceiling today while there were two of us to lift drywall, and to finish the long-postponed shopping, but neither of us really feels like it. No big plans for the holiday weekend, just a softball party on Friday (we lost out of the playoffs this week) and then hopefully some med school apps to work on if they're here by then.
21 August 2006
Cue Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)
If you know the song, then you know the feeling. I present you, my lord, with my puny medical school application and beg you not to crush my throat from across the room. (Yes, I'm entirely comfortable with being a nerd.)
I submitted my central application (AMCAS) today, along with the $250 fee for applications to 4 medical schools reasonably near my house and officially ended hours of agonizing debate over what to include, where, and how. I was expecting more of a feeling of relief, but instead it was more like the knot in my chest got a little bigger and tighter. Now I'm official. People know that I want to go to medical school and are going to judge everything I've said and done to decide whether to let me in or crush me like a bug. But first, they have to send secondary applications where I have to write more essays, get letters of reference and send them additional money. Always with the money - I'd think that schools getting in excess of $34k a year in tuition wouldn't need so many application fees, but apparently I'd be wrong.
I don't know how long the rest of the process takes, but most of the schools do interviews from October to January with the earliest admission decisions in January and the wait list decisions running until March or April. Apparently cooking a med school app takes about as long as creating a new life - but I'm really trying to create a whole new life for myself so maybe that's appropriate. At any rate, GULP! I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me...I hope.
I submitted my central application (AMCAS) today, along with the $250 fee for applications to 4 medical schools reasonably near my house and officially ended hours of agonizing debate over what to include, where, and how. I was expecting more of a feeling of relief, but instead it was more like the knot in my chest got a little bigger and tighter. Now I'm official. People know that I want to go to medical school and are going to judge everything I've said and done to decide whether to let me in or crush me like a bug. But first, they have to send secondary applications where I have to write more essays, get letters of reference and send them additional money. Always with the money - I'd think that schools getting in excess of $34k a year in tuition wouldn't need so many application fees, but apparently I'd be wrong.
I don't know how long the rest of the process takes, but most of the schools do interviews from October to January with the earliest admission decisions in January and the wait list decisions running until March or April. Apparently cooking a med school app takes about as long as creating a new life - but I'm really trying to create a whole new life for myself so maybe that's appropriate. At any rate, GULP! I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me...I hope.
20 August 2006
Slow
I'm going to invoke the word we do not say in EMS in the hopes of getting a few interesting calls today. Things at the FD have been slow. Very, very slow. Thursday we did two calls all night. This is my volunteer weekend and yesterday we had 2 calls (one was a lift assist) and a cancellation, and that was it in 24 hours. We've had one call today so far...slow.
The medic working today got bitten by some sort of bug on Friday and his arm is incredibly swollen today. Yesterday it didn't look nearly that nasty, but today it seems pretty clear he's going to need medical intervention. He showed it to one of the ER docs this morning, asking whether he should get it checked out and the doc's response was "Hell yes!" Kinda sucks 'cause he's one of my favorites and he might not be there if we get a call later. The other medic on this shift I've never really worked with, and from all rumors that sounds like a good thing - so maybe I shouldn't be hoping we get more calls, but I am anyway.
Edited 8/21: So, we did get more calls - all night long. Serves me right for wishing for more work. The medic came back after a dose of IV antibiotics and a prescription for more and he sent the volunteers (specifically me) with one patient of our own and one patient he worked with one of the younger guys taking the lead...exactly the reasons he rocks.
The medic working today got bitten by some sort of bug on Friday and his arm is incredibly swollen today. Yesterday it didn't look nearly that nasty, but today it seems pretty clear he's going to need medical intervention. He showed it to one of the ER docs this morning, asking whether he should get it checked out and the doc's response was "Hell yes!" Kinda sucks 'cause he's one of my favorites and he might not be there if we get a call later. The other medic on this shift I've never really worked with, and from all rumors that sounds like a good thing - so maybe I shouldn't be hoping we get more calls, but I am anyway.
Edited 8/21: So, we did get more calls - all night long. Serves me right for wishing for more work. The medic came back after a dose of IV antibiotics and a prescription for more and he sent the volunteers (specifically me) with one patient of our own and one patient he worked with one of the younger guys taking the lead...exactly the reasons he rocks.
18 August 2006
Time out
Just so you know, I haven't been ignoring you. I mean, it's just that I've been out of town and kinda busy, right? I've been thinking of you even if you didn't know it, that's gotta count for something...okay, maybe it doesn't count for much, but that doesn't make it untrue.
Monday through Wednesday this week I was away at a "conference retreat" with one of the groups I still do statistics for. This yearly gathering is held at a spectacular lake house where they serve gourmet food and give you free run of canoes, kayaks, etc. for enjoying the lake. But the payment is that you have to sit in presentations and meetings and actually accomplish some stuff while you're there. I've had several people comment on how miserable it must've been to go and listen to people all day, but really it isn't that bad. I enjoy listening to smart people talk about interesting things. It is why I like school. And smart people who think that I have something interesting to say - well, even better.
Thursday I turned down an offer to work an extra shift on the ambulance because one of the local hospitals was running a continuing education seminar on heart attacks brought on by illegal drug use. So I sat for another 4 hours listening to smart people talk about interesting stuff. I learned that you should NEVER NEVER NEVER give someone on cocaine and having a heart attack a beta-blocker because it will make everything worse and probably kill your patient, and you should give them some valium or something to settle them down a little. Good to know, but kinda useless personally since I can't administer any of those meds.
Last night was also my volunteer night and my two favorite paramedics were both working even though it wasn't either of their shifts. We only did a couple of calls, but one of them was interesting for me because there were two calls dispatched within a couple of minutes of each other. Meaning the ambulance was heading to the first one, and they were sending the engine from across town to the other and sending in an ambulance from another town. So I pulled a quick U-turn and headed to the second call because I knew the other 2 volunteers were heading to the first (one of them was right behind me). I was with the patient for almost 5 minutes before the engine got there, which would've been great if I'd had any equipment. The patient decided not to go to the hospital, so I ended up doing all the paperwork for the refusal - including the 40 minutes to enter all the info into the computer. The Lt. on the engine definately had some say on-scene as he had to decide whether to cancel the ambulance, which we didn't because we felt like she should probably go to the hospital and were trying to talk her into it. But this was pretty much my patient, all mine, and I'm greedy like that.
Monday through Wednesday this week I was away at a "conference retreat" with one of the groups I still do statistics for. This yearly gathering is held at a spectacular lake house where they serve gourmet food and give you free run of canoes, kayaks, etc. for enjoying the lake. But the payment is that you have to sit in presentations and meetings and actually accomplish some stuff while you're there. I've had several people comment on how miserable it must've been to go and listen to people all day, but really it isn't that bad. I enjoy listening to smart people talk about interesting things. It is why I like school. And smart people who think that I have something interesting to say - well, even better.
Thursday I turned down an offer to work an extra shift on the ambulance because one of the local hospitals was running a continuing education seminar on heart attacks brought on by illegal drug use. So I sat for another 4 hours listening to smart people talk about interesting stuff. I learned that you should NEVER NEVER NEVER give someone on cocaine and having a heart attack a beta-blocker because it will make everything worse and probably kill your patient, and you should give them some valium or something to settle them down a little. Good to know, but kinda useless personally since I can't administer any of those meds.
Last night was also my volunteer night and my two favorite paramedics were both working even though it wasn't either of their shifts. We only did a couple of calls, but one of them was interesting for me because there were two calls dispatched within a couple of minutes of each other. Meaning the ambulance was heading to the first one, and they were sending the engine from across town to the other and sending in an ambulance from another town. So I pulled a quick U-turn and headed to the second call because I knew the other 2 volunteers were heading to the first (one of them was right behind me). I was with the patient for almost 5 minutes before the engine got there, which would've been great if I'd had any equipment. The patient decided not to go to the hospital, so I ended up doing all the paperwork for the refusal - including the 40 minutes to enter all the info into the computer. The Lt. on the engine definately had some say on-scene as he had to decide whether to cancel the ambulance, which we didn't because we felt like she should probably go to the hospital and were trying to talk her into it. But this was pretty much my patient, all mine, and I'm greedy like that.