Confessions of an EMS Newbie

(23:49) Ron’s not going to be a paramedic in the near future so we are talking with some other newbies. JD Meyerdirk is getting ready to start paramedic school and we sit down with him to talk about it.

We also talk about Kilted to Kick Cancer a lot. It starts September first and Kelly’s got another contest with even more great prizes.

Kilted to Kick Cancer

(25:00) Despite many many failures, Ron has finally come to the end of his Paramedic training experience. This week he retook the skill he failed, and took his NREMT-P cognitive exam. Listen to find out the results.

On Saturday I went to the ALERT Academy in Big Sandy Texas and retook my pedi-vent skill. A very nice female paramedic gave me a test prep book. Which I only had one day to use and didn’t really get all the way through it.

I really haven’t studied a lot. Took a number of tests on MedicTests.com. That was really it, and not even the number they suggested.

On Monday I took the test fully expecting abject failure. I even convinced my wife I was going to fail. I told her if I finished at 70 questions, I know I’ve failed.

EMT-Paramedic (P) PreTest Self Assessment and Review

(34:56) Ron passed his oral boards but didn’t pass all of his skills. This week we talk about pediatric airways and prepping for the written exam. Also mentioned, doing drug math, paramedic test prep books and CPR HD.

MedicTests.com

I will be graduating college this coming December with a bachelors degree in Political Science and French (yes, I know my major in strange for a person interested in medicine!) I’m also hoping to be done with my Paramedic program around that same time. I’m really interested in research, what kind of opportunities are out there for EMS research?

(22:48) Well I thought I was done, but it turns out I was living an illusion.

I did not pass my orals, as a matter of fact I failed them miserably.

Hit the stress wall and flamed out during PALS.

Doses are my nemesis

MedicTests.com

(58:06) In this episode Ron talks with Licensed Paramedic Sarah Francis McClure his paramedic clinical internship preceptor about the time they spent together.

Tell us a little about you and how you became a paramedic.

What did you think when I asked you to be my preceptor? I’m your first right?

What did you learn from being my preceptor? Would you do it again? What would you do differently?

Any questions for me?

(46:21) For Ron paramedic school is over. Finished his clinicals including getting his vaginal birth, took his department’s oral board exam and 180 question final.

Ron and Kelly noticed today that this podcast has become a lot less newbie friendly because he now understands all those terms he didn’t earlier in his school time, so we make a special effort to explain things in a new student friendly kind of way.

Orals

Finished Clinicals

If you are a newbie and interested in being on the show, contact us. [email protected].

HHNK

First of all, I follow both of you on Twitter and saw that Ron passed his final, so congratulations!

I have three questions for y’all:

1) How do you tell the difference between Biot’s and Cheyne-Stokes respirations? All the definitions I’ve seen describe them as being very similar, other than the causes.

2) Do you know why Atropine when given in small doses or very slow can cause paradoxical bradycardia? I’ve asked my Paramedic instructor (who Kelly writes occasionally with for EMS World) and he didn’t know, but said he has seen it happen before. I’m fortunate enough to attend an University with a Medical School on campus and I went to their library to do some research but didn’t come up with much more information than I already knew.

The only think I could come up with, and this is purely a guess is that maybe with small dosages/slow administration of the Atropine there isn’t enough atropine (either in the total dose or concentrations of it in the blood) to fully inhibit the vagus nerve stimulation, thus lowering the HR. If y’all are interested I can send some PDF files of the studies that I read on the subject.

(35:31) Ron finally had that call he was so worried about when he started EMT Basic all those years ago. He’s almost done with paramedic school, finishing up clinicals and classes over the next couple of weeks.

Learned from one of the instructors – stick by what you decided. Don’t doubt yourself.

Plugged a hole in the side of someone’s head so air wouldn’t come out.

One of my biggest fears was dealing with the super gross.

Getting good at identifying dead. Well maybe not so much.

Being comfortable. Getting aggressive.

53 calls. 265 hours.

(38:42) Ron has a bit of an emotional breakdown during a clinical this week and we talk about the effects of fatigue and how you handle not knowing what to do. Also how do you know when you are ready?

More scenarios and I’m wondering a little how much it is helping.

You know you are in EMS when you have to stop asking your patients what day of the week it is because you don’t know the answer.

Lost it after a call on Monday.

One thing from scenarios, sometimes there isn’t anything you can really do, so you just support ABCs.

[MedicTests.com spot]

I am a very hot-natured person. In my current A-EMT Class we are required to wear uniforms that consist 5.11 pants, a t-shirt and a uniform shirt. We are to always have both shirts on. Is there a way I can stay cool in this uniform instead of sweating like a pig in the middle of a classroom and especially during my clinicals? I have heard that Under Armour keeps you cool but I have also heard it holds the heat in. Do you have any suggestions for a fat southern boy that sweats when its only 70 degrees here in Georgia?

Thanks

Tim “Future NR-AEMT”

Had a patient who was hyperventilating, and seeing as how we are unable to use the paper bag method, the medic decided to use a NRB on 4lpm. This method did help to slow the respiration rate from about 40bpm to around 28bpm.

Have you ever heard of doing this before, or do you have any other ideas on what one could do?

(26:25) This week the Newbie sets down with Joseph Storm of MedicTests.com and talks about preparing for the national registry EMT and Paramedic tests. Joe gives some really great tips on taking and passing the test. What are the most common questions about Incident Command? What is the most common acidosis question and answer? Listen to this episode and find out.

Did you know current neuroscience says studying at a certain interval makes you more likely to learn the material. Listen to find out what that interval may be.

Mentions:

(32:01) Starting a new semester with testing. And doing medic things everyone does, but that he hasn’t learned yet.

Tested all our paramedic skills.

First time to call in reports to hospitals.

6 Second ECG