This has been Zoot's ongoing saga to find a job.  I started Basic school last Fall and got my NR and State certs in February.  Unfortunately, the local EMS service won't hire you until you are 21 because of insurance.  So I had to wait until the end of July to apply there. (At this point I was almost done with Intermediate school).  FINALLY today, after a written and practical skills test, and TWO interviews, I found out that I have a conditional job offer, as long as I can pass the drug test and physical (no problem there).  After over a month of calling folks begging for interviews and such, my hard work has paid off. I was beginning to wonder if I would finish Medic school before I got a job offer.

If you're going the private route, repeat after Tango...

"Good morning, Mrs. Schmedlap. Going to the doctor again this morning?"

Quoted: If you're going the private route, repeat after Tango... "Good morning, Mrs. Schmedlap. Going to the doctor again this morning?"

hehe, yeah I'm fully aware thats going to be a lot of what I'll be doing.
I'd like to get a few years in as a medic and then go to work for a Fire dept.  I'm currently active in a good Volunteer fire dept, so I will have some experience there as well.

I'm praying I'll get assigned to a 911 truck, rather than a transfer truck...

Great, just don't kill anybody.
Here are some general rules I'd like to pass on:
-When in doubt, do CPR.  
-You cannot give a patient too much oxygen.  Hypoxic drive?  Screw that, it takes about 30 mintues to kick in, I'll have the patient in the ER by then.
-When you can hear someone's breath sounds in the next room, you don't need an o2-sat monitor to know they are having trouble breathing, give them oxygen before you put on the pinky clip.  By the same token, if a patient has ANY sign or symptom of dypsnea give them oxygen, even if their o2 sat is 99%, they may be compensating for the problem.
-If a patient says they are going to die, believe them and do all you can to prove them wrong
-Remember, treat the patient.  Never, ever treat the monitor.
-Air goes in and out; Blood goes round and round.  Anything other than that is bad.

Good Luck!

Good luck with the job Zoot!  Keep us posted!

Quoted: ]Air goes in and out; Blood goes round and round.  Anything other than that is bad. Good Luck!

Silly man...

It is...

Air goes in and out,Blood goes round and round, and Oxygen is good!

Good luck! Rember beinbg a EMS provider is about caring for people. Some need everything you have, some need a hand (a frikkin ungloved hand) to hold, some just can't make it to a DRs apt without you. It's about helping them all, not running through the streets with lights and sirens blaring. Thats why I stoped proctering. I couldn't take one more little yahoo telling me he wanted to be a medic to get a job with the fire department.

Quoted: If you're going the private route, repeat after Tango... "Good morning, Mrs. Schmedlap. Going to the doctor again this morning?"

That is so true.

20

It's all about Pt Care.

Confused? ABC(DEFG) and you'll be set. Never be afraid to ask for help... because it is all about Pt Care.