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r/NewToEMS•
ModeratelyTortoise

How best to prepare for actual work?

Beginner Advice

Hey EMTs/Medics/Whatever medical professional you are.

I’ll be starting shifts in about a month and I’m wondering what you’d suggest to be best prepared? I passed the NREMT and skills test first time and they felt pretty comfortable, but work is a lot different from a computer test and putting an I-Gel in a rubber head. I am not worried that I’ll freeze or anything like that, but I am concerned I’ll get to scenes and just not know what to do? Which comes with the job to a certain extent, but I’d like to get ready as best I can. Any suggestions?

Posted Apr 7, 2023, 5:36 PM UTC

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Handlestach:verified: Paramedic, FP-C | Florida•

Stop bleeding. This is highest priority. Then just follow abc or cab. Assess your patients, every one every time. I’m talking lung sounds on every patient. Idgaf if it’s 2 am toe pain. Fox what you can, understand that lots of things we can’t.

And my final soapbox that I’ll die on; It’s never anxiety. Anxiety is a symptom of a greater pathology, rule out all possible causes, drugs, sepsis, cardiac, hyperthermia, etc.

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ChaleaanUnverified User•

There room for two on that soapbox? Immediately after I was hired as a brand new paramedic I was working through practice scenarios with our company clinical manager. I straight up murdered a paper patient with a PE because I thought they had anxiety.

Primary anxiety is a diagnosis of SIGNIFICANT exclusion.

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Atlas_Fortis:verified: EMT | TX•

Stop bleeding. This is highest priority.

This is why I like MARCH vs ABC, feels like a more inclusive way of looking at life threats.

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Kra7592Unverified User•

Remember…. ME, US, THEM….

I can’t be effective if I don’t take care of my self, we can’t be effective if we don’t take care of each other, once we’ve taken care of ourselves and each other…. THEN we can take care of them

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TheBraindonkeyUnverified User•

You can't prepare beyond the classwork. And just accept the fact that you don't really know anything in the real world. It's normal and everyone goes through it so it's is known. This job is the definition of trial by fire. Depending on your job role/type and how busy your system is the answers can differ wildly. But the one fact stays the same, you will learn on the job (and frankly it never stops). The classes are a foundation, they are not reality, barring the actually book smarts stuff of course, but the on scene activities and in bus bouncy fun is nothing you can actually prepare for or learn, in spite of what the classes may pretend. Don't worry you will do fine, just use that "I don't know what the fuck I am doing" feeling as fuel, and to be more attentive to your actions and treatments.

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ACoraniaUnverified User•

No one is expecting you to know more than what was in the class. Study the book and make sure you know the stuff in there, but don't stress it too much.

ABC (or CAB as appropriate) first and then know the basics of the rest of it. Don't spend time on things like WMDs or chem weapons, but things like pediatric should be studied.

Then, when you get there be ready to learn. Spend your down time getting REALLY familiar with where things are on the rig and local geography so you get to know where things are.

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