Tough Day for Me...

[Compass]

Well, I've made it through EMT class. I'm currently 1 week away from testing to become a licensed EMT-B. I've been running calls, already, dealing with patients. Today, though, was my first... well... you'll see...

Patient comes in... cardiac arrest... they've been doing CPR on the ambulance... I do compressions in ER... doctors give meds... doesn't work... After me doing about 5 minutes... pronounced dead...

This has given me a completely different outlook on why I'm pursuing my career. I never imagined in my life that I would be there, trying my hardest to save someone's life. Yet I was there. I've always had my doubts about medicine, but this one call, even though it saddens me greatly, has allowed me to fully realize why I'm doing this.


For you guys out there who advised me about half a year ago about becoming an EMT... you've given me a great experience to think on, and a lasting one, as well. I've affiliated with my local fire station, and I've never felt so proud about being out there, helping people, making a difference.

So, again... all of you here who've guided me and kept me standing, and given me this great opportunity, thank you.

My thoughts and prayers will always remain with this person. I don't even know his name, but... I won't let his memory be lost upon me... It's impacted me greatly, and I finally understand what I'm here for...

Compass

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[fiznat]

I remember my first code also. It is an experience that really sticks with you, and even if the result was not positive, there were lessons learned there that will come up over and over again.

Codes are not a pretty sight. They have a tendency to either shake loose the unsure or pull in the dedicated. It seems you are of the latter.

 

[tacrum43]

My thoughts and prayers will always remain with this person. I don't even know his name, but... I won't let his memory be lost upon me... It's impacted me greatly, and I finally understand what I'm here for...

I was also an EMT-B during college, and had a similarly moving experience with a coding patient (with the notable exception that they survived). I too found that moment to be when I was like "Yes! Medicine is for me!". I'll always remember that, and it made for a good personal statement too.

 

[GoldShadow]

Good to know you've found your motivation and purpose. Where do you live? You haven't even gotten your cert yet and you got a code!

I've been volunteering at my town's ambulance garage (it's all volunteer) for almost 2 years now as an EMT-B and still haven't seen a code. I guess that's a good thing, though.

edit: Ah I hate sounding like that. It's a desire to see something interesting and getting the chance to help someone who really needs it, that makes me say "I hope we get some interesting calls today" or "I hope today's not a slow day" when I'm staffing...as opposed to hoping someone gets hurt or has a heart attack or something, which would be kind of sadistic, heh.

 

[greytmedic]

edit: Ah I hate sounding like that. It's a desire to see something interesting and getting the chance to help someone who really needs it, that makes me say "I hope we get some interesting calls today" or "I hope today's not a slow day" when I'm staffing...as opposed to hoping someone gets hurt or has a heart attack or something, which would be kind of sadistic, heh.

That's why whenever someone comes into work and says they hope we get a big fire or a good trauma I always volunteer to set their house on fire or run over their spouse/kid, they kind of look at differently after that.

 

[TerraMedicX]

You always remember your firsts...and just when you think you're out of firsts...you have another one! I'm still dreading my first field delivery...OB BAD!!

 

[gotmeds?]

That's why whenever someone comes into work and says they hope we get a big fire or a good trauma I always volunteer to set their house on fire or run over their spouse/kid, they kind of look at differently after that.

Well said. No matter how great or how satisfying a call, you have to remember that something bad had to happen to someone so that you could do something good. So while you're jumping up and down in the hospital parking lot, celebrating that incredible megacode you just ran, there's a family sitting inside a room in the hospital getting some heartbreaking news from a doctor. Maybe they even walked by you on the way in.

 

[12R34Y]

Well said. No matter how great or how satisfying a call, you have to remember that something bad had to happen to someone so that you could do something good. So while you're jumping up and down in the hospital parking lot, celebrating that incredible megacode you just ran, there's a family sitting inside a room in the hospital getting some heartbreaking news from a doctor. Maybe they even walked by you on the way in.

While I agree that you should never wish ill on anyone so you can have an "interesting call" everyone is guilty of desiring to take care of sick people.

that's what I'm sure is meant when your colleagues say "I'm hoping for a good house fire or trauma."

Of course, no decent human being would wish someone to die or get hurt so he can have fun, it's a common saying in EMS and the fire culture.

Would you rather go run nursing home calls or help someone from an unexpected tragedy? I know what I'd choose. It doesn't make you a sadist.

relax........there is an intended meaning behind it.

that's just perverse to say. "would you like me to burn your house down or run over your kid?" that's probably more wierd/awkward especially when everyone else in the firehouse knows what they mean and don't take it literally.

later

 

[gotmeds?]

While I agree that you should never wish ill on anyone so you can have an "interesting call" everyone is guilty of desiring to take care of sick people.

that's what I'm sure is meant when your colleagues say "I'm hoping for a good house fire or trauma."

Of course, no decent human being would wish someone to die or get hurt so he can have fun, it's a common saying in EMS and the fire culture.

Would you rather go run nursing home calls or help someone from an unexpected tragedy? I know what I'd choose. It doesn't make you a sadist.

relax........there is an intended meaning behind it.

that's just perverse to say. "would you like me to burn your house down or run over your kid?" that's probably more wierd/awkward especially when everyone else in the firehouse knows what they mean and don't take it literally.

later

Of course we want to run good calls! I think that greyt was just acknowledging the little paradox that we all have to deal with. You feel at your best when you're being pushed to the very limits of your skill. Of course, for that to happen, your patient has to be in pretty bad shape. The longer you've been working and more experienced you become, the worse your patient has to be for you to feel like you ran a really good call. That's why it's important to be able to respect the fact that your good call is someone else's tragedy. Otherwise, you will become a sadist.

 

[greytmedic]

While I agree that you should never wish ill on anyone so you can have an "interesting call" everyone is guilty of desiring to take care of sick people.

that's what I'm sure is meant when your colleagues say "I'm hoping for a good house fire or trauma."

Of course, no decent human being would wish someone to die or get hurt so he can have fun, it's a common saying in EMS and the fire culture.

Would you rather go run nursing home calls or help someone from an unexpected tragedy? I know what I'd choose. It doesn't make you a sadist.

relax........there is an intended meaning behind it.

that's just perverse to say. "would you like me to burn your house down or run over your kid?" that's probably more wierd/awkward especially when everyone else in the firehouse knows what they mean and don't take it literally.

later

Personally, I would rather sit my arse in the lazy boy and nap all day and not have anyone have any kind of unexpected tragedy. And yes, I have been doing Fire/EMS long enough to realize it is common to EMS and fire culture and I know what they really mean since this isn't a happy little sunshine world where nothing bad ever happens. But that doesn't mean I can't help to point out the effects of these type of calls outside our own little EMS world of running a "good" call. Isn't it perverse to say, "I hope we get a big fire" or "I hope we get a good trauma." A big fire or a good trauma means that someone somewhere is going to have a life altering event. Maybe me saying that will help a fellow co-worker have a little more empathy for the next patient or family they deal with in a tragedy. And everyone who actually hears me say it and can look at my facial expressions when I say it knows I am not taking what the said literally and they know not to take what I say seriously, but it still plants that little seed of thought in their mind about what they wish for.

 

[Compass]

OK, I'm back. We finished Mod 6, OB, on Monday. Lost another guy today. Mod 7 test tomorrow, Written State Test, Maryland, on Monday or Tuesday, methinks. And then 25 or 27 for Practical. I hope I'm ready. I haven't had time to run calls betwixt, but I have Training Crew on Friday, so I get to do inventory some more (>.>")

Would you guys consider EMS for college students a "phase?" Not something that's a passing enjoyment, but something that inevitably has to end due to circumstances surrounding life. Depending on how my future goes, I'll probably be EMS for 2 years before I inevitably have to move from home and go to medical school, and there's no real way I can see of getting around that.

 

[GoldShadow]

I know there are a few med students and docs on this board that continued EMS even while in medical school, though I don't think people generally continue after that.

 

[emtcsmith]

During my paramedic field time I was apart of 9 cardiac arrests in my 1000 street hours. Mostly medical, some gsw/trauma related. One shift our second call was a code and the last call of the shift was as well. My second to last shift started with a shooting/trauma code and I was taken right from that call by the supervisor to a second code, two dead within the first two hours of the shift.

Most of your bread and butter cardiac arrests will start to blend together but as everyone will tell you, you will see things in EMS you will never forget.

 

[emttim]

Would you guys consider EMS for college students a "phase?" Not something that's a passing enjoyment, but something that inevitably has to end due to circumstances surrounding life. Depending on how my future goes, I'll probably be EMS for 2 years before I inevitably have to move from home and go to medical school, and there's no real way I can see of getting around that.

Well, I'd consider it a phase, yeah. The only reason being, of course, that I don't want to remain poor once I'm done with college...not like you'll be driving a Mercedes or anything off EMT pay. Or even eating 3 meals a day and having money leftover, for that matter.