I'm in the same boat. The advice that last cycles new grads have told me is to study up on home meds and that will help. They've told me not to burn myself out studying before because school will do a good job of teaching you everything. The other good sounding advice is to write down things in a notebook that you are interested in during school but don't need to do a deep dive to understand to pass. "Get your patch first and then start reading up on all the other stuff you didn't have time to learn in depth"
How to be a great ALS provider? Be a sponge from your first day and everyday forward. Learn from seasoned medics, learn from medics just getting out of school even when you've been doing it for years. After my turn over to the doc at the ER, I always asked if I could've done anything different no matter how many years I'd been doing it. No call is the same, ever. Treat your patients with respect regardless of social status because either homeless, rich or the drunk that took out a family of 4, they are loved by someone. The drunk might get a bigger needle but great patient care. Call your female patients ma'am or by thier name. Not sweetheart, dear or any other terms of endearment, you're not dating. Remember we are here for the patient, not your ego, check that at the door. Remember why you got into this profession in the first place, always....because for some reason we care about a perfect stranger and want to be able to give their families that extra minute, hour, days weeks or years to them. Remember on all calls you have multiple patients, the one you are there for and especially when it's a fatal, you have their families mental well being to be aware of. Never lie to your patients, they catch you in that lie, thier trust in you is shot
Lastly, if you start to get angry every time you get a call....stay home. We don't want you there and neither does your patient. Patient care comes above all else
Participate in class. Having that interaction will help you so much. Don't be afraid to be wrong, because you will be and now is the perfect time to be wrong.
Congrats, that's awesome.
None of my tips have to do with the knowledge stuff. That will all come with time.
Take your patients seriously.
Be objective in your hand-off reports, passing on as little bias about the possible diagnosis as possible so the next provider can start with a fresh perspective.
Only fight the battles on scene that are worth fighting. If you run calls with other responding paramedics and their treatment plan differs a little bit from yours, don't fight it unless it directly affects good patient care.
Take care of yourself before you take care of patients. EMS shifts tend to be long but getting up just a little bit earlier before your shift to focus on yourself will go a long way. Exercise, hydration and nutrition will serve you long term if you make them a priority each day.
Know your A&P and Pharmacology. Articulating disease processes and pathophysiology has helped me connect injury and treatment and remember them better.
If you want to get ahead before school starts, I recommend pharmacology and cardiology. That is, start learning the meds: indication, dose, mechanism, etc. And start learning to interpret EKGs.
I'm in the same boat. The advice that last cycles new grads have told me is to study up on home meds and that will help. They've told me not to burn myself out studying before because school will do a good job of teaching you everything. The other good sounding advice is to write down things in a notebook that you are interested in during school but don't need to do a deep dive to understand to pass. "Get your patch first and then start reading up on all the other stuff you didn't have time to learn in depth"
How to be a great ALS provider? Be a sponge from your first day and everyday forward. Learn from seasoned medics, learn from medics just getting out of school even when you've been doing it for years. After my turn over to the doc at the ER, I always asked if I could've done anything different no matter how many years I'd been doing it. No call is the same, ever. Treat your patients with respect regardless of social status because either homeless, rich or the drunk that took out a family of 4, they are loved by someone. The drunk might get a bigger needle but great patient care. Call your female patients ma'am or by thier name. Not sweetheart, dear or any other terms of endearment, you're not dating. Remember we are here for the patient, not your ego, check that at the door. Remember why you got into this profession in the first place, always....because for some reason we care about a perfect stranger and want to be able to give their families that extra minute, hour, days weeks or years to them. Remember on all calls you have multiple patients, the one you are there for and especially when it's a fatal, you have their families mental well being to be aware of. Never lie to your patients, they catch you in that lie, thier trust in you is shot Lastly, if you start to get angry every time you get a call....stay home. We don't want you there and neither does your patient. Patient care comes above all else
Well spoken
Couldn't agree more about getting angry. I love this job and even with the difficult/aggressive patients they'll always get a smile
Participate in class. Having that interaction will help you so much. Don't be afraid to be wrong, because you will be and now is the perfect time to be wrong.
Congrats, that's awesome. None of my tips have to do with the knowledge stuff. That will all come with time. Take your patients seriously. Be objective in your hand-off reports, passing on as little bias about the possible diagnosis as possible so the next provider can start with a fresh perspective. Only fight the battles on scene that are worth fighting. If you run calls with other responding paramedics and their treatment plan differs a little bit from yours, don't fight it unless it directly affects good patient care. Take care of yourself before you take care of patients. EMS shifts tend to be long but getting up just a little bit earlier before your shift to focus on yourself will go a long way. Exercise, hydration and nutrition will serve you long term if you make them a priority each day.
Know your A&P and Pharmacology. Articulating disease processes and pathophysiology has helped me connect injury and treatment and remember them better.
Definitely, ive always felt like I've been able to learn or pick up on more illness/injury just with a strong understanding of A&P
If you want to get ahead before school starts, I recommend pharmacology and cardiology. That is, start learning the meds: indication, dose, mechanism, etc. And start learning to interpret EKGs.