Life of a Trainee Paramedic

Well today was the end of my first week on placement.  I’ve had a really good time, it actually seems like I’m doing something, an actual job.

Yesterday, I spent half of it up at the ambulance liaison office bored out my brain.  This is where all the PTS journeys are organised, but because I’m not going to get to grips with the computer system in a few hours, there was absolutely nothing for me to do except watch.  I was supposed to be there for the whole day but I was rescued by one of the PTS crew, and I was able to go out and help with him.  We went past an RAF base on our travels, which happened to be the one where all the AWACS (those radar planes with the dish on top) are based.  I did wonder why there were in full view of the road though with only a clear field and a fence separating us.  Does the RAF not think to move them out of full view? Any opportunistic terrorist would have a field day, but obviously the MOD thinks the threats not that serious up in the sticks.

Today, I had a day with the ‘make ready’ team at my station.  These are the people that get the vehicles ready to be used, take them for services, keep up the stock levels, do the cleaning of the ambulances and are generally there to make sure everything with the ambulances runs ok.  Any problems get reported to them.  I also went with them to pick up 4 brand spanking new ambulances, like the one below:

                                    Unfortunately I’m not able to drive the ambulances until I’ve finished my course and got some extra category’s on my licence.

 I’m getting to know people’s names the more time that I spend there.  Its going to seem weird going back to Uni after placement, but I know it will fly by and in no time I’ll be on A & E.

TP

Today was my first day on a PTS ambulance.  We had a nice easy start, up to the hospital to collect our 1st patient to bring them home.  All the other patients that we had however, all went to nursing homes.  I was out with the PTS team leader, and to say this guy has the ‘gift of the gab’ is an understatement.  I have never drank so many cups of tea in my life.  Everywhere we went, he managed to swindle us a cup of tea, and with it being Christmas, they were only happy to oblige.  This was all when we were waiting for patients, not while they were on the back of the ambulance!  I also had 2 fairy cakes and 1 jam tart, all in separate places.  This I see is how those in the ambulance service can rapidly lose their shape!  Obviously I could have said no to the cakes, but that would have been rude.  Wouldn’t it?! Ha ha.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, not once was I bored.  We had a good laugh going round, it was nice and sunny, albeit a little chilly, and generally everyone was in a good mood.  I have noticed though when walking round the hospital is that I actually do look like I know what I’m doing as there is nothing to distinguish me otherwise, which is scary.  I think I’ll need to carry a sign above my head saying I’m a student.  It’s nice though that most people say hello when you walk past, it feels like I’m part of a team, all 1,000,000 of us!

I’ll try and not post as much, as I feel I may be boring people a little going on, with a post about each day’s events.  I’ll try and condense them.

Hope everyone is well.

TP

Today I arrived at the ambulance station bright and early at 8am with my colleague only to be told that our contact at the station wasnt expecting us till 9.30!  We put that one down to a little miss communication with one of his colleagues.  So we had a sit down and chatted to some of the crew that was on station, it was good to start to get to know people.  We also had a look round the vehicles that were in for repairs.

The good thing with meeting some of the staff that work at my station was that none of them looked down on us for being students.  I was expecting a little animosity towards us but I was pleasantly suprised when everyone treated us with a little respect and not as some sort of imposter.   Most were jealous that we’ve already got the new service fleeces!

Our ‘boss’ as its easier to call him drove us up to the hospital and showed us round the different wards where we will be working and at what times we need to be there.  All the more important given todays mix up. I was nice to see some of the staff who will be showing us the ropes, and also that NHS staff get a discount in the canteen!

We then headed back for lunch, which then became the end of my day.  A nice 5.5 hours to get me started.

TP 

Tomorrow is the start of my 4-week placement.  We are only going to be in 4 days a week, Monday – Thursday so I’m going to be enjoying my long weekends off.

This week I begin with a day at the Ambulance Station, I’m not to sure what we are going to be doing all day, but I think it’s going to be an induction type day really, getting shown where everything is, what the rules and procedures are for the Trust and stuff like that.

Tuesday will be my first day 3rd-manning on a Patient Transport Service (PTS) ambulance.  This is basically where I am surplus to requirements, but I am there to help the regular crew do there job and to learn what is involved.  These are the ambulances that transport the elderly to their hospital appointments and back again.  This will give me an opportunity to work on my communication skills, and allow me to practice my manual handling.

Wednesday I’ll be spending a day with the Ambulance Liaison Office.  This is where all the ambulances and trips for PTS are booked and there journeys worked out.  I’ll be able to see how everything is put together.

Thursday is a day where I will be based at the station getting the vehicles ready for use.  This will help to me know where equipment and drugs are kept, how much is available on the ambulance and how to go about getting them re-stocked.

I’m really looking forward to starting, and getting to grips seeing what it is actually like to work in the ambulance service.  I know this week is relatively ‘light’, but the next few weeks I’m going in some interesting departments and I really cannot wait!

TP

Today was my last day of University before placement and all we had to do was our lifting and handling assessment.  This involved lifting a 48kg manikin, and then a 70kg manikin up and down some stairs.   I got through that, 70kg is around 11stone, or so I’m told, yet I really thought we should have had a heavier test as generally people are heavier than they were years ago.  I know that I am, and my friends are, the average weight is around 13 stone now.  With the levels of obesity that is now present in our society, I wondered why we didn’t as I know I will be lifting heavier weights.  It’s all in the technique I’m told and in a sense it is, yet you still need a little strength to cope with it.

So no more University now until January, except the Christmas party!  I have a draft essay in for a few weeks, so that, along with placement is going to occupy my time, yet I find that I get easily distracted when it come down to doing the essay.  I cant imagine why!

I’m counting the days now until I start; I really hope the weekend doesn’t drag on!

TP

Yesterday we had a lecture on Conflict Resolution Training where we were shown in certain situations how to act.  95% of the calls that an ambulance goes to, the patients are cooperative and calm.  However it is the other 5% that is the worry, and which is on the increase.  From the verbal abuse to the physical abuse, attacks on NHS staff and ambulance staff in particular are on the increase. 

Out on the street, we don’t just have to worry about the patient, we also have to take into consideration bystanders, family, virtually anyone who may interfere with treatment.  Alcohol is a big culprit which many calls on Friday and Saturday nights involving drunks.  I cannot get my head round why people have to drink to such a state that they cannot control their actions, do stupid things and end up not remembering anything.  Why cant people go out and have a few drinks so that there merry and are able to loosen up, but without going over the top.  I can still have a good time on a few pints, I don’t even have to drink to have a good time.  I seem to be in the minority in my age group who thinks this way that drinking isn’t everything.

In a way I can understand why the Police come under attack, their dealing with criminals who don’t want to get caught.  However with Paramedics, and Fireman, the issue is to help, not to arrest or detain, so why do we get attacked?  Only those people that are responsible can answer that question as I have no idea!

The main point to come out of the lecture was to not get into any conflict in the first place.  This would seem obvious but in some cases, I can imagine that it’s a lot harder than it looks on paper.  I hope to never come into a situation where a feel that I am in danger, yet somehow I don’t think that my wish will come true!

TP

Today, we had the first of our drug assessments, those being GTN and Aspirin.  Following on from what we did last week and over the weekend relating to chest pain and heart attacks, these two drugs were centered on that.  Thankfully I passed those, I was a little more worried about them than my other assessments and its getting a little more serious now.  I know these are two relatively ’simple’ drugs to get to know when compared with the likes of morphine, yet its still serious to get it right

You cannot just give and drug without at first talking to the patient, as there are conditions or scenarios, where administration of the drug is ‘contra-indicated’, which really means no.  For instance GTN is a drug that is used to dilate you’re blood vessels so that blood can pass more freely.  This however lowers the blood pressure, and if the patient is already hypotensive (low blood pressure), then it is a bad idea, as it would degrade their condition even further and possibly cause them to have a cardiac arrest.

Its been a good day, as there were no Power Point’s to sit through, we just started straight onto the practical stuff.  Plus my uniform is now complete so all of us students who have theirs, had to wear it.  This is to enable us to get used to wearing our uniform in a clinical setting.

I hope everyone had a good weekend.

TP

This weekend I’ve been reading about the heart and the lungs.  Apparently the heart pumps around 5 litres of blood a minute round the body, and also another 5 litres of blood to the lungs.  So:

10 x 60 = 600 litres of blood an hour

600 x 24 = 14400 litres a day

14400 x 365 = 5,265,000 litres a year

This works out at a huge 2,628,000 bottles of pop (2 litre size) a year.  I am astonished that the heart, which is no bigger than a clenched fist, can pump this much. 

The heart also beats around 100,000 times every day, which adds up to around 35 MILLION beats a year.  You’re body is estimated to contain a huge 100,000 km (60,000 mi) of blood vessels.  With the diameter of the Earth being around 12,700 km, if all the blood vessels in you’re body were laid out, they would stretch nearly 8 times around the world! It goes to show just what you’re body can do.

The lungs are just as good; you inhale and exhale 6 litres of air a minute, so:

6 x 60 = 360 litres of air an hour

360 x 24 = 8460 litres a day

8460 x 365= 3,153,600 litres a year

This works out at 1,576,800 bottles of pop.  Can you imagine seeing that many?  I don’t think you would believe that that much air would pass through you’re lungs.  This is when I like learning!

TP

The calculations are my own; please feel free to correct me.