So med phase is done with a 100% pass rate and everyone is now a qualified paramedic. The course is scattered throughout the island and mainland doing practical training with the BC ambulance service. I am really looking forward to this portion of the course. I'm stationed in Victoria for the duration of this phase which allows me to see Ewa everyday and sleep in my own bed. Some guys aren't so lucky as they are in Vancouver for 4 days, then Port Alberni for 4 days and then Victoria.
The final tests on this phase were as easy as can be. Not because they're actually easy but because the instructors ensure that by that time we are more than prepared for them. On the final written exam there wasn't even an A-, everyone passed with an A or higher. I think I've mentioned it before but this is a condensed version of the normal PCP course. The normal one is 5 months, and the SAR PCP course is 3 months but it is the same course. It speaks volumes the level of compentency the guys on this course have to be able to learn this much material AND be able to practically apply it in such a short amount of time.
The last day before we all disappeared to go on our ambulance phase we had a pre-Christmas party party since not all of us will be around come Christmas time. Check out the video:
After Christmas/New Years break we start to get into the good stuff. Winter ops. Arctic Survival. SAR diving. Freefall parachuting. Mountain ops. Man I can't believe this is a real job.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
So close
Well medical phase is almost over. One more week until we're all fully qualified paramedics. After that we'll be doing a mandatory stint on the ambulances around the island. I'm really looking forward to that. We'll be able to really apply our procedures to actual people. The hospital ER time is good and all that, but that only allows us to practice a very limited amount of what it is a paramedic does. Hospitals are controlled environments where everything you could need is at your disposal. Paramedics work in the pre-hospital setting where other factors come in to play. Distance from a hospital, traffic, environment, equipment limitations, etc... And it goes without saying that as a SAR Tech all those complications are only compounded since you might be stuck on a mountain or in the arctic attending a patient for a week.
The past few weeks has all been in preparation for our finally series of tests. And as always there's a written test that accompanies the practical ones. These calls are the fun ones (at least when you're "pretending") because they make you think about what's wrong with the patient and how the treatment you're providing might affect them. For example you have an old fart who's smoked all his life and has bad emphysema which causes him to get short of breath. We can do something about that, but if he has a history of heart problems the drug we give for his shortness of breath could potentially cause undue strain on his ticker.
That's all I got for now. Here's a closing picture of Giles (the last guy you ever want delivering your child) practicing delivering a baby. Apparently he's expecting some nasty shit to go down because he's wearing every piece of protective equipment he could find.
The past few weeks has all been in preparation for our finally series of tests. And as always there's a written test that accompanies the practical ones. These calls are the fun ones (at least when you're "pretending") because they make you think about what's wrong with the patient and how the treatment you're providing might affect them. For example you have an old fart who's smoked all his life and has bad emphysema which causes him to get short of breath. We can do something about that, but if he has a history of heart problems the drug we give for his shortness of breath could potentially cause undue strain on his ticker.
That's all I got for now. Here's a closing picture of Giles (the last guy you ever want delivering your child) practicing delivering a baby. Apparently he's expecting some nasty shit to go down because he's wearing every piece of protective equipment he could find.
Monday, November 10, 2008
ER time
So myself and three other guys (Tony, Christian, Phil on Saturday and, Mark on Sunday) just got back from Nanaimo after a weekend working in the hospital ER. All I can say is holy shit what an experience. For one it was just really cool to be able to apply some of the knowledge and skills we've learnt over the past few months on people who are truly ill opposed to super healthy SAR students.
We dealt with all sorts of injuries/illnesses from young girls crushed by horses, obstructed bowels, heart attacks, meningitis, narcotic overdose, logging accidents, tuberculosis, etc.... I was thrown up on a few times, one by a guy in SEVERE pain from an obstructed bowel and another time by a 61 year old female. She had a history of alcoholism and had some hematemesis (a fancy word for vomiting blood that I like to throw around). So yes I had a woman vomit blood on my hands and arms. Rad. We all got some experience starting IV's, giving fluids and drugs. Having now tried to start an IV on a senior I have a newfound respect for nurses. Most of them are utterly amazing at their jobs, but one thing I did notice is the sense of detachment that most of them have. I can understand how being saturated by people in pain or even on their death bed would instill that in you.
By far the most profound experience of the weekend involved a man we'll call patient X. This guy was messed up. He had a heart attack the previous day and after a CT scan it was found he had a giant aneurysm in his abdomen as well as a huge clood clot and a build up of plaque (atherosclerosis) in his aorta just below his kidneys. So all his major organs were still receiving blood but not his legs. His legs looked like they were dead. They were cold and ashen and he had no feeling below his belly button. X had said that he never goes to see the doctor. Anyway around 1615 later that day I went in their to see what was up and there was my two friends Christian and Mark doing CPR on this guy why nurses and doctors were running around the bed. My initial reaction was "holy shit........." I then put my gloves and looked for a place to observe the whole thing. Our clinician was pumped and so was I. He asked me if I wanted to give the guy chest compressions to which I said "fuck yeah". Anyway Christian had broken X's sternum in a couple places which is what usually happens if CPR is done right and actually allows for more effective compressions. The doctors established an IV in his femoral artery which was kinda useless I think since he was getting no circulation to his legs anyway and another one in his jugular vein which looked to be an extremely difficult procedure given that we were doing CPR on him. When I finally got up there to give him compressions I just zoned out at first concentrating on giving good compressions, but after I got the rythym of it I started to take it all in. I was looking at him and thinking to myself "this guy is dead, we're beating his heart and breathing for him is all". I did about 3 minutes of compressions on him and then they stopped to assess the patient. I switched out with Tony so he could have a crack at compressions. It wasn't to be though because the doctor called it. I beat X's last heart beat for him. We were all super excited and we went to talk about the whole thing and discuss what was happening and what we were all trying to do for him.
So unfourtunately X didn't pull through but it did have some definite benefits for us. Actually doing CPR in itself was a massive experience and a little more disspationately it was a good experience to see someone you've tried to help die. As a SAR Tech it is something we will deal with, but better deal with it now then on the side of an icy cliff.
I'll say it again and not for the last time. Best job in the world.
We dealt with all sorts of injuries/illnesses from young girls crushed by horses, obstructed bowels, heart attacks, meningitis, narcotic overdose, logging accidents, tuberculosis, etc.... I was thrown up on a few times, one by a guy in SEVERE pain from an obstructed bowel and another time by a 61 year old female. She had a history of alcoholism and had some hematemesis (a fancy word for vomiting blood that I like to throw around). So yes I had a woman vomit blood on my hands and arms. Rad. We all got some experience starting IV's, giving fluids and drugs. Having now tried to start an IV on a senior I have a newfound respect for nurses. Most of them are utterly amazing at their jobs, but one thing I did notice is the sense of detachment that most of them have. I can understand how being saturated by people in pain or even on their death bed would instill that in you.
By far the most profound experience of the weekend involved a man we'll call patient X. This guy was messed up. He had a heart attack the previous day and after a CT scan it was found he had a giant aneurysm in his abdomen as well as a huge clood clot and a build up of plaque (atherosclerosis) in his aorta just below his kidneys. So all his major organs were still receiving blood but not his legs. His legs looked like they were dead. They were cold and ashen and he had no feeling below his belly button. X had said that he never goes to see the doctor. Anyway around 1615 later that day I went in their to see what was up and there was my two friends Christian and Mark doing CPR on this guy why nurses and doctors were running around the bed. My initial reaction was "holy shit........." I then put my gloves and looked for a place to observe the whole thing. Our clinician was pumped and so was I. He asked me if I wanted to give the guy chest compressions to which I said "fuck yeah". Anyway Christian had broken X's sternum in a couple places which is what usually happens if CPR is done right and actually allows for more effective compressions. The doctors established an IV in his femoral artery which was kinda useless I think since he was getting no circulation to his legs anyway and another one in his jugular vein which looked to be an extremely difficult procedure given that we were doing CPR on him. When I finally got up there to give him compressions I just zoned out at first concentrating on giving good compressions, but after I got the rythym of it I started to take it all in. I was looking at him and thinking to myself "this guy is dead, we're beating his heart and breathing for him is all". I did about 3 minutes of compressions on him and then they stopped to assess the patient. I switched out with Tony so he could have a crack at compressions. It wasn't to be though because the doctor called it. I beat X's last heart beat for him. We were all super excited and we went to talk about the whole thing and discuss what was happening and what we were all trying to do for him.
So unfourtunately X didn't pull through but it did have some definite benefits for us. Actually doing CPR in itself was a massive experience and a little more disspationately it was a good experience to see someone you've tried to help die. As a SAR Tech it is something we will deal with, but better deal with it now then on the side of an icy cliff.
I'll say it again and not for the last time. Best job in the world.
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