Thursday, February 2, 2012

Gone and done it.

After more than a decade in EMS I have obtained my National Registry Paramedic certification, and as of today I have held it and my state certification for one month.  I am a lucky one around here having a job waiting for me to transition into from being an Advanced EMT and I am completing my third week of orientation, and it has been as experience.

It has been weird from the standpoint that I do not feel like a medic yet.  I still have another medic sitting in the back of the truck, critiquing everything I do and giving me a safety net if I get in trouble.  That gives me a sense of confidence and even possibly a false sense of security.  The only aspect that has changed is I get to make the decisions and treat how I feel is appropriate.  I still stop myself from asking if I should do something or if the medic wants something from time to time like I am still doing clinicals but, that is where the reality sets in.  I do not know if it is a privilege or a burden to have this responsibility, probably a combination of both.  One thing still remains true, I love this job. 

I have had a RSI and a full arrest within the first two weeks.  That was a huge confidence boost to know I could control the airway and manage difficult patients outside of clinicals.  I have gotten to use CPAP and manage multiple respiratory distress patients.  I have treated the standard chest pain patients and even had a transfer to the cath lab, starting and managing multiple drips.  The years of experience and the year and a half in school are really coming together.  One big lesson I have learned through this is, the year and a half in school and the certification has not made me a Paramedic.  It only earned me the right to learn how to be a Paramedic, the real learning comes after the certification.  It has been fun and challenging and that is why I love this line of work.  It has been awesome to have a preceptor that was in EMS exactly one year after I was born over thirty years ago, someone that encourages and corrects but, lets me be myself with how I treat patients.  I am looking forward to the next few weeks and in earning the right to my first shift as the only medic on the truck.

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