Definitely need to update
My FTO and I have reached an understanding, and we get along pretty well. Most of the understanding was me just figuring out how she is. She's a very very direct, opinionated person with a system for everything. Meaning, she sometimes comes across a little harsher than she intends. She's an excellent paramedic and I'm learning a bunch, so it's not all that bad. The biggest difference is our personalities. She's aggressive, I'm not. She doesn't like reading/writing, I love reading/writing. She's a practical learner, I'm a visual/auditory learner. She struggles w/ the academic side, I struggle with the hands on side.
This part of being a paramedic is going to take me longer than most people. I'm a very logical, linear person. I like things that make sense, have a pattern, can be figured out according to accepted rules, etc. I do NOT like whinging it when I don't feel like I know what I'm doing. Being a paramedic, it seems like a lot of "whinging it", but in truth, there is a system for doing everything that gets done. It's just every pt is very different, so when you encounter one that doesn't fit any protocol (which is really most of them) you have to take all the "steps" and mix them up as appropriate. My issue, I don't feel comfortable w/ the "steps". I don't feel like I have a firm foundation. I have been told twenty different things for how to treat a pt, and the academic side of things is off kilter compared to real life.
Academic "Never withold oxygen" real life "Seriously? The homeless drunk you get dispatched to clear off the street does NOT need 02".
Academic "All abdominal pain pts get an IV." Real life "The drama queen w/mild indigestion is getting a trip to triage, don't even think about giving her an IV becuase then she has to go to a room right away."
Academic "One of your important vital signs is taking the pts temperature." real life "You can try, but our thermometers are so out of whack it's better just to use the wrist on the forehead method."
Academic "Use your sample hx and OPQRST." Real Life "You need to ask a heck of a lot more than just that."
The list goes on.... I'm slowly getting the hang of it, and I'm getting a few good stories along the way.
In other news, the house is over half way done w/ being painted!!! We're painting the spare bedroom that is "my room" now, and we have to do the closet in there. Then, all that is left is the kitchen, laundry room, and hall closets, and both bathrooms.
The kitchen, dining area, living room, entry way, hall, Office (Brian's room) and office closet, Master Bedroom, and MB closet are all done!!!
The MB closet looks SLICK! I'm so impressed w/ what Brian did in there. We got a fancy Roth Allen dresser looking thing that sits in the middle of one wall with shelves and clothes poles coming out both sides. Brian reinforced the shelving with trim that runs around the bottom he paint matched to the shelving, and did all the cutting/measuring/drilling to get the shelves and dowel rods to fit our closet dimensions. Then he bought the extra pack of shelves that matched the dresser and made one long shelf and rod on the other side of the closet, supported it w/ trim and everything. It looks REALLY good, and is a lot sturdier than just using the tiny little supports the shelving came with. He did the office closet shelving too, and he's going to do my closet as well. SO much better than that wire shelving they had in there!
I love our house!!! I can't wait to move!
I have to work tonight, tomorrow, and sunday night though. Blech. 12hr shifts are really very long.
This part of being a paramedic is going to take me longer than most people. I'm a very logical, linear person. I like things that make sense, have a pattern, can be figured out according to accepted rules, etc. I do NOT like whinging it when I don't feel like I know what I'm doing. Being a paramedic, it seems like a lot of "whinging it", but in truth, there is a system for doing everything that gets done. It's just every pt is very different, so when you encounter one that doesn't fit any protocol (which is really most of them) you have to take all the "steps" and mix them up as appropriate. My issue, I don't feel comfortable w/ the "steps". I don't feel like I have a firm foundation. I have been told twenty different things for how to treat a pt, and the academic side of things is off kilter compared to real life.
Academic "Never withold oxygen" real life "Seriously? The homeless drunk you get dispatched to clear off the street does NOT need 02".
Academic "All abdominal pain pts get an IV." Real life "The drama queen w/mild indigestion is getting a trip to triage, don't even think about giving her an IV becuase then she has to go to a room right away."
Academic "One of your important vital signs is taking the pts temperature." real life "You can try, but our thermometers are so out of whack it's better just to use the wrist on the forehead method."
Academic "Use your sample hx and OPQRST." Real Life "You need to ask a heck of a lot more than just that."
The list goes on.... I'm slowly getting the hang of it, and I'm getting a few good stories along the way.
In other news, the house is over half way done w/ being painted!!! We're painting the spare bedroom that is "my room" now, and we have to do the closet in there. Then, all that is left is the kitchen, laundry room, and hall closets, and both bathrooms.
The kitchen, dining area, living room, entry way, hall, Office (Brian's room) and office closet, Master Bedroom, and MB closet are all done!!!
The MB closet looks SLICK! I'm so impressed w/ what Brian did in there. We got a fancy Roth Allen dresser looking thing that sits in the middle of one wall with shelves and clothes poles coming out both sides. Brian reinforced the shelving with trim that runs around the bottom he paint matched to the shelving, and did all the cutting/measuring/drilling to get the shelves and dowel rods to fit our closet dimensions. Then he bought the extra pack of shelves that matched the dresser and made one long shelf and rod on the other side of the closet, supported it w/ trim and everything. It looks REALLY good, and is a lot sturdier than just using the tiny little supports the shelving came with. He did the office closet shelving too, and he's going to do my closet as well. SO much better than that wire shelving they had in there!
I love our house!!! I can't wait to move!
I have to work tonight, tomorrow, and sunday night though. Blech. 12hr shifts are really very long.