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"En Route" – EMS Book Review

October 13, 2010 by 2 Comments

“En Route”, authored by Kelly Grayson is a story of a paramedic’s life and career in EMS. It starts off from his first day as an EMT all the way through his experience as a paramedic. This series of short stories is hard to set down. At times it will make you laugh. Other times it may make you cry.

I have always been skeptical of books written about EMS as they typically set out to show the world how much of a hero the author is. This is book is certainly not the case. As I was reading through it, I could picture myself in his shoes as if it was a story about me. On several occasions I found myself saying “yea I have had that happen”. Other times I was taken out my seat in amazement.

Kelly Grayson – also author of the popular blog “A Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver” – tells a story like no other. I have read many books and I can honestly say that “En Route” ranks up with some of my favorite novels. It’s a book that I would recommend to everyone. Not just EMS professionals.

If you haven’t picked up a copy of his book then you are truly missing out. You can preview the book on-line by clicking one of the Amazon links below.

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Turn Your Android Phone Into an EMS Tool – Part 2

September 15, 2010 by 2 Comments

…..and I’m not talking about the kind of tools you see on Jersey Shore.


Download | YouTube MP3 Converter

Welcome to Part 2 of my “Android EMS” series. I have some exciting stuff to demonstrate and some really cool applications to recommend.

In this tutorial we are going to be covering the following:

  • A list of useful applications that can be used in a pre-hospital setting.
  • Placing your local protocols on your “EMS Screen”.
  • Adding shortcuts to useful websites directly on your “EMS Screen”.

Prerequisites:

There are a couple apps that you need to have installed in order to complete the steps in this tutorial. These 2 applications are free and available on the Android Market.

  • Adobe Reader
  • ASTRO File Manager

Please be sure to install these 2 applications before proceeding.

Step 1 – Get the apps

There are tons of useful apps available for free on the Android Market that can be used by all medical professionals. Not all of these apps are designed specifically for EMS professionals but definitely have their place on your “EMS Screen”. The market is full of essential tools that you would have never thought to look for. Below is a list of applications that I personally recommend for your everyday use in the field:

  • Epocrates – An all in one tool for medical professionals. It features pill recognition, drug doses, algorithms, drug interactions, drug reference, and medical math. For more information on Epocrates, check out my review.
  • Mini Nurse – Features med math, drip rate / dosage calculators, pregnancy wheel, medical terms, lab values, skills demonstrations, burn calculators, and much more.
  • Google Translate – Used to translate your voice into any foreign language imaginable. The app can also interpret text. The translated phrases are spoken out loud by a computer voice that is very easy to understand.
  • Scanner Radio – Used to scan radio traffic from public safety agencies around the world via the internet. Great for monitoring Police, Fire or EMS channels without having to mess with your radio.
  • Droid Light – (Motorola Droid Only) Turns your camera flash into a high powered light with the touch of a button. Great for use as a makeshift flashlight or for checking pupils when your forget your penlight.
  • Google Maps – Great for routing to calls. Very accurate and frequently updated. Also includes satellite photos and street-view photos of your destination.
  • Caller ID Faker – Changes your caller ID when making outgoing calls to whatever number you wish. Aside from creating havok with your friends and supervisors, this can be used to disguise your number when calling family members of patients. For example, you could change your caller id to match your dispatch phone number. (2 minute conversation limit on the free version).
  • AK Notepad – Used to jot down notes of any sort. Can be used to take notes on calls, store information for a short period (or long if your wish) of time, and set reminders. I actually get tons of use out of this.

There really are tons of cool apps out there that could be used in the field. For the sake of saving space on your screen, I limited the list to the essential apps that I use and recommend.

Once you install the apps on your phone, you will need to add them to your “EMS Screen” for easy access. To do this, simply open up your application menu. This is typically done by tapping the tab located on the very bottom of your screen. Scroll to the app that you want to add to your screen, press and hold it, then move it to the desired location and release your finger from the screen. Simply repeat these steps with all of the other applications to add all of your desired apps to the desktop.

Step 2 – Add your protocols to the EMS screen

This step is going to require that you have Adobe Reader and the ASTRO File Manager installed. We are going to be creating a shortcut on the “EMS Screen” that will link directly to a copy of your protocols. This is assuming that your protocols are already in a .pdf format. If they are saved under a different format, you can download Open Office for free and convert it.

To begin, we need to actually download the protocols. You can do this by navigating to your EMS agency’s website and simply downloading the document. By default, all files downloaded through the web browser are automatically saved to the “download” folder located on your external memory card.

Once you have downloaded the desired documents, then it’s time to create our shortcut. To do this, press and hold your “EMS Screen” until the menu comes up. You will need to select “shortcuts” and then “ASTRO”. Now you need to navigate to your download directory and select the appropriate document to add to your screen. The file manager may or may not already be in your download directory (depending on your phone and software version). To be sure, you can simply hit the “Home” button (which will bring you to the top of your external memory directory) and select the “download” folder. In there you should see your protocols.

Selecting that icon will bring up a dialog to change the shortcut name. This is optional and will not affect the actual document. Click “OK” then you are done! Your protocols are now on your desktop. These steps can be used to add any document that you wish to your screen. Feel free to experiment around and see what works for you.

Step 3 – Add website bookmarks to the EMS screen

This step is really easy and extremely valuable. We are going to be creating bookmarks of websites that we find to be useful and adding shortcuts directly to the “EMS Screen”. Some examples of useful sites include:

  • Road Closure Information Sites
  • EMS Agency Sites
  • Medical References

To begin, you need to open up your web browser and navigate to your desired website. Once the site is done loading, click on the bookmark button located directly to the right of the address bar.

Below is a screenshot showing the correct button.

Pressing this button will bring you to the list of bookmarks. To add this site to that list, press the “add” button located on the far left of the screen.

Below is a screenshot showing the correct button.

Once you are done saving your bookmarks, return to the “EMS Screen” . Just as we did when adding the protocols, press and hold the screen until the menu pops up. Select “shortcuts” then “bookmark”. This will bring up a list of all your saved bookmarks. Simply select the one you want, then it will show up on your screen. Repeat this process until all of your bookmarks have been added.

I certainly hope that this tutorial was useful. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me or comment below. As always I welcome all feedback.

Filed Under: Field Medicine, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Turn your Android phone into an EMS tool – Part 1

August 16, 2010 by 12 Comments

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Welcome to part 1 of my new series on “turning your Android phone into an EMS tool”. The goal of these tutorials are to help place the power of technology in the hands of EMS professionals. I have always been of the belief that being intelligent isn’t necessarily knowing everything, but knowing where to find information. Technology and the internet have empowered us as healthcare providers to be more productive and efficient all while providing exceptional patient care.

If there is one thing that I make sure I have before every shift, it is my Android phone. I use it to  look up drugs, research medical conditions, review protocols, translate foreign languages, identify pills, do math, take notes and make base contact. Ever since I bought my “Droid” a year ago, I have constantly been working to customize it to the point that it has truly become my personal EMS assistant. This guide will take you through easy steps towards customizing your own phone to help you in your everyday roll as an EMS professional.

So lets move on to the good stuff shall we?

Introduction

This tutorial will no require NO additional applications. I am going to show you how you can modify your phone to help make your job easier. Nothing that I show you will void your warranty or cost you any money. As a matter of fact, this entire series will show you how to transform your phone into your EMS assistant without spending a dime.

Step 1 – Setup your “EMS Screen”

Having multiple screens is just one of the cool features that comes with Android phones. In this section we are going to clear out one of those screens to be your “EMS Screen”. I typically make mine the one on the very right. This of course can be changed to your liking. If you really want to get fancy, you can install the “Helix Launcher” from the app market. This app allows you to add up to 7 screens on your Android phone. This is optional and something that can always be done at a later time.

Now that you have a clear desktop to be used as your “EMS Screen”, we need to start unpacking and decorating. To begin, lets place a really simple app on your screen that comes pre-installed. The calculator. I am a firm believer that no paramedic should be without one. To do this, you need to scroll to your EMS screen, press and hold your finger on the desktop until you see a menu box pop up labeled ”Add to Home Screen”. From here you will need to select “shortcuts”, then “applications” and finally select the app you want to add to your screen. In this case we will select “calculator”. Remember this method can be used to add any application you want to your EMS screen (or any screen for that matter). You can move the calculator icon around by pressing and holding it until unlocks, then you can move it about as you wish. I prefer to keep my calculator on the top right of the screen, you can find a place that works for you. Now repeat this process and add “Maps” as well. This will come in extremely handy when locating calls.

Now we need to make a couple folders that will be used to place contact numbers in. To add a folder, simply press and hold on the screen (just like the previous step) and select “folders”. From here you need to select “new folder”. Now that the folder is on your desktop, we need to change the name to better organize our contacts. Do this by opening the folder, then pressing and holding the title bar until a screen pops up that allows you to rename your folder. Input the desired name and hit OK. I typically have 2 folders on my EMS screen, “base” and “dispatch”. I use these folders to store dispatch and base hospital phone numbers. You can add as many as you like, but be careful not to take up too much room. There is a lot more to come and we will need all the space we can get. (Side Note – These folders can also be used to store shortcuts to applications)

Now the final thing to add in this step is our Google Search Bar. Having quick and easy access to Google’s powerful search engine may be the most useful feature that we add to our EMS screen. You should already have a google search bar on your home screen. You can either move that one to your EMS Screen or just make a new one. For the purpose of this article, we will just make a new one. To do this, press and hold your EMS Screen and select “Widgets”. From here we need to select “Search”. Once the search widget is in place, then you can move it to wherever you like. I prefer to keep mine on the bottom of the screen. Do what works for you.

Below is a picture of what our EMS Screen should look like so far.

Step 2 – Set up your contacts

This may seem like an obvious task to you, but you would be surprised how many paramedics don’t take advantage of even the most basic cell phones out there. As EMTs and Paramedics we have tons of phone numbers that should be accessible at all times. The simple steps that we cover here will also come into play as we cover some more advanced Android features later in this lesson.

There are various types of phone numbers that we need to keep. These of course may differ based on the area that you work, but here is a good starting point.

  • Dispatch (EMS, Fire, Police, etc)
  • Base Contact (Both core numbers and ER numbers)
  • Poison Control

I personally like to keep these numbers grouped together as it makes finding them much quicker. We will do this by creating new contacts and placing their respective category in front of the contact name. For example, when entering a phone number for your EMS dispatch, your contact name should look something like “Dispatch – EMS”. Likewise, your fire dispatch should be “Dispatch – Fire”. This way they will show up next to each other on the contact list. Below is an example of an organized contact list.

After creating the name of your contact, you will now want to add custom phone number fields. This will prove to be handy when adding phone numbers for the local hospitals. I typically like to add a number for making base contact and the general ER number. You can properly label these numbers by changing the default label from “home” to “custom”. This will bring up a window asking you to input the name that you wish to use for the label. You can then add as many more numbers as your wish using the “+” button. Below is an example of creating a custom label.

Continue these steps until you have all your desired contacts added.

Step 3 – Place Your Contacts in Folders

Now that we have added all of our contacts, it is time to put them all in their respective homes. We are going to do this by pressing and holding the EMS Screen , selecting “Shortcuts”, then selecting “Contact”. Now simply select the desired contact and it will be placed on your EMS Screen. Next we need to move it into the desired folder by pressing and holding the contact shortcut, then dragging it into the folder. Repeat this step until you move all of your contacts into their respective folders. Now when you need to dial one of your saved numbers, simply select the folder and select the desired number.

Below is an example of how you utilize the contacts saved in your folders.

Coming in Part 2

This tutorial was designed to get you started and lay the foundation for your new EMS tool. Part 2 of the series will feature some of the following:

  • A list of free useful apps that can be used in the pre-hospital setting.
  • More tips and tricks for adding different kinds of shortcuts to your EMS Screen.
  • A tutorial on how to place your protocols directly on your EMS Screen.
  • A guide and demonstration on how to put it all together.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me or comment below.

Filed Under: Field Medicine, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Informed's EMS ALS Guide Reviewed

July 19, 2010 by 3 Comments

I recently had the opportunity to review Informed’s “EMS Field Guide – ALS Version”. I took the guide with me on every shift for a month and used it at every opportunity that I could. Overall I found the book to be an asset. It’s a good size for carrying in my back pocket or in my backpack, plus it contains a bunch of useful information. Below is a breakdown of my experience with the product.

In Field Use

For the first couple shifts, I had trouble remembering that I had the field guide with me. I was used to using my nurses drug reference, a medical dictionary and my Android phone. Once I started to get the hang of it, I actually found myself turning to the field guide before using any of my other resources. While the guide simply can’t compete with the volume of the nurses drug reference, I had no trouble finding any of my patient’s home medications in the field guide. Not to mention the fact the drug guide in the back is simple and to the point. I don’t have to read through 2 pages of information to get what I’m looking for. Definitely EMS friendly.

I tried out the Radio Report sheet found on the first page of the guide a couple times. I found it to be pretty handy but I ended up using my custom one that I have printed out on a 3×5 card. This wasn’t at the fault of the field guide, I’m just used to using my own format. One thing that was really neat was the ability to reuse the page by wiping it down with an alcohol prep. I wrote on it with a standard ball-point pen and had no trouble wiping off what I had wrote. The content never completely wiped away, but it didn’t bother me as the writing was so faded that it didn’t get in the way. Here are some before and after pictures.

before

The 2nd picture demonstrates how it looks after wiping it down with a single alcohol prep.

One section that I found to be the most useful was the poisons. While this certainly couldn’t replace calling poison control, I did find it to be really handy. I basically lists several different types of poisons and then explains recommended treatments (given that your protocols permit) and tells you what symptoms to expect. I can honestly say that this is my favorite section in the whole guide. I found more use out of this than I did anything else.

Other features not tested in the field

There is tons of great information in this book, however I did not test all of it in the field. In some cases this was because I simply didn’t run any calls that could apply to those sections. In other cases, it was because I don’t believe in relying on guides for doing things like ACLS.

The emergency medications listed in the book are pretty handy, but I think it should be used more as a study guide / refresher and not necessarily something that you turn to before administering a medication. I firmly believe that this information should be drilled into our heads so that we don’t lock up when we leave our field guide at home. Having said that, we are humans (well most of us) and we do forget things from time to time. Especially when we don’t use the knowledge on a regular basis. So having the information in your back pocket could save you from doing harm.

The pediatric medication chart looks extremely promising. It’s like a Broselow tape but only a fraction of the size. This is something that I actually would use in the field if given the opportunity. While I still believe in knowing your doses, I think having the ability to check your work is extremely important when it comes to weight-based doses. I typically do the math, draw up the med then, quickly check my guide / Broselow Tape to make sure that my dose is correct. This way I’m confident that I’m giving the right amount of medication, and yet not screwed when I forget my field guide.

I found absolutely no in-field use for the ACLS section. However I did find myself refreshing my memory while sitting on street corners or while sitting in quarters (given the Dodgers weren’t playing).

The MCI / Multiple patient section is pretty cool as well. When responding to an MCI (especially if you are the first unit in) it would be great to review the algorithms and refresh on the unit leader rolls before getting on scene. The information is brief and to the point. My only suggestion for this section would be to add a spreadsheet of some sort to keep track of multiple patients. I realize that in an ideal situation, I would be “that guy” standing around with a clipboard and radio while everyone else works. However I typically have to assist with packaging and loading patients being that our resources are limited, so something that I can keep in my pocket would be worth it’s weight in gold.

Conclusion

I can honestly say that this guide will be permanently added to my arsenal of resources that I use in my daily responsibilities as a Paramedic. It’s small size is ideal for EMS responders and the information packed into the guide is priceless. I realize that there are smart-phone versions of this guide (which I plan on buying) but I would still recommend having this guide. Phones lose reception, batteries die and they are fragile. While I do consider myself to be a proponent of high-tech gadgets, I still enjoy the old-school reliable method of having a paper copy when it comes to this kind of valuable information.

If you don’t have this guide, I would highly recommend buying it. It’s inexpensive and you will be glad you did.

You can order it from Amazon or find it at your local book store.

Please feel free to contact with any questions or comments.


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Epocrates for Android phones reviewed

June 12, 2010 by 5 Comments

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If you work in EMS and own an Android phone, then you have probably searched for EMS-related applications with little success. I wrote a blog post a little while back on the subject. Like most people, I have had little success finding useful applications for EMS professionals. However, with the recent release of Epocrates for Android, this has changed.

Before I get into the actual review I am going to talk about the phone and operating system used to test this software. All of my testing was done on a Motorola Droid from Verizon. I currently have Android 2.1 installed with the latest version of Epocrates. Your experience may vary with different cell networks and phones. If you have a different experience, please let me know!

Installing:

Epocrates for Android is available in the App Market. The quickest way to install it is to just do a search, but it can be found under the health section as well.

Putting it to use:

This app has several different features that can be extremely useful in the field. The “Pill ID” features is great for drug overdoses or identifying pills that belong to patients who cannot communicate. You simply identify the pill by matching a number of different variables like color, shape, markings, etc. It then shows a list of matches with pictures and you select the pill that you have. It then shows you details about the medication.

My favorite feature on the app is the “Interaction Check”. It gives you the ability to select multiple medications and see if they interact with each other. For example, we all know that if you administer Nitroglycerin to a patient who recently took Viagra, that it can cause an unsteady drop in blood pressure. If you enter those 2 medications into the interaction check, it will tell you that there is a contraindication and list details on the reaction. You can enter as many meds as you want. I suppose you could put all of a patient’s medications into the checker, but it would be time consuming.

Epocrates for Android also comes with a drug reference guide, which can come in handy for looking up a patient’s medications to get a better idea of their medical history. Another neat feature is the “tables”. This is basically a list of algorithms for all types of medical situations. It contains sections for ACLS, Emergency Medicine, Cardiology, etc. I could see this being handy for study material or as a refresher, but not so great in the field. This kind of stuff should be pulled from our brains on scene of a call, not a phone. But that’s just my opinion.

One more feature is the “Med Math”. This is probably handy for nurses or doctors working in longer care environments. It is basically a bunch of medical calculators. There were a couple neat ones that could be handy in the field like a “Dosing Calculator” and a “Pregnancy Wheel”.

Possible areas for improvement

I would like to see more medical calculators that are relevant to work in a pre-hospital setting. Some quick drip rate calculators like Dopamine or Epi would be really handy. I know that there are paid versions of Epocrates software that contains more features. I haven’t had a chance to review the paid versions so I don’t know if it exists there. Other than that, I really don’t have any gripes about the program. It’s stable, fast and free. Can’t beat that.

Conclusion

After testing Epocrates at home, and having the opportunity to use it on a couple calls, I feel that it is a must for EMS professionals. I would definitely add this to my list of essential EMS apps. I do know that the software is available for iPhone, Windows Mobile and Blackberry as well.

If you have any questions or comments, please voice them below or e-mail me. Thanks!

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10 extremely useful on-line EMS resources

June 8, 2010 by 1 Comment

I find myself constantly browsing the internet for information related to EMS. Whether it be from my home computer looking for study material, or from my phone looking up information on a poison while on scene of a call. I can pretty much find anything I need within minutes, if not seconds. There are a number of sites that I have found to be extremely useful that I visit time and time again. So I figured I would share them with you.

Paramedicine 101

I stumbled across this site a couple months ago. It is an amazing resource for information related to EMS. I wish I would have known about this site when I was going through paramedic school.

Everyday EMS Tips

Greg Friese does a wonderful job of providing good tips for people that work in EMS. He does app reviews for EMS related smart-phone apps, book reviews and even gives advice on doing interviews for your next job. Greg has also has an e-mail newsletter that I find quite useful. If you haven’t checked out his site, do so now.

Epocrates

Epocrates is any medical professional’s dream. It is a limitless on-line medical resource, and contains tons of great information for free. The best part is that they offer free smart-phone apps. It is currently available for iPhone, Palm, Blackberry, Windows and my favorite, Android. If you have a smart-phone and haven’t taken advantage of Epocrates, you are missing out.

EMS Educast

The EMS Educast is a really cool podcast aimed at providing useful tips to the EMS professional. This is one of those podcasts that I pull up on my phone and listen to while I’m driving or sitting on a street corner at work. Definitely a must for everyone!

MedicCast

Jamie Davis AKA “The Podmedic” has really cool podcast that I listen to every week. He covers EMS news, tips and does some cool commentary as well. He recently added video to his weekly show, which I think is awesome. Jamie also has a podcast for nurses and provides “MedicCast Extra”, an affordable study aid for EMS students at all levels. The man must have found a way to invent a 30 hour day, because I have no idea how he finds time to do all the cool stuff that he does.

FEMA Independent Study

FEMA’s independent study program is an on-line training program aimed at emergency responders like EMS, Fire and Law Enforcement. They offer on-line ICS (Incident Command) training that I highly recommend taking. The best part is that it’s free. These classes are full of great information when it comes to MCI’s. They are also redeemable for CEU’s, which is a plus.

EMS 1

EMS1 is a great source of EMS news and information. They feature tons of great columnists and have daily information that I find to be extremely useful. Be sure to add them to your bookmarks.They also have a monthly newsletter that I would recommend subscribing to.

JEMS

JEMS.com is the leading on-line EMS resource for news, case reviews and discussion. Not a day goes by where I don’t check in to keep up on information related to EMS. If you don’t mind spending a few bucks, their monthly publication is worth a subscription. Tons of great information. Also be sure to check out connect.jems.com an on-line social network for EMS professionals.

EMS Garage

The EMS Garage is another great podcast that I listen to weekly. I also occasionally find myself on the show discussing and debating topics in the industry. Chris Montera has put out over 80 episodes of really cool material. My favorite feature on his page is the mobile version of the site. I listen to his podcast from my phone all the time while I’m on the road. You are missing out if you haven’t been listening to the garage.

Chronicles of EMS

I saved the best for last. The Chronicles of EMS is a up and coming TV show that features EMS systems from around the world. The creators of this show are traveling around the world filming paramedics in their unique systems and showing the rest of the world how EMS is different and the same in many aspects in all the different areas. This is a must-see for all EMS professionals.

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Scanner Buddy – Android App Review

May 5, 2010 by 2 Comments

While searching for more mobile applications that could be useful to EMS providers in the field, I came across a very handy free tool. “Scanner Buddy” is a free radio scanning program for android phones. It’s basically like a hand-held scanner for listening to public safety radio frequencies. I was actually quite surprised to find out that a few people in my workplace already use this application and have for some time. I downloaded it and tested it on my Motorola Droid via the Verizon network. Your experience may be different than mine if you use a different phone or cell provider.

Installation

This application can be found in the android marketplace. Simply do a search for “scanner buddy” and it should be the first result in your search. Download and installation only takes a few seconds. When you run the application for the first time, it will take a few minutes to download the most up-to-date frequency list.

Putting it to use

Scanner Buddy streams radio traffic from public safety agencies all over the world. When you open the application, select the “list” button located on the far right hand side of the screen. This will bring up all of the frequencies that are available. They are categorized by country, then sub-categorized by state. To listen to a station, simply select the frequency and hit “play” on the main screen. The stations typically only take a couple seconds to load.

Here are screen shots of the main screen and a list of frequencies.

This is great for use while on duty. It can be used to monitor police traffic while staging for an incident, monitoring fire traffic while responding to large scale incidents or simply just listening to the radio to hear what’s going on in your response area. An absolute must for EMS providers.

Possible areas for improvement

There isn’t really anything bad to say about this application. It loads fast, and typically doesn’t cut out. Having said that, there are a couple things that I would like to see included.

  • Bigger list of providers in the US.
    -My county was not included in the list. I did my testing on a neighboring county’s frequencies.
  • Option to sub-categorize by county and type of agency.

Conclusion

Overall I feel that this application is solid. It’s an extremely useful application for anyone working in public safety or EMS. I would highly recommend this product to anyone with an Android phone. I would even recommend this over the paid alternatives on the market.

As always I welcome questions, comments and suggestions for new applications to review.

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A few tips for passing National Registry

April 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I recently received an e-mail asking me about study material for the National Registry exam. It has been a number of years since I tested, but I would like to share some tips I learned while studying for the test.

Written Exam

The written is probably the most stressful part of the whole thing. At least now you get your results within a day or two. I had to wait 2 weeks for my results! Anyway, on to my advice….

I used “Barron’s Nation Registry Study Guide” for pretty much all of my studying. The book comes with a bunch of practice tests that are very similar to the National Registry questions. As a matter of fact, I remember quite a bit of them being nearly the same as the questions I came across on the test. I would take the practice tests, grade them, and then highlight the areas I either missed or had to guess on. I would take notes on the subjects that I needed to brush up on and then go back and study them in my textbook. Worked like a charm. I passed on my first try!

The book is a great tool to ensure success on the first try but you need to remember a few things. The test isn’t as complicated as people make it out to be. I hear people say crap like “if you see oxygen as one of the answers, pick it”. That’s 100% BS. Go with the answer that you KNOW is correct. I also remember someone telling me “if you see mast pants as an answer, pick it”. More BS. Yes I saw a couple questions with mast pants and an option, but I know for a fact one of them was absolutely wrong. Carefully read the questions and answer accordingly.

Pay attention to the wording on the questions as some people will read the question too quick and get the answer wrong because they misunderstood. For example; if they say things like “initial treatment”, it probably refers to a BLS treatment (BLS before ALS!). If they say something like “priority treatment”, it’s probably referring to something more definitive like intubation. Read the question twice to make sure you didn’t skip over words like “not” or “don’t”.

I used to tell people to go back and read over the test and answers again to make sure they didn’t skip any questions or mark on the wrong spot. This of course changed with computer-based testing. Just remember, pick the answer you KNOW is correct.

Skills Testing

I HATED practicing for skills tests. It feels redundant and boring. Trust me it’s worth it. All those stupid things like “c-spine” and “scene safety” WILL make a difference. Practice with some other paramedic students, and some seasoned paramedics. Memorize those skills sheets. Remember your proctor will be following one while you make a fool of yourself trying to get your license.

Something to consider is what kind of people are doing your test. Do some research and find out what kind of system the proctors work in. Read up on their protocols and try to get into their mindset. Remember, what works for you may seem stupid to others. You are in their playground. Adjust accordingly. I know a bunch of people are going to e-mail me telling me that I’m stupid because regardless of their local protocols, the testing remains the same. I agree. However, they are humans and think and act like humans. They are naturally going to respond to what they are comfortable with. Run your scenario just like they would run a call in real life. Trust me, it will work wonders.

As always I welcome suggestion, comments, hate mail and questions. I hope this post can be of use to someone. Please let me know if you have any other advice to offer!

Have a great week everyone.

Filed Under: Education, Field Medicine, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

BabbleDroid – A useful mobile translator for EMS

April 2, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I stumbled across a really neat tool for my Android phone and discovered that it can be quite useful in the pre-hospital setting. “BabbleDroid” for Android phones is a free application that can translate your voice into several different languages. I tested this application with my Motorola Droid, so you may have a different experience if you have a different phone.

Installation

BabbleDroid can be found in the Android app market. Simply locate it and hit “install”. I found it under the “travel” category, but it would be much quicker to just do a search.

Putting it to use

The application is very user-friendly. All you have to do is select your language and hit “start”. A recording box pops up and you can start talking. It automatically detects when you are done and translates your words. The words are then spoken via a pre-programmed voice. You can repeat the recording as many times as you need. You can also type the English words that you wish to translate by selecting the white text area.

BabbleDroid currently translates English to Spanish, German, French and Italian.

Here are some screenshots that demonstrate BabbleDroid in use:

Areas for improvement

There are a few areas that I feel could better serve the users to effectively translate foreign languages. For starters, the application will not translate other languages to English. Being that I don’t speak any of those languages, I can pretty much only ask “yes or no” questions. Having said that, I can’t complain as the application is free.

The only other issue I see is that background noise can distort your voice and cause errors with the interpretation. This is not the developers fault as it is nearly impossible to avoid. Holding the microphone close to your mouth helps but doesn’t eliminate the problem. The best way around this is to just type the words in.

Here is a screen shot that demonstrates how you can type your words into the translator:

Conclusion

Despite the small issues that I pointed out, I still feel that BabbleDroid can be extremely useful in the field. If anyone knows of any applications that can translate foreign languages to English, please let me know.

Please feel free to comment or e-mail me with any questions or comments.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

How the internet has made me a better Paramedic

March 9, 2010 by 6 Comments

The blinders are off and I have seen the light! For the longest time I had a very closed-minded view of EMS and how it should be run. Having worked in a single-medic private based EMS system my entire career, I haven’t had much opportunity to see other ways of delivering patient care. While I still remain partial to my system, I have a new found respect for the many differences and similarities that we all share. Ever since I started this blog and started yapping away on Twitter, I have met many respectable EMS professionals and have had the opportunity to share and listen to great ideas.

Happy Medic’s Blog opened my eyes to a fire-based EMS system that is actually quite similar to the system that I currently work in. Until recently, I would cringe at the words “fire-based EMS”. Well…..I still kinda do, but I have a lot of respect for Justin and the work that he has done to promote the concept of EMS 2.0. He has shown me that it is possible (although difficult) to be a good paramedic and firefighter at the same time.

Reading Ambo Driver’s blog has made for some good laughs and valuable lessons learned. For example; his article about spinal immobilization made me read further on the subject and really rethink my “c-spine everyone” mentality. I have been able to use his many years of experience and expertise to improve my practice in the field.

Mark Glencorse has really opened my eyes to a different kind of EMS system with his Medic999 Blog. For the first time, he showed me that other systems have options to advise and even deny people transport to an ER by ambulance! This is something unheard of in my area. Reading his blog has shown me that patient advocacy doesn’t always consist of transporting everyone to the hospital. I have also found it very interesting to read that while fire departments in the United States are standing in line to start providing paramedic-level service, fire departments in Europe are doing everything they can to stay out of EMS all together! It’s just another example of people working differently to achieve the same goal.

I recently started to read MsParamedic’s blog, which grabbed my attention when I read her article about scene safety. It really drove home the fact that we are not invincible. I was able to relate as I had a very similar experience. Her post brought me back to that time and made me remember how important it is to make sure that myself and my partner are safe and make it home at night.

Having the opportunity to be a guest on the EMS Garage (or Happy Hour if you will) was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot by speaking with all of the experienced EMS professionals on the show. Hearing everyones takes on fire-based EMS and the future of EMS in general was quite the experience. It is something that I hope to do again in the near future.

Last and certainly not least, I must give major thanks to hard work put into the Chronicles of EMS. Following the project has really shown me that we are all after the same goal. I think that it is a wonderful way to connect EMS professionals from around the globe in an effort to perfect the important job that we do. It is truly the beginning of a new era. As the project grows and more people become involved, we will see EMS 2.0 transform from an idea to reality.

I read so many blogs everyday that I would be nearly impossible to list what I have gained from everyone. I can only hope that my posts and contributions will someday attribute to another EMS professional’s knowledge base. Thank you all for everything you do for not only EMS professionals, but the patients that you serve as well.

Keep up the good work!

Filed Under: Field Medicine, Opinion, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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