Ellie: aka "Alcohol Preps"

I think this is what my preceptor may start calling me. I administered my first IV med yesterday and apparently I use excessive alcohol preps. Now, come on. I’m practicing for national registry! I’ve got to do this crap right! I need at least 2 preps for the IV site. Plus, I feel that if there is still ‘dirt’ on the second one, that calls for a third. Then, I need one for the medication bottle, and one for the Y port site. Also, I need a couple for the bench seat, the floor, to develop my OCD, in case someone faints, one to de-funk my pen, and others for miscellaneous scrubbing and cleansing; the uses are endless. Then, what if I drop one? (as I did, and thank God I had an extra!)
I’m not sure how it happened but when I was finished administering 2 doses of Narcan there were alcohol preps strewn all over the ambulance. What can I say? I like them. Maybe it’s the clean feeling I get from using them. Or, maybe it’s a subconscious attempt to override the stank that some patients produce with the pungent, crisp odor of rubbing alcohol. You can never have too many.

Whatever my preceptor calls me, it won’t be, ahem, bad…cough…luck. We actually had calls that required medical help, which was so amazing. I started three IVs (that seriously made up for my ER shift the day before which doesn’t even bear mention). I did various other skills, and I even, wait for it… I learned! Will the wonders never cease?!
The funniest bit of the day stemmed form a call for a pedestrian struck by vehicle (I know what your thinking, but don’t get your hopes up). The patient apparently had their foot run over by said vehicle. The patient had pulled their sock off, I assessed it, and it looked totally fine. When we got to the hospital the triage nurse said: “Your foot got run over? It looks pretty pristine for that.” to which the patient held up the sock feebly saying: “Well, I had a sock on.” Wow, that’s some sock if it can protect you from the weight of a vehicle. I should get a pair of those, what were they made of? Oh, cotton.

Here’s my tip of the day, which I got to use in the city this weekend. I read it in a certain EMS magazine, which will remain nameless (but it starts with a J and ends in EMS). When attempting to assess breath sounds on a child, simply ask them to blow as if they were blowing out birthday candles. It totally works! They’ll take in this big breath, rendering lungs ripe for the listening.

Now, to go obsess over the crease in my freshly washed EMS pants.