Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Sometimes there are no words

Hi, I'm Katie and I'm a medical junkie. I'm an EMT, ER tech, phlebotomist and occasionally, just for kicks, I teach first aid. Its not a mental illness I'm just in to all things medical... and it helps me pay for important things, you know, like shoes.

I've been teaching for a while but nothing could have prepared me for one overexcited student the other night. I spent the first half of the evening teaching leaving the second half free to set up some practice scenarios.

I had half the group leave the room while I told the remaining students they were going to play unconscious casualties. I explained that I wanted them to lie on the floor, close their eyes and let the medic roll them. I made it clear they were not to prompt their partner unless they were going to roll them in a way that would injure them.

I let the medics back in and play dumb. I don't know what happened, I just found them like this. No, I don't know who they are or how long they've been here. Are they okay? The room echoes with "Hello, can you hear me? Open your eyes!" and the occasional giggle.

I turned to one student and asked him what he'd found while he was checking his patients breathing. He took a second before telling me that he had "an unconscious casualty who isn't breathing." Hold on a second, did he just say he isn't breathing? I can see him breathing. I mean, he must be breathing, he's sniffing!

Before I could question him, the student turned back to his "patient" and jumped on his chest. He gave him a chest compression. A real chest compression.

There really are no words...

2 comments:

Ambulance Mommy said...

ok, I know you posted this a bit ago, but I just joined the party.

Not kidding, this has happened to me too!!! The very same student, after he was greatly admonised that WE DO NOT DO THAT and to re0examine his CPR instructions, actually went on to do a hands on check for priaprism during a practical station.

Matt Dinnery said...

Words such as "scary" and "do not let loose on public" come to mind here...!