partners, the good and the bad
An excellent partner in this job can make an amazing difference, especially when it comes to the crazy scenes or handeling a crazy patient.
This past week I have been working shifts that will ultimately not be mine..filling in for people who are off, etc. I've had more than one partner and I've definately had more than one type of partner. One day I was working with another new medic, we were actually in medic class together these last two years. Two new medics together could be a scary thing but she actually has about 6 years of street experience as a basic and advanced tech. The neat thing was that we worked really well together. Many of our patients actually asked us how long we have worked together because of the raport we seemed to have projected. Even a local fire engine company asked us how long we had known each other. I guess part of it came from being in class together and trusting each other after all that time.
On the other hand...
I also worked a couple shifts with a medic who's been a medic for a few years now. I have nothing critical to say about his patient care; he never did anything to endanger a patient or me. We all have our own styles and mine and his are different. What got me is that I started stressing that some of his behavior was going to get me in trouble with the boss. In the end nothing happened, but I still was stressed. The story?
Well, we did a long distance trasport to a VA clinic about 3 hours away. I was in back with a psych patient on the way there. He drove. After the transport, he stated he would drive the first part back because there was a restaurant not too far away he wanted to stop at for food. Okay, no big deal and it was nice of him to drive longer. It's now 9pm and our shift ends at 2am. Dispatch knows we are three hours away, but they expect a little bit of leeway for us to stop for fast-food, fuel or restrooms. A bit down the road he makes the exit for the place he want to go. Now, I notice there is nothing near the off-ramp. The town is actually 15 miles or so from the highway...not too big a deal yet because he seems to know where he is going. We get to the town, and I become aware that my partner is clueless on where he is going and is unwilling to just turn around and go back. We eventually made many turns, drove many miles and ended up on a different highway..and it is now 10pm..and still no food. He calls dispatch to let them know "we are just leaving the VA Clinic"! I talk him into drving another hour down the road..closer to home. He then stops and demands that he will not eat fast-food because he can "get that at home anytime" and pulls into a Chili's restaurant. Buy this time I am tired and grumpy from not eating all day. I go in with him, order only an appetizer and talk him into doing the same...yet his was a special order..wanted a triple order of buffalo wings....so we then have to wait for the food. We eat quickly and then get some fuel for the truck at a truck-stop. I drive the rest of the way home at a speed I really shouldn't be going at. We get back into our home county at 1am on the dot...I amazed myself at how fast we traveled, but there were only trucks on the road and it was late night..I just set the cruise and went for it. The supervisor did not comment at all. I think the thing was that there was a shift change while we were gone and this supervisor had no clue when we actually left. Dispatch could have looked, but it appears nobody ever did. The thing that gets me here is that I am the new guy and I do not want to piss off the "older" medics, but I do not like dishonesty especially in the field I work in...honesty is not just important, it is critical. But, I also got frustrated at his inability to give up on his quest for a meal at a Boston Market of all things and then for him to stop at a Chili's after we were already much later than we should have been.
I know part of my annoyance on this was because I was tired of being on the highway and needed to eat. But, this was just the last issue after many hints that this guy was not someone I wanted to work with long-term. What worries me is that he is good friend with the guy I am going to be partner's with for the next 4 months.....I'll let you know what happens there after I work with him for a bit.
My next shift is my first where I am on a Medic/Tech truck. No double-medic, just me in charge. Then the shift after that I will be on my normal 6p-6a rotation with my normal partner and double-medic again.
No really good runs to talk about. LOTS of Pysch patients and the rest were mostly breathers.
I did have one Manic Bi-Polar lady tell my parter that I was cute. Funny/Scary to have an old bi-polar lady trying to bat her eyelash (singular) at you while she is crazy manic. My partner (the female good partner I had) actually used it as a conversation piece to get her to calm down now and then durning the transport (I drove).
Actually, now that I think of it, there was a full moon recently, wasn't there?
This past week I have been working shifts that will ultimately not be mine..filling in for people who are off, etc. I've had more than one partner and I've definately had more than one type of partner. One day I was working with another new medic, we were actually in medic class together these last two years. Two new medics together could be a scary thing but she actually has about 6 years of street experience as a basic and advanced tech. The neat thing was that we worked really well together. Many of our patients actually asked us how long we have worked together because of the raport we seemed to have projected. Even a local fire engine company asked us how long we had known each other. I guess part of it came from being in class together and trusting each other after all that time.
On the other hand...
I also worked a couple shifts with a medic who's been a medic for a few years now. I have nothing critical to say about his patient care; he never did anything to endanger a patient or me. We all have our own styles and mine and his are different. What got me is that I started stressing that some of his behavior was going to get me in trouble with the boss. In the end nothing happened, but I still was stressed. The story?
Well, we did a long distance trasport to a VA clinic about 3 hours away. I was in back with a psych patient on the way there. He drove. After the transport, he stated he would drive the first part back because there was a restaurant not too far away he wanted to stop at for food. Okay, no big deal and it was nice of him to drive longer. It's now 9pm and our shift ends at 2am. Dispatch knows we are three hours away, but they expect a little bit of leeway for us to stop for fast-food, fuel or restrooms. A bit down the road he makes the exit for the place he want to go. Now, I notice there is nothing near the off-ramp. The town is actually 15 miles or so from the highway...not too big a deal yet because he seems to know where he is going. We get to the town, and I become aware that my partner is clueless on where he is going and is unwilling to just turn around and go back. We eventually made many turns, drove many miles and ended up on a different highway..and it is now 10pm..and still no food. He calls dispatch to let them know "we are just leaving the VA Clinic"! I talk him into drving another hour down the road..closer to home. He then stops and demands that he will not eat fast-food because he can "get that at home anytime" and pulls into a Chili's restaurant. Buy this time I am tired and grumpy from not eating all day. I go in with him, order only an appetizer and talk him into doing the same...yet his was a special order..wanted a triple order of buffalo wings....so we then have to wait for the food. We eat quickly and then get some fuel for the truck at a truck-stop. I drive the rest of the way home at a speed I really shouldn't be going at. We get back into our home county at 1am on the dot...I amazed myself at how fast we traveled, but there were only trucks on the road and it was late night..I just set the cruise and went for it. The supervisor did not comment at all. I think the thing was that there was a shift change while we were gone and this supervisor had no clue when we actually left. Dispatch could have looked, but it appears nobody ever did. The thing that gets me here is that I am the new guy and I do not want to piss off the "older" medics, but I do not like dishonesty especially in the field I work in...honesty is not just important, it is critical. But, I also got frustrated at his inability to give up on his quest for a meal at a Boston Market of all things and then for him to stop at a Chili's after we were already much later than we should have been.
I know part of my annoyance on this was because I was tired of being on the highway and needed to eat. But, this was just the last issue after many hints that this guy was not someone I wanted to work with long-term. What worries me is that he is good friend with the guy I am going to be partner's with for the next 4 months.....I'll let you know what happens there after I work with him for a bit.
My next shift is my first where I am on a Medic/Tech truck. No double-medic, just me in charge. Then the shift after that I will be on my normal 6p-6a rotation with my normal partner and double-medic again.
No really good runs to talk about. LOTS of Pysch patients and the rest were mostly breathers.
I did have one Manic Bi-Polar lady tell my parter that I was cute. Funny/Scary to have an old bi-polar lady trying to bat her eyelash (singular) at you while she is crazy manic. My partner (the female good partner I had) actually used it as a conversation piece to get her to calm down now and then durning the transport (I drove).
Actually, now that I think of it, there was a full moon recently, wasn't there?
posted by MidwestMedic at 21:00
2 Comments:
There must be somthing in the air. I have gone a year and a half without a single crazy person and then I wound up getting 2 in one shift. Got to use restraints on both of them wahhhooooo.
Where did you go? I miss your posts.
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