Deadly Oversights: 48 Critical Errors First Responders Urge EMTs and Civilians to Avoid
Not an “on the road” mistake but still something I think is important: Taking criticism from senior medics as personal attacks. 9.5 times out of 10 we’re not saying you’re s**t, we’re trying to help you learn and grow. A lot of new medics take things too personally. And actually listen to the criticism and implement it going forwards, we genuinely don’t want you making the same mistake over and over because that’s when it will start to get personal.
Not taking responsibility for their own wellbeing. Don’t work stupid hours. Sleep. Eat. Exercise. Have a non-paramedic social life. Have a hobby. Avoid gossip. Avoid toxic attitudes and behaviours — try some gratitude, compassion, and levity.
Trying to diagnose things. Diagnosing things and feeling confident about it. Hint: it’s not always a UTI.
Actively trying to sign people off (see above).
Rushing. We’re not in school trying to beat a sheet on a timer. Drive slower. Handle patients gently. Do procedures properly. Actually pay attention when you’re assessing and listen when you’re asking questions.
As a relatively new paramedic myself, the biggest mistake I made was not asking experienced medics enough questions, I thought I’d be looked down on if I didn’t know everything. As others have said early burnout is super common, we have students saying they only want to work in the county because they don’t wanna do calls. 6 months I was working with someone I got hired with and they refused to do a call because we “only” had an hour and a half left in our shift and made a crew that had been getting screwed all day with no lunch breaks go. When I started I always tried to work at the busiest stations so I could expose myself to the most calls and become more comfortable which really helped me develop my own routine on calls. One of the best things you can do as a student/new paramedic is realize you don’t know everything, accept worry feedback and use it to improve.
Don’t leave peoples cannula hooked to the trucks O2 when pulling them out….
Lying.
If you don’t know, you don’t know. And you should say so.
Don’t know what the BP is? Don’t lie.
Don’t know where something on the truck is? Don’t lie.
Not familiar with a patient’s condition? Don’t lie.
1. Putting the blood pressure cuff on incorrectly/ upside down/ crooked. Really easy to look over this when you’re a rookie. Having it on incorrectly can give a false read.
2. Treating for shock!!! Shocky patients needs oxygen, kept warm, and layed supine. Really basic but for some reason gets over looked even by vets.
3. Lung sounds. Get in the habit of checking lung sounds on every patient. Even if the CC isn’t respiratory I think it’s important part of a BLS / ILS general assessment.
Also always reassess BGL after FD passes over care.
Not knowing where equipment is kept. You should know where everything is and if you don’t ask.
New people tend to leave their phone in the ambulance while on scene during a call and the thieves steal it.
Letting PD walk all over you. I don’t care if they called us just to CYA themselves, if they call somebody a patient, I am going to treat them like a patient until I clear. Not sure if it is just a local problem too, but oftentimes they are fairly lazy here when is comes to checking the psych patients of weapons. Once went to a call for a Pt completing of homicidal ideation wearing cargo pants where PD arrived first and said the scene was safe. They were ready to clear up when we arrived until I asked them to check his pockets, which contained 2 knives and a lighter.
Edit: Forgot the to include the issues of them telling us to draw up katamine before we even made contact. Never did, because usually it turns out the patient cooperates with us just fine, but was pissed off at PD for their usual antics.
OR when they give 8mg of narcan to a alert and breathing patient. I don’t care if he is high, as long as he is breathing. Since I am riding with him, I rather he be chill for the duration of transport.
New medics sometimes adopt the burnout attitude very early on, perhaps in an effort to fit in — especially when their first partner is burnt out/ a call dodger. It really does them a disservice, as far as how other medics see them, as well as allowing themselves to prematurely get stuck in a mental rut.
Attitude. The level of entitlement among brand new medics is insane.
Don’t let success defeat you. Be proud of your accomplishments but don’t let it turn into arrogance and vanity. I see this go two ways a lot in new medics. Some get complacent and lazy really easily. Make sure you’re doing recaps with your notes from school/AEMCA prep. Ask questions. You’re green and you will be for a couple years, preceptorship was just the tip of the iceberg. On the flip side I see cockiness and pride a lot too. You can be a super-intelligent savant in this field but if you think your s**t smells better than someone else’s no one is going to want to work with you. Humbleness and humility will be two traits that will carry you throughout your career even years down the line.
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