I'm a Failure

Well, I did it. I finally took my Acting Crew Cheif test today. And to be quite honest, I probally failed. Not because I'm an idiot, but because the questions were off the wall policies and procedures that I don;t know off the top of my head. I know where to find them if I ever need them, like the 10 contraindications for thrombolic therapy in a acute Myocardial Infarction patient. I personally don't need to know what they are. We don't give tPA in the field here. But I would have to know them by the time I encode the hospital, which gives me plenty of time to look them up in my field guide. Same goes for the pediatric dose for an epinepherine drip in a bradycardic pedi or if and when we are supposed to ever transport a DOA (they ain't getting any deader, so again I would look it up in our field guide, or just call a supervisor and go "Can we transport this DOA?) I know the doses for all the drugs in our RSI protocol (1.5mg/kg for Lidocaine and the Succs. .3mg/kg for the etomidate) I know that we need online med control for Dopamine and our controls. Athough, Ativan we can give up to 4mgs on standing order if the patient is activly Seizing. I know that any patient complaining of Chest pain, regardless what the 12 lead EKG shows, gets Oxygen, Nitro, and Asprin. And possibly Morphine if the Doc will let you. I know that CPAP has to stay on the patient so you don't cause flash edema. I know that D50 in administered in a patent IV line as to not cause necrosis. I do get slightly confused mixing D12.5, but help is just a radio click away really.

I also know the proceduere if we break or lose a vial of Morphine...or if we wreck the truck...or what to do if a monitor, drug/ airway combo bag, 4 nasal canulas, a laryngoscope handle (why just the handle?) and 3 D-tanks of oxygen gets stolen from the back of a unit while on a respiratory call in the ghetto. The answer to all three of those questions is "Call a Supervisor"

But, still as ready as I think I am to be putin charge of a truck, I still have to pass the test. Which I don;t think I did this go 'round. Damnit.