What I learned about Hospital Clinicals (Part I)

Next week I have my 8 hour Psych clinical shift, then I will have completely my hospital clinical time.

Throughout my journey there are a few things that I learned that I would love to pass along. I figure that these learnings are worth at least a few blog entries, so for this first one I will start with overall things that will help future paramedic students along no matter what department they are in.

Seize every opportunity to learn...even if it has nothing to do with your program.

I watched a plastic surgeon stitch up the face of a guy who got kicked (in the face) by a horse, I watched epidurals get administered, I assisted nurses with placing catheters, I helped clean and dress pressure ulcers, I watched ED docs drain infected cysts, I watched cardiologists start cardiac caths in the femoral and radial arteries, I assisted in reducing dislocated shoulders and ankles.

My clinical time in the hospital was a unique opportunity to see some really awesome medicine that I was paying for in dollars and time. I didn't want to miss any of it.

Smile, be courteous, helpful, thankful, and pay attention to staying out of the way.

I tried to make sure everyone I worked with knew that I was happy that they had given me the opportunity to be there. A lot of the time, having a Paramedic student following you around ends up being more work than not. It is important to realize those moments you can make the Nurses and Doctors life easier and jump on those opportunities.

Don't be afraid to ask about getting it done.

I missed opportunities for skills because I didn't want to bother people. Depending on your disposition and the people that you are working with, this might be more of a problem or less. There are specific things that you need to get done while you are there, and no one will fault you for attempting to get done what you need. There is definitely a balancing act though, and a student might be perceived as pushy, or apathetic.

Don't expect to get any skills or assessments in during your non-ED rotations.

This obviously doesn't include OB/GYN births and OR tubes. But the time I spent in Pediatrics, NICU, ICU, and the Cardiac Cath Lab, I don't think I was able to get much done (in terms of skills). I expected to get 20 pediatric assessments in the 32 hours I spent in Peds and the NICU, and I ended up with 6. There were nurses that didn't want anything to do with me in both departments, and I stacked my hours between a Saturday and a Sunday, so I ended up seeing all the same patients, which I could've probably "re-assessed" but I decided against it. A students best opportunity to "get-er-done" is definitely in the ED, and the ED expects that.

Be extra helpful and courteous to the nurses that don't want anything to do with you.

A paramedic student is definitely going to come up against some adversity. Negativity never helped anyone. The "if you give me crap, I will give it right back" attitude isn't going to help you, or the paramedic students who come along after you are gone. Early in my time at the ED, one nurse flat out ignored me and never asked if I wanted to assist them in any way. I just decided to start helping them any way I could, I would assist them with moving patients, taking vitals, and checking call lights. It only took a few instances of me just going out of my way to help them, and from that point on, this nurse asked me every time if I wanted to start their IVs. There also was a CRNA that didn't seem to keen on me. I was never asked to start any other their tubes, and everyone else in the anaesthesia department seemed to steer me clear of them,  but I had few good conversations regarding patient care and the stock market with them, so I hope that helped whoever came along after me.


I reckon thats enough for now.