Assessment part 2

Well, it has been and gone. I felt that it was not brilliant and I could and should have done better. BUT I passed.
There was a written test of 75 questions with a passmark of 75% and three practical assessments:-
A resus using AED and BVM
A medical condition that we had to diagnose and get a history for.
finally a trauma where we had to treat and load.
Both of the last two we had to do a handover for.
24 hours later I was asked if I could do a shift on support duty for the local ambulance service, nothing like going straight in at the deep end.

Assessment

Well, after the months of waiting it's here. Sunday I have to do my IHCD assessment to be BRC ambulance crew. Part of me thinks that I have done it all in training and should be OK, however a much bigger part is thinking "Run away and hide" I am honestly bricking it, I can feel my stomach cramping up even just typing this. I just hope that on the day I will be calm and perform as well as I can, my real fear is doing the hard things right and messing up on the basics

What's this EAR

A plea for help.
I have not been writing much as my BRC ambulance assessment is coming up soon, however one thing has me puzzled. The IHCD manual, when talking about drowning says to get the pt on O2 or EAR whilst still in the water if necessary, however in it's normal really helpful way it does not explain what EAR is. Any ideas?

GPs

Don't you just love 'em?
Went today as I have been getting quite severe pain on the medial aspect of my right knee when driving. The GP told me very condescendingly that there was no crepitus, no heat and no sign of a bakers Cyst, all of which was blindingly obvious. He decided the pain was "mechanical" in nature and the answer was to stop driving! Not that easy for anyone but as a volunteer ambulance crew............
In the end the best I could get were some painkillers which I don't really want as they will just let me mangle it further without knowing and a vague promise to refer me to "A department" if there is no change in a month or so.

Anyone know how to change your GP?

Pain

The other day as I was watching something on TV where a doctor was taking blood samples and the patient said "I have got to look away" commented to my wife why do people do that? Her reply amazed me. "I do, because it hurts so much" Bear in mind that she has just given her 75th donation of blood! I on the other hand don't feel bothered by watching a medical professional sticking a needle in me and will quite happily watch the whole process, in fact I think it hurts less if you watch as you know what is coming.
It set me thinking about the pain score system we use. I suppose that it is a measure of how the person feels but if they have never felt strong pain then will they rate mild pain higher? Is the watch/look away thing above gender based? Is there any evidence that athletes have a higher or lower tolerance to everyday pain?

To Hell in a Hand cart

I can feel a Grumpy old man rant coming on here.
How can a Tee shirt be cheaper than a Yoghurt? Brand new unworn Tee shirts 3 for a quid in Shelter shop. Yoghurt 52 pence in Tesco.
How can kids have a degree but don't know how many inches in a foot or work out 8X12 without a calculator?
Why can't we have an adults only night in supermarkets?
Why do coffin dodgers always go in the shops at lunchtime and then dawdle about?

People who annoy me

I suppose it is probably most of them really, but some highlights.
The local High St was taped off by the police due to a fire. Trumpton were there wearing breathing apparatus. Muppett complaing in loud voice, How much bloody longer will it be shut.
The prats at Reading who couldn't be bothered to walk another 15 feet to use the urinal weeing up the wall instead meaning the rest of us had to wade through a lake of pee-mud.

Trials & Baguettes

Have just spent three days at Burghley.
When you look past the dosh-posh who are generally a bunch of ignorant intolerant snobs, you see the real old money who know how to be civil to the workers and volunteers around the site. Sadly the former outnumber the latter many times over. It really is an eye opener as to the disparity in wealth in this country when you see security guards from Doncaster on six quid an hour guarding Purdey shotguns at £75,000 + VAT or Horseboxes for £235,000. As first aid volunteers we are well looked after by the organisers, plenty of food vouchers and our own tea wagon. The trouble was that the only stalls that would take the vouchers were the curry & chip stall or the baguette sellers. The baguettes were great, especially the chicken tikka, but after three days........... As to the first aid side it was a fairly quiet time, which is always good in one way but can make for a boring time in others. It isn't that we want anyone to get hurt or ill but on the other hand it is good to be able to use our skills

Festival time

Reading festival, full of posh kids trying to look like bad boys. A tiring but fun weekend, none of the bands were to my taste but some of the stuff in the comedy tent was very good, not least the free beer we blagged from the Green room backstage. Had to do 2 shifts midnight to 8:00 AM, the first on the main campsite was fairly busy but mainly just the usual blisters/cuts/burns. The most interesting job of the night was the three who had take "E" but said they had had no effects except vomiting. On examination they had pupils like saucers and a pulse of 120ish. Got them off in the ambulance to the medical centre and was pleasantly suprised when they came back a couple of hours later to thank us. It really made the night worthwhile.
The second night we were on the quieter campsite. This had been well and truly cursed by the Q word and we ended up with a near drowning who had somehow launched from the ferry and had fallen abdomen first onto the jetty and was complaining of severe pain in the upper right quadrant (Just where the liver is). The real problem wasn't the patient but their three, very drunk mates who had obviously qualified as doctors after about seven pints and were telling me that she had got enough oxygen now and I should take it off her. After a trip in the blue light taxi to the med centre she apparantly discharged herself some four hours later.
More to follow.........