ACLS and High Quality CPR

As an ACLS Instructor, one of the hardest things I notice students have trouble with is that ACLS and PALS is all about high quality CPR. My Training Center, The Cleveland Clinic, pushes this. Students usually come in, wrapped up in the algorithms, enamored by the pharmacology. Who is to blame them? We as health care providers are trained to push, push, push. If we as instructors are doing our job, the student, by the end of the course, has totally bought into the concept of high quality CPR.

I have provided two great links here. One is to the publication Circulation. The December 13, 2005 issue discusses the science behind the 2005 AHA guidelines. The other link is to a podcast lecture, hosted by Zoll, on the EMSresponder.com website, by Keith Wesley, MD. In this podcast. Dr. Wesley discusses changes to the 2005 AHA guidelines and other issues concerning CPR. The great thing about this link, after listening to the podcast, you can receive .5 CE hours.

It's the Economy, Stupid

Budget, budget, budget. I am beginning to hate those words. I took my present job, Clinical Technician, at the Cleveland Clinic to get my foot in the door. Great move, but at times. I feel stuck. I have applied for a few PRN jobs that would better utilize my skills as a medic, but because of budgetary concerns, mainly overtime, I have not gotten any of the positions. Being a driven type A, this is getting very frustrating.

On the plus side though, I have been re upping and reconnecting with the instructor community. If you have a chance, you should do this too. We as Paramedics make some of the best instructors for BCLS, ACLS and PALS. Your local AHA Training Center can guide you to where you can find Instructor courses. It is an excellent way to sharpen your skills and to network in the medical community.

There are Jobs in this Economy

The Department of Labor predicts a job growth of 30.3% in the health care field between now and 2014. That translates to 4,700,000 jobs. What are you waiting for. Some entry level jobs, such as EMT-B can be obtained with three months schooling. Others, such as RN will take a few years. Whatever the road, healthcare is a good, recession proof field. Future posts will explore opportunities.

Come on back and find out!

My Hero

See that picture to the left, my son. Here is a good story about him. Way cool.

He just graduated from EMT school, Cleveland Clinic EMS Academy to be precise. While working for a local ambulance company, he and his partner noticed a car driving erratically. The car went up on the grass and came to rest in some bushes. My son and his partner noticed the woman driver was unresponsive. They broke the window with their O2 tank. Found the woman in full arrest and started CPR. To make a long story short, the woman walked out of the hospital around eight days later.

The neat thing is my son told me he fell back on the training he recieved at the Cleveland Clinic EMS Academy.

The lesson? Pay attention in school.

Good job Dan!!!

Trooper VS Medic

Wow,

Weigh in on this one. Just seeing the video makes me jumpy. What really went on? I hope the investigation is fair and impartial. Whoever is wrong, I hope they go through some serious retraining. From what I can see and I have read, the trooper should be made to understand about patient care and an EMT's duty to their patients.


Let's hear what you think.

Back Once Again

Hey folks,

Back again. Busy with work and getting the bells and whistles together. I am going to try to write once a week on paramedic and medical issues. I am going to try to concentrate on finding that job.

I'm Back, Yet Again

I'm back. Had to go on a job hunt. landed a job at the Cleveland Clinic in the Surgical ICU. My son (the one pictured) just signed up for medic school. My daughter still wants to be a Doc, honor roll kid. Geeks rule the world. my nephew just graduated as an EMT-B. 96% average.

Quick one today. Good to be back.