EMTs Ever Look at You Like You're Dumb?

[Avill]

I'm a new school nurse at a High School, and more than once I've felt that they look at me like I'm dumb. The funny thing is that the nurse who oriented me told that they do that (lol)

Earlier, they came in to take a student to the hospital to get checked out because his pupils were the size of the moon (suspected drug abuse) and he was non responsive, EMT asked me if I knew his history, I said no, he replied "Oh so you're not the nurse",

.... Uh yes I am, excuse me if I don't know the history of my 300+ students

So yeah, I only know if I'm in front of my computer. Ugh. Plus I don't really know what to do when they come in, I just let them take over. Maybe I shouldn't ? Eh I don't know. lol

[SchoolNurseTXstyle]

They are just like everyone else. They have no clue of how many students we are responsible for. Yes, I know who my main seizure, diabetic students, kids I have inhalers for or epi-pens. I do not know right off my head the other 1300 kids in the buildings detailed health history. My report of heath conditions is over 200 pages long. And if I am called out of the clinic, I have no access to a computer to pull up so I do the best assessment I can.

I have had EMT's grill me as to why I did not give an inhaler or do a neb treatment on a student. Because, the parent never provided me one. They have no idea of the 17 e-mails, 15 phone calls and 12 letters home that you have tried getting something on campus for this kid.

So, I try not to let it bother me. I give them as detailed info as I can and my assessment results and I step aside.

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

Yes...every time I call!

[OyWithThePoodles, RN]

This! I plead with parents to disclose everything with the disclaimer that in the event of emergency. I'll have kids tell me all the time about meds or conditions I knew nothing about. Most of them are the same parents that would complain if anything happened.

100% agree! I had a kiddo come up with chest pain. Upon auscultation I notice an irregular rhythm, so I call home... Guess what, student had wore a holter monitor to school the day prior for what the cardiologist believed was an arrhythmia. Did anyone think to notify the nurse? Nope. And of course, the teacher knew.

[ana010]

Almost every time. I don't care any more.

[OldDude]

Almost every time. I don't care any more.

That's what I'm saying!!

[OldDude]

Just a quick story about EMS, kinda goes with this but the opposite side of the fence. I have to set the stage. Couple years ago I was working at Urgent Care, Kid comes in, 5 years old (I think), with the absolute worst retractions I have ever seen in my entire pediatric career; abdominal, intercostal, suprasternal, nasal flaring...his throat was even sucking in and was heading toward the dusky sunset. Well we're dialing 911 when we first lay eyes on the poor guy; we don't even have to listen to him. We're Urgent Care - not ER. I blast him with 15 l/m O2 via NRB, we give him IM epi and solumedrol, switch to O2 administered albuterol NEBand wait. Tick Tock. No EMS. After 10 minutes we dial 911 again and asked if they had forgotten us. It so happens all the ambulances in the city were in use except one that was 25 minutes from us. OK they finally arrive. I notice a trainee with the group. After we give report and step back for exchange, I go to the trainee and say, "Hey, go check out the respirations on that guy. You'll probably never see anything like this again." OK, I'm not making this up but trainee walks to the stretcher, takes a quick peek at the kid and says, "Oh yea, we see that all the time." I burst out laughing and the EMS guys, according to their looks at her, wanted to just drive off and leave the poor dufus. I heard one of them mutter under his breath, "Jesus!"

So you just never know who you're dealing with. Forget about it!!!

[Farawyn]

Was the kid okay? (Not the trainee!)

[OldDude]

Was the kid okay? (Not the trainee!)

He wasn't near in the distress when EMS arrived as when he came in but couldn't have lived without intervention. I'm assuming he made it fine.

[Farawyn]

He wasn't near in the distress when EMS arrived as when he came in but couldn't have lived without intervention. I'm assuming he made it fine.

We need a pic of you in your cape, too.

[OldDude]

We need a pic of you in your cape, too.

hahahahahahaha

[Windchaser22]

100% agree! I had a kiddo come up with chest pain. Upon auscultation I notice an irregular rhythm, so I call home... Guess what, student had wore a holter monitor to school the day prior for what the cardiologist believed was an arrhythmia. Did anyone think to notify the nurse? Nope. And of course, the teacher knew.

This!

[Quiller]

Was he asking for the student's medical history or the history of how he came to be in your care? I'm a medic in nursing school and I can honestly say, of all the times I've responded to a high school, I've never expected the school nurse to know the students medical history off the top of their head. To be honest, I'm just happy if they have the student in a place where I'm not pushing through 800+ kids in the hallway; having vitals done and paperwork printed out is a huge bonus. ^_^

But I apparently am "too nice" and there are a lot of EMTs that are straight out a-holes to everyone. If it makes you feel any better, they probably go through life looking at everyone like they're an idiot and have a massive superiority complex that I'm sure has led to more than one failed relationship. I once refused to put a 16G in a kid (literally, he was maybe 14) that was having pseudo-seizures and I was told that I was being "too empathetic" by a medic that looks at everyone like they're an idiot. When he found out I was going to nursing school he was like, "Oh, good, go spend time with your people." Sorry, I don't believe in torturing children?