paramedic_t

hello, i've been at this paramedic thing for about 3 months now. I posted not too long ago about my partner getting angry with me about making an unconscious patient trauma naked. anyway, we talked things through and she took back her harsh comments, and told me that i dont always have to go by the book... but it seems we've run into problems again for the same reason. I had an 19 y.o male pt this week with multiple gsw's who flatlined in the ambulance. We began CPR on the patient who's clothes we had already been cut off. Upon arrival at the E.R we removed the patient and continued cpr while rolling him down the hall to the trauma room. Clearly, there was little time and little priority to cover up his member before moving him (nor did my partner instruct me to). However, afterwards a nurse scolded me for not covering him before moving him and my partner did not even defend me in the situation. She told me that she was busy giving the pt air and that covering him was my job. Is it really that big of an issue to move a patient in cardiac arrest without covering them? What makes me most angry is that the pt survived and i did not recieve any credit! some feedback please?

i feel really stupid asking all of these amateur questions, but i figure none of you know me and were already in conversation so I might as well ask. In training, I was made to believe that a nude patient was very normal and something I would see often. I was told that anytime I wasn't sure about an injury "make the patient naked". I even explained that to my partner. And I guess I did leave the patient nude for a bit too long. But that was because we had a female mva pt. 2 days earlier who had her underwear cut off by my partner and she was left exposed for at least a few minutes while she was examined (difference was she had a visible pelvic injury). So i guess this was a good learning experience for me. I was just wondering, I know to wait until bystanders are gone to expose a patient, but police and fire are allowed to be there correct? I was a bit confused on this when my partner told me not to expose the patient in front of them. And I'm a bit scared to clear things up with her. So if you can help me that would be great. p.s Ive only been at this 2 weeks, thats why i sound so stupid.

The pt. fell approx. 12 feet. I examined his pelvic girldle for injuries/ breaks and visually inspected his genitals for signs of injury. I also examined his lower abdomen for signs of internal injury. I felt I needed to have him completely exposed for that.

Thanks for the input, really appreciated. Just a final question, if it were amore traumatic injury involving bleeding or cardiac arrest I would have to make the patient "trauma naked" no matter who was watching or where we were correct?

Thats what i said. She said that he didn't need to have his privates exposed to all those people. But the only people who saw were the police officers, and a few of his friends that the police were questioning. Should I consider keeping the underwear on in that case from now on? Or is this proper procedure I should continue to do?

I had a patient, this week who had fallen of a balcony while drunk. He had a visible head injury and complained of tingling in his hands and feet and back pain. He was in and out of consciousness. I immobilized him and cut off all of his clothing down to his underwear. Once police got all of his friends away from the scene I removed his underwear as well so that i could examine his entire body. I left him naked for only 2 minutes max. then put covers on him. Once we left him in the E.R, my partner who is a 10th year paramedic yelled at me for taking off his underwear, she said it was "classless and immature" because he was conscious. She even threatened to report me. But that was what i was taught to do, and she said nothing on scene, plus as soon as he hit the e.r he was naked again anyway. Is she picking on me? or was i actually at fault? what would you have done?