Some hospitals require the occasional ride along with
paramedics, depending on what area of nursing you work in. For emergency room nurses, the ride along can
be very beneficial. It provides insight
into the world that paramedics and EMT’s work in. You can see and experience first hand what it
is like to treat the patient prior to arriving at the hospital.
A typical Ride Along
I’m not sure there is such a thing in medicine as
typical, however the description is one ride along, from 7 pm until 3 am. Jamie never gave much thought about the
people that delivered her patients to the emergency room. They were doing their job and she was doing
hers. However, all of that changed after
her ride along, she learned just how valuable everyone is in the role of
medicine. The Friday night ride along
went at a very pace, the first call coming in 15 minutes after the shift
began. The call was an emergency for a
private residence where a baby was burned. A 3-year-old pulled a pan of hot grease off a
stove, and a portion of it poured on his 7-month-old brother that was sitting
in his walker.There is a particular protocol set
in place for burn victims, so paramedics flew into action doing as they were
trained. Jamie was not only amazed at the
skill and expertise of the emergency workers, but she was amazed at their
knowledge and ability to jump into action immediately.
Mark went on his first ride along after completing his
first year of nursing. Mark was
familiar with the patients that came into the emergency department, however to
this point he had no idea what took place prior to patients being admitted in
the hospital for care. That night Mark
watched and participated as a 73-year-old man suffered a heart attack, and was
saved by EMT” s as they administered CPR. Mark saw a different side of life that night, as a homeless person
collapsed in the street unable to breathe.He was admitted to the hospital and survived, thanks to those first
EMT’s. Because of their help, the
homeless man was admitted into a program to assist him in getting his life back
on track. He would later return to
thanks paramedics, and to proudly announce that he had a full-time job and an
apartment, a far cry from being cold and homeless when admitted to the
hospital. Other calls on the ride along
that night were a woman giving birth, literally, paramedics delivered a healthy
baby boy. Of course, there are the usual
sad incidents, a 17-year-old female overdosed on heroin and they were unable to
revise her. Mark returned to his regular
job the following evening, with a whole new understanding of what the staff in
an ambulance actually does.
Medical facilities may require the occasional ride
along for nurses, however if not, consider requesting a ride along so you can
see first hand what its like to treat the patients outside a medical
facility. You may develop a clearer
understanding of how treatment is administered prior to entering the emergency
department. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics
work together to ensure the safety of every patient. From the time a patient is treated at the scene,
then transported to the emergency department, they receive care of medically
trained experts. In most hospital settings,
the paramedics and emergency room workers work very well together, and are in
constant communication when a critically ill patient is being brought in for
treatment. With paramedics providing the
patients condition prior to arriving, it allows emergency room workers to
gather necessary equipment and personnel to properly administer care. It actually all comes down to one thing, and
that is teamwork between the nursing staff, doctors, and paramedics. With today’s means of communication, patients
are more likely to receive prompt treatment, and follow up care.
Remember, if your hospital does not offer a ride along
program, inquire about starting one, there is a great deal of information that
can benefit all departments, and ultimately the patients.
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