preceptor 20, intern 1

My paramedic internship is all but over (3 days to go!) and I’ve been having a blast.

The majority of the time my preceptor and I come to the same conclusion, on occasion we don’t. The entire time he’s been right, I’ve been wrong. This last week I was finally right, I got one!

in short we had an elderly woman who had been woken up in the middle of the night with an overwhelming need to deficate. My preceptor had no clue – I peiced it together – dried saliva on the lips, sudden need to deficate, dried tears on her face…its an organophosphate exposure! I asked several times if she could have been exposed to any bug spray or posion and she swore not. I had no clue where it came from but I was damn sure that was it. Only when we arrived at the hospital did her daughter say that her neighbors behind her had been dusting for insects – “Bingo!” thats when I was able to prove to my preceptor what happened – the wind blew up and into her bedroom at night. She must be pretty sensitive to the stuff

ya know it feels good to be on the ball more than the teacher just once…

'Grats, pal! Keep it up!

You go, kinoons! That’s what we want: paramedics who are on their game.

Just make sure your preceptor doesn’t go and do any diagnosing without you around.