Any paramedics out there?

Question

I have just started booking to do my clinicals and one of my first ones is OR , I am as nervous as a long tailed cat in room full of rocking chairs. I have been a firefighter and EMT-B for 5 yrs and was just a little nervous. Besides not hitting teeth what else can I do to make things go a little smoother for me when doing ET tubes?

Answer 1

Sounds like you just need a good back rub and calm down.

Answer 2

I'm still nervous about intubations :)

Just remember to lift with the laryngoscope, and not use the teeth as a fulcrum. Don't forget to have someone hold cricoid pressure.
Make sure your equipment is set up beforehand. Be sure to tell the anesthesiologist that this is your first intubation, and they will be glad to help you through it. If you can't see the cords, you may have the wrong size blade; I used one on a patient that was too short, and there was no hope of seeing the cords; the right size blade made all the difference.
If you can't get it, there's no problem with just having the anesthesiologist intubate, and trying again with the next patient.
And don't do what I did; I was so nervous with my first intubation, and my adrenaline was running so high, that I almost passed out in the OR after the intubation! (as long as you don't do that, you will be doing better than I did! LOL)
Just relax, take a few deep breaths, and remember that every single paramedic out there has been right where you are at right now, and they survived!
Good luck...

Answer 3

Make sure that you get a lot of practice on the manikin first and if the program offers it, get a couple of practice tubes on a cadavar. I know it sounds freeky but it really helps. The biggest thing is just having confidence and relaxing. Focus on the task at hand and forget about what else is happening to the patient. Good Luck!