In charge

So my mediocre life as an EMT has included a handful of calls where I acted as the "in charge" person - all BLS calls, all leading EMT's and First Responders.
All of that has begun to change.  Mr. Medic is throwing me at patients.  And I'm failing. 
He served an apprenticeship under his mentor in a large city system.  Even after his stint in paramedic school, I think they made their medics ride with a preceptor for another year.  That was standard for their system at that time.
We don't have anything nearly as official in place here, but Mr. Medic seems intent on grooming me for my new role as paramedic.  In a year's time I will be expected to take care of people and it's time to step up my game.
Haven't killed anyone yet, but focusing on the fact that the guy has a 20+ year history of migraines and neglecting to check for stroke...oops.  Talking insanely loud because you are nervous...oops.  Spiking an IV slow as molasses...  Seems like every call I go on I forget things.  Just taking a good history (at which I thought I was decent) has turned into a bit of a nightmare. 
I have a good rapport with Mr. Medic but I don't want to disappoint.  I want to be perfect.

The Real Problem I'm not hearing about

Folks, I'm going to piss you all off.

SHUT UP ABOUT THE GUNS

The guns are easy to latch on to, and everyone has their opinion.  I'm staying silent on that one.

Can we please have a discussion about mental health now?
Can we PLEASE have a discussion about mental health now?
CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH NOW?

The mental health "system" in the U.S. is dismal.  I put system in quotes for a reason.  There is no system.

Where do we take people who have mental problems?  (I ask this in the context of EMS.  Our coverage area is in 3 states, the closest mental health facility is in one of the states over an hour away, but we cannot transport to that hospital.  We have to take them to the facility in the state where we picked them up, often a 4 hour journey.)

What do we do if we suspect a person is on the edge?
What does a mother do?  A father?  Sibling?
What can we do to make this better for all of us?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother-mental-illness-conversation_n_2311009.html

I have no answers.  I just wish we could look at the big problem.  No sane person would do something like this.

Posting less often than I should...

OK, so I followed the EMS Newbie through EMT and Paramedic School by way of their weekly podcasts and blog.
I have no freaking idea how they managed to make that work.  I cannot even get a weekly blog entry up!

Suffice it to say, things have been busy.  In the past four weeks I have:
Attended the funeral of one of the best people you have never heard of (my grandfather)
Gone on "vacation" to warmer climes to visit with the family and suffered through a horrid cold/flu/plague the entire trip
Managed to keep up with paramedic lectures
Managed to keep up with paramedic exams
Gotten behind in reading
Making progress in my A&P course
Helping with the winter EMT class here in the mountains
Done nothing to work on the EMS program (my little projects)
Done next to nothing on my Master's course work

At last check, I am holding about a 95% in paramedic school.  If there's one thing I wish, it's that I had a better work ethic to schedule more time to just do research on subjects.  We are racing through the material, the instructors are excellent, but I still need to spend more time at it.  Mr. Medic and I pulled out a few airway heads and began to put together my ALS airway kit.  (I suck at endotracheal intubation at the moment.)  Not just technique, but arm strength.  So adding my scheduled strength training to "the list"...

And as usual, work trudges merrily along.  Attempting to hit deadlines, deal with a computer crash and a new email system...

Bored yet with all the whining?  I am!

So what do I do?  Read more.  Find a comfortable study spot that is NOT my office NOR my bedroom.  I may have fallen asleep reading a time or two :-)  Figure out how to fit in more exercise, preferably outside.

And, as always, wait for that pager to go off.