I was dead nervous about starting training my newbie, probably more nervous than I was about being a newbie myself (way back when, when ambulances were horses and carts…) It’s silly really, because I don’t get nervous about teaching people to do CPR on their relatives over the phone, so why should I get nervous about teaching someone to do their job? Anyway, there wasn’t really anything to be nervous about as my trainee is doing very well and is a pleasure to teach. Phew! Training is not that hard, although I do catch myself sounding a bit like my driving instructor at times, and occasionally catch myself uttering a banned phrase like “ambulance” every now and again, at which point I have to slap myself in the face and tell her to pretend she didn’t hear me.
It is probably as good practice for me as it is for her. By the end of the 10 shifts I will have totally eliminated all my bad habits.
Computers went down for “planned maintenance” for a few hours this morning, which always creates a bit of controlled mayhem. All the tickets have to be handwritten and people are appointed to run backwards and forwards between call taking and dispatch with them. The ambulance service worked for years just fine without computers, but for someone like me who arrived long after the computers did, losing the ability to see exactly where the ambulance is, the prompts for the triage questions and other facilities is quite unnerving. I hope it didn’t put my trainee off. At least she got to see how Control works on paper whilst she was still training, and not be plunged in at the deep end when she is signed off.
I have to write a school report style thing on her tomorrow. I’m quite looking forward to this. I might dig out my own school reports to assist… “Newbie must not talk in class… Newbie should pay more attention in Geography…” okay, maybe not.
November 15th, 2006 at 2:05 am
Sounds like your newbie is fantastic…she’ll learn a lot from you…be nice to her!
Although, i am curious you keep mentioning this “ambulance” word….why are you forbidden from saying it….i mean i understand the principle behind it because if your sending a RRV/FRU obviously its not an ambo…but in our (rather atrocious) version of AMPDS it says it in the PDI’s QUOTE “Look out for the ambulance crew” QUOTE!!!!!
I sometimes wish we had more chance to practice with the system down…although having said that i could be tempting fate…hmm night shift tomorrow….maybe not!!
November 15th, 2006 at 10:24 am
The standard response on all out school reports was:
“Could do better”
The teachers ended up getting in trouble for it in the end because we all compared notes and it became clear that they just weren’t bothered about writing anything individual.
Glad the training has been beneficial for both parties involved.
November 15th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Something I’ve been advised for when I start TSing, is start on a positive, then what could be done better, and finish on a positive. Then next week, find a positive comment to make from the previous week’s negative, then a negative, finishing on a positive again, and so on.
I’m glad you’ve got a good trainee - and I agree with BabyEMD - she’ll learn loads from you….I know, I’ve seen you call-take! *grin*