Not again

I failed again. I passed 4 of the 5 tests but you need 5 of 5 to pass.

My partner didn't show up, so our teacher was my partner for 2 of the tests. We were judged by an emergency doctor, another teacher, and someone from the city's health department. 

The same exact thing happened as in February - the literal flip of the coin put me as team leader in the emergency case, and my teacher got to be team leader for a patient transfer. WTH! As last time, if the coin had flipped the other way, I'd have passed the class, being given the simple task of putting a patient from a bed to a gurney.

Instead, I had another freaking Polytrauma with brain damage (bloody innards sticking out of her head - the actors really take this job seriously).

I followed the 3 protocols exactly as taught, and directed my partner to do, well, pretty much everything we can do. A case like this requires nearly all of our equipment. (In case you're curious the 3 protocols are ABCDE for airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure, SAMPLER for symptoms, allergies, meds, patient history, last meds/meal, event, and risk factors. OPQRST is a pain schema for onset, provocation, quality, radiation, severity, and time.)

I'm really surprised because I left that test with a great feeling about it.

Here are the mistakes that failed me, which still baffle me: I didn't provide O2 until 10 minutes in (but the patient's saturation level was 97 which does not require O2, so I was taught). I was just as late asking for blood sugar. I didn't provide a blanket (I asked the patient if she was cold and she said no.) I didn't whip out the intubation materials until she was actually unconscious, I guess I should have done it when she started to fade. And finally a mistake I completely agree with, I didn't communicate effectively with the emergency doctor when he arrived. That's legit, I was so nervous I forgot the cause of the accident (a fight), I just said she fell (whaaa?). I also said we had a C problem (see above) and that wasn't the case. I was correct when I said "Suspected brain damage" and when I gave him her values.

I'm not sure what to do now, I'm pretty depressed because they won't allow you to take the test a third time. I'd have to start all over and I'm not convinced I'd pass even then. The way they teach these emergency scenarios is not optimal because there are so many students to one teacher, and he can only watch one team at a time, so most of the class time is spent observing other teams - and you never know if what they are doing is correct until they're done and we analyze. Watching it done wrong repeatedly is no way to learn. I'm not sure how to solve that though.

Right now I'm a certified Rescue Assistant, which theoretically I could find a job doing, but it wouldn't be as good a job as a full Medic would have.

After this door slam I'm hoping some window will open up and I'll find a way.