Remember To Breathe

Tracy asked me for some tips on staying calm during the state EMT test in my plea for prompts. Well, I'm no expert, but here's what's always worked for me, and the stuff my mom taught me. Thanks Tracy!

My mom never let me go to a test hungry. Every time I had a test, a quiz or an important presentation, I was always to have a good breakfast that morning. Mind you, I said a good breakfast. No pop-tarts, sugary cereals or donuts. I got toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice. My mom always said "how can you expect your brain to work if you don't give it some protein!?" She was so right. I always saw myself doing better when I ate a good meal than when I didn't. To this day, I make sure that I get some protein before something nerve-racking. (She'll be glad to know that before my job interview, I even made myself some eggs) So that's my first piece of advice.

Secondly, always remember to breathe. I find that in stressful situations, I often literally forget to breathe, holding my breath until my lungs scream for air. My pulse shoots up, my anxiety rises, and I'm freaking out again, breathing less and repeating the cycle.

The people at the test cite are just that--people. You make a mistake? It's alright, it's just a test. The evaluators aren't out to get you. In fact, they usually want to help you--they're nice people who were once in your shoes, scared to death of their proctors. Be polite, and show them that you know your stuff. They know you're scared, so don't worry about showing your nerves.

If you fail, it's not the end of the world. Lots of people have failed lots of times.
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”
--Sven Goran
Even if you fail, you can try again. Try, try again. Etc., etc., triteness, cliche. You get the point. Just try to remember that failure isn't the end.

As far as remembering things goes, this is the only advice I have. When you get the scenario, take a deep breath, and think of it all laid out in front of you. You always do what in trauma (as far as the state test goes)? Everything goes back to what (airway)? Is this a load-and-go? Should you consider calling for ALS?
After you've covered your every-situation bases, consider how the context of this scenario changes things.
Are the vitals stable? Are they improving? Does the patient have medication? Is that medication in date? You get the idea.
There are some things that are going to apply to every situation, and some that aren't. By this point, you know how to asses the situation. Refer back to an earlier point (remember to breathe), and just take your time.

Tracy, let me know how your state test goes! I'm sure you'll do great--it's just a re-cert. Man, now I'm all pumped for my Religion final in a week and a half.
Early Judaism--Okay, so...

--Sam