Visiting family

So, I'm sitting in my parent's living room enjoying the family. We had an early Christmas celebration this year due to some of our work schedules. Having a couple of people in the EMS/nursing field in the family makes scheduling holidays difficult. Also having the family scattered literally across the country makes getting together difficult. However, despite all this, we managed to get everybody together for an early Christmas celebration! So, no deep post today, I'm simply enjoying my family and will be going out to build a snowman shortly.
I do have a post in the works about EMS 2.0 and another one about EMS vs Nursing education. Keep checking and they'll be up eventually!

Beaten by technology

OK, so technology has totally gotten the best of me at the moment. I wanted to submit my post below (AIDS part 1) to Emergiblog for Change of Shift. I've actually tried for the last three editions.... But, somehow, when I click on the "contact me" button on her website, I can't get through. I think its because I use gmail and I don't have my Windows email outlook set up properly. I used to be able to scroll over the link, get her addy and send it her way....but, somehow I can't do that anymore.

I also wanted to comment on AD's post about his blogroll, and request being added there. But, my computer won't let me do it. I don't know if he has comment moderation on and hence has about 10 posts to sort through, or if its my computer.

So, I am attempting to communicate with the greater world and maybe get some readers. But, attempts at mastering technology are defeating me at the moment. Any hints, suggestions, tips are much appreciated!

Freedom to be New

I am still a new medic. I got my license in January 2009, and was cleared to run by myself sometime in the April region. I then moved multiple times, and have not been practicing since September. I have been an EMT for almost 6 years now
However, many in EMS keep mistaking me for "experienced". I know I have some nursing experience under my belt, including my years as an ER/Trauma nurse in a large level 1 trauma center/inner city ER.
But here's my problem with this: I am NOT an experienced Medic. Things that make me a good ER nurse do not make me a good Medic. I have always been of the opinion that in-hospital and out-of-hospital care are two separate things. Similar, yes; even over-lapping in their fields: but 2 different worlds. It takes a different mind-set, different set of skills for me to operate in the field. This mindset helped me do well in Medic school, by setting aside my experience as a nurse and focusing only on what I had done as an EMT/and what I was learning.
So, here's my problem: people in EMS keep calling me "experienced", giving me preference on calls, even sending me out by myself into difficult situations "cause you can handle it".
I have nursing experience, I'm not the most experienced, but I do have some experience and feel fairly confident in my skill set. But I'm not an experienced medic. I haven't yet done a field tube (wasn't required in my program, I've done tubes in the OR, but not in the field). I haven't even run a wreck requiring extrication (once again, been in EMS for 6 years, and all my patients have self-extricated! Weird I know). I have also never run a code in the field (again, been in EMS for 6 years and my white cloud has prevented me being there for one!). I have run many, many codes in the hospital. I have also run ALS mega-codes until I could do them in my dreams (literally). But I have never run the actual chaos of a code in the field.
I would love to have the experience of watching an experienced medic run a code in the field. I would love the opportunity to drop a tube with an experienced medic peering over my shoulder to help me. But I'm not being given these opportunities. I'm sent out by myself, expected to function at a high level.
I'm getting ready to start at a new squad, and I'm already facing this conundrum. Already they're talking about a shortened preceptorship "since you know what you're doing". I don't want it shortened, I want help. I guess I want the pressure off, I want to be able to be "the new guy on the block". I want the freedom to mess up, to be told that I'll do better as time goes on. I want the freedom to have someone show up to back me up (volunteer system) since I'm still new.
Any thoughts? Hints? My nursing experience does help me a little (cyanosis is still cyanosis, in-hospital or out-of-hospital), but not much. I'm still a new medic and want to be considered that way.