Emergency Medical Technician

[MarriedTheMedic]

"to make room for the people that know what they are doing".

That was totally uncalled for, and I'm sorry you had to put up with someone with such a shitty attitude! If I were you, I would have not-so-politely reminded her that the ones who "didn't know what they were doing" were the ones who got him to the hospital alive and would appreciate it if they could keep him that way. I'm sure that would have shut her up.

[Joelski]

I'm working to make observation/cross-training a part of ED and EMS staff's JPED (What their yearly performance increase is based on). The hospital system I work for owns the local paid EMS and as the EMS coordinator I have the ability to work with the director to schedule Nursing staff several ride-along shifts and the EMS staff several ED clinical shifts per year. Some of the Nursing staff that were previously jaded toward EMS have had an eye-opening experience. It's easy to armchair the crews, but when they get to participate in getting that 300 pounder down 4 flights of stairs, or working an arrest at the Mall with spectators they can't pull curtains on, it gains respect for the people that not only save lives, but bring the patient to them and place them in bed. On the EMS side, they get to see the ED flooded, the lobby full with 30 sick people waiting to get back, codes and traumas still coming in because you can't divert them, they begin to understand why a person who hasn't eaten or even pee'd in 10 hours can be a bit bristly.

It happens everywhere. The real bonding comes at meal times when the EMT's and Nurses turn their hatred toward the nursing home people! I've seen friendships blossom from these experiences between people that were previously practically enemies because they just didn't understand that the job is essentially the same, just different surroundings.


That said, it is hard not to boot a person like that square in the mop bucket.

[Drew1095hc]

That was totally uncalled for, and I'm sorry you had to put up with someone with such a shitty attitude! If I were you, I would have not-so-politely reminded her that the ones who "didn't know what they were doing" were the ones who got him to the hospital alive and would appreciate it if they could keep him that way. I'm sure that would have shut her up.

yeah... it was kind of a bummer....it was our second code of the day that we got back....I am sure you know those are hard to come by. It absolutely put cloud over an otherwise good day.

[Drew1095hc]

I'm working to make observation/cross-training a part of ED and EMS staff's JPED (What their yearly performance increase is based on). The hospital system I work for owns the local paid EMS and as the EMS coordinator I have the ability to work with the director to schedule Nursing staff several ride-along shifts and the EMS staff several ED clinical shifts per year. Some of the Nursing staff that were previously jaded toward EMS have had an eye-opening experience. It's easy to armchair the crews, but when they get to participate in getting that 300 pounder down 4 flights of stairs, or working an arrest at the Mall with spectators they can't pull curtains on, it gains respect for the people that not only save lives, but bring the patient to them and place them in bed. On the EMS side, they get to see the ED flooded, the lobby full with 30 sick people waiting to get back, codes and traumas still coming in because you can't divert them, they begin to understand why a person who hasn't eaten or even pee'd in 10 hours can be a bit bristly.

It happens everywhere. The real bonding comes at meal times when the EMT's and Nurses turn their hatred toward the nursing home people! I've seen friendships blossom from these experiences between people that were previously practically enemies because they just didn't understand that the job is essentially the same, just different surroundings.


That said, it is hard not to boot a person like that square in the mop bucket.

We had to do clinicals at an er in the closest large city before we could even test for national registry. I feel that it should be part of nursing school to ride a box at a high volume service for a while. My current employment is in a beach community....I have become good friends with the stairchair..lol

[BadKarma]

It depends how much work you want to put in continually. My best advice is get an advance first responder class. In this county emts can give 4 drugs, Ivs if you take the classes. In the end it comes do to $$$.

[Alnamvet68]

EMT hear, that is not entirely true. It really varies from location to location. There are some places were EMT's can do much more than other places. granted medics always have a wider scope of practice, an EMT is not always limited to such rudimentary things as you discuss. EMTs have much much much more knowledge then just basic first aid. That would be more like a first responder designation. The EMT class I graduated from was a pilot program testing the most advanced EMT curriculum in the country today. We are trained in pharmacology, patient assessment, air way, airway adjuncts, intubation (to assist), shock and resuscitation, medical, trauma, special patient population, basic GYN and obstetrics, neonatal care, pediatric emergencies, geriatric emergencies, vehicle extrication in special rescue, transport operations, incident management, terrorism response and disaster management, ALS techniques in order to work with medics, aed, ekg, legal, and so so much more. You have to remember, we go to every scene, medics come to only a few, when they are available . We are the first level of care after maybe a police officer who has a first responder designation, and have to be trained well for all possibilities. And we have to be skilled at what we are doing. I had to do my hospital time at a level 1 trauma center near by. Our class had to do considerably more hours then the old EMT curriculum had to do in this new pilot program testing a more advanced curriculum to be used nation wide by EMTs and I was lucky enough to be a part of it. We study much more than basic first aid. Emts assist medics, when they do show up, and have to be well versed in thier procedures and practices. We have a considerable base of medical knowledge. We have to study all sorts of meds, and thier indications and contraindications. We have to know what is going on with the patient when we get to him, and he is not always responsive. We have to be able to do a good patient assessment and know if he's on any medication that will contraindicate anything that we may need to give him. My class even took an upgrade to administer auto injecters, which regular EMTs cant use in my area. There are much less medics out there compared to EMTS where i am from. EMTs do save lives, and they do respond to serious life threatening injuries. If more advanced medication needs to be administered we try to get medics with us but that is not always possible. Often times EMTs are left to treat and transport on their own. EMTs in my area are very well trained, very thorough, medical professionals who save lives every day. I feel you are selling us way short and are not acurately reflecting the amount of training, studying, time, curriculum, experience, passion, service, and commitment, that goes into being an EMT. Let me tell you, if you were in bad shape and EMT's responded you would not shoo them away and ask for medics. Trust me. And even if you did, they would save your life any way. Because thats what they are trained to do. The huge majority of emergency medical professionals who respond to 911 calls are EMTs, the extreme minority is medics. Medics always have more training, this is true, but at the end of the day neither of them are doctors and their goal is to transport the patient to definitive care which is surgical intervention in an OR or medical intervention in the ER. Doctors are the ones who really get things done. Theres only so much emergency medical services can do. Doctors and hospitals are always the goal. Sorry for any typos, there are probably more than a few because I typed this from my phone but I read that, and it kind of got me upset. So I figured I would set the record straight. As long as you understand EMTs are MUCH MUCH MUCH more highly trained then a basic first aid course...

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This only applies in those jurisdictions where there are "in-between" certifications, such as EMT Enhanced, or EMT-Intermediate. That said, if one attends a community college program for pre-hospital medicine, then it's always one semester for EMT Basic, and an additional three semesters to be eligible to sit for an EMT-P (Paramedic) exam.

EMT-P, ARNP, PA-C.

[Dcycleman]

Just attended a wilderness emt class at solo