How to make your paramedic not hate you

A whim and a personal preference would be what kind of herbal tea my partner prefers with dinner. However, learning the tools and medications they require in an ALS setting is the difference between competent meritocracy and excellence... I don't want to just be competent. I'd lose my job on the next round of contracts if I was mediocre.

It's easy to not be hated-- Don't get blood places it's not supposed to be, don't say things like "HOLY $HIT" when approaching a pt.. Always flush.

Set your standards higher than "not being hated".. It's better to be valued. Sure, learn your required skills, and then learn how things run.

You drive like a **** with me in the back and that's an express ticket to getting an *** chewing.

I speak for myself, not other medics, but I don't mind mistakes, what I do mind is if I take the time to correct your mistake and teach you the proper way and you continuously make that mistake or completely disregard my efforts to help you make yourself better at your job.

Being new is hard, with the minimal education required to be an EMT one would be foolish to expect an EMT to be dialed in right out of school. Even in countries that require a degree for basic ambulance attendants (I use basic referring to minimum training to be on an ambulance as most countries who use degreed medics practice at what the U.S. would call an ILS level) these new grads still have a steep learning curve but if we're going our of our way, yes out of our way we aren't paid extra to teach unless you're an FTO, listen and apply what we say. I'm not saying take your medic's word as god since there are plenty incompetent medics out there, as bad as it is to say probably more incompetent ones than competent ones, do your own footwork, learn your craft, but don't waste my time and energy.

Don't drive like a ****. Did I already say that? I ended up with stitches in my face from an EMT driving like a douche. Until we have proper restraint systems in ambulances and even after we do, drive like you've got a cup of 500* coffee between your legs. When I'm teaching driving I don't use the cup holder, I set it on the flat surface of the center console. You spill my coffee you're buying me a new one, I tell every new hire that is on my truck that.

As you learn from day one in EMT school, scene safety. Have your paramedic's back. I do not know what kind of area you work in and if it is a good area or bad, but I like it if my EMT helps with scene control. Keep bystanders back. Try and calm irate family members. Keep your eyes out for any potential threats. Remember, just because the scene is safe to enter does not mean it is going to stay that way. As a paramedic, the majority of my attention is on the patient, and I might not be able to see that bystander coming up behind us, but you can. Working in an EMT/Medic system, my EMT and I are a team. We work together as one to get the job done. As long as your carry a team mentality into any call you should be fine.

Plus one to all the above.

Also, know where your hospitals are, it's ok to map/GPS into a scene but you should know how to get to every hospital.

Also, you should know what hospitals have what specialties (ie. Maternity, stroke, stemi, etc) it can help a new or out of town medic as well as talking to family while your partner is busy.

Remi said:

I disagree with much of what is written here. It is not an EMT's job to know every paramedic's preferences in order to cater to each of their whims.

Know BLS, know the ambulance, know the radio, drive safely. That is all.

On top of that, just learn as you go.

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Couldn't agree more.

No offense by the above is why we/EMTs are referred to as ambulance drivers. Seems like that's all majority want to do according to some of these posts.

For those who want to learn and do more it'll take time to earn the confidence and trust of your medic (also depends on the medic) but your interest and motivation won't go unnoticed.

You are just getting started. You should already know your BLS skills. Learn where everything is on the unit. Assisting with the advanced procedures will come with time.