Opinion on Age

Lucky!!!

I'm 16 and would LOVE to go ahead and get my cert- but Ohio won't let me <_< And yes, before anyone asks, I am immensely more responsible than your average teenager :)
 
dudemanguy said:
I guess I'll take another stab at this one.

Heres a few reasons why I think its not a good idea to have 16 year olds working as EMTs(a view shared by like 47 of 50 states and nearly the entire industrialized world).

In most cases a 16 year old is a minor. An EMT couldnt even treat him unless it was implied consent or a parent gave permission, but you want a minor working as an EMT? Someone that age is not even legally responsible for providing and caring for themselves, you want them to be held legally responsible for the medical care of another person?

I think a 16 year olds main focus should be on education. They have their whole life to work, in EMS or whatever else they choose, so what's the rush? Enjoy being a kid while you can. If you want some spending cash go wash dishes or work in something that doesnt involve life or death decisions. If you want to prepare for a career in medicine, focus on doing well in math and science and take whatever health care related classes and training you can.

It's totally unnecessary and impractical. As already stated no one would let him drive an ambulance, which significantly limits his usefulness as an EMT. In addition child labor laws would have to be followed regarding when and how long he could work.

The fact ONE 16 year old is mature and level headed enough to do it doesnt mean most are, how are you going to decide which are and arent, again there is no litmus test. If the state decides 16 year olds can work as EMTs, that means ALL 16 year olds who pass an EMT course can do it, and as we know the quality of EMT courses varies wildly.

Many patients would be uncomfortable having a 16 year old kid treating them, so were going to add to their stress level and discomfort why?

EMS is not a structured environment, an individual EMT can find himself in a situation where he/she is making life or death decisions for others with no one looking over their shoulder, ESPECIALLY in a situation outside of an ambulance service.

Ok someone brought up the military again, as if the military and EMS are somehow related. Anyway what the military does supports what I'm saying if anything. The US military DOES NOT allow 16 year olds, regardless of maturity level, to enlist. Yes in RARE cases you will have a 17 year old ship for bootcamp prior to turning 18, when I served they still had to have a HS diploma. And to be honest I also think thats a bad idea, so Im consistent.

So theres a list, I'm sure I could continue. Is the sky going to fall because NJ allows some kids to possess an EMT certification they cant really use? Not really. But whats the point of even allowing it?
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First of all, I don't understand why everybody is thinking that I am doing this for money! I AM A VOLUNTEER EMT! I do it because I like the medical field, and want to be a doctor someday. This is not child labor.

Secondly, people seem to think that I am not as useful because I don't drive the ambulance, half of the EMTs at my corps do not drive. They are the EMTs that provide care to the patient. The easy way out of this situation is working with a partner who prefers to drive.

Thirdly, everybody continues to say that maturity is a problem. There are plenty of 18 year old people who act half as mature as I do. Is there a true difference between being 17 or 18? Everybody is implying that an 18 year old is so much more mature than a 16 or 17 year old, and they have a right to work or volunteer on an ambulance.

Fourthly, my education is my main concern. I have great grades, i speak three languages, and take a lot of honors and AP classes. My parents only let me VOLUNTEER on the ambulance if my grades don't drop. Before I became an EMT, they even initially told me that I would have to drop out of EMT class if my grades dropped.

Lastly, I do have a social life, and still enjoy being a kid. I do a ton of extracurriculars, and even have my black belt in Tae Kwan Do.
 
Also, I don't live in New Jersey. ;)
 
sbp7993 said:
I'm 16 years old, and got my EMT license 2 weeks after my 16th birthday. I volunteer with three ambulance corps, and some people look down upon me because of my age. What is your opinion on a 16 year old (or other young people) being an EMT?
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You're 16. Live your life a little, don't burn out on working, volunteering, and school. You have time to do those things, but don't let them make your life right now.

Not saying don't do it, but just don't burn yourself out, either.
 
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sbp7993 said:
First of all, I don't understand why everybody is thinking that I am doing this for money! I AM A VOLUNTEER EMT! I do it because I like the medical field, and want to be a doctor someday. This is not child labor.

Secondly, people seem to think that I am not as useful because I don't drive the ambulance, half of the EMTs at my corps do not drive. They are the EMTs that provide care to the patient. The easy way out of this situation is working with a partner who prefers to drive.

Thirdly, everybody continues to say that maturity is a problem. There are plenty of 18 year old people who act half as mature as I do. Is there a true difference between being 17 or 18? Everybody is implying that an 18 year old is so much more mature than a 16 or 17 year old, and they have a right to work or volunteer on an ambulance.

Fourthly, my education is my main concern. I have great grades, i speak three languages, and take a lot of honors and AP classes. My parents only let me VOLUNTEER on the ambulance if my grades don't drop. Before I became an EMT, they even initially told me that I would have to drop out of EMT class if my grades dropped.

Lastly, I do have a social life, and still enjoy being a kid. I do a ton of extracurriculars, and even have my black belt in Tae Kwan Do.
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Maturity is a problem at 16. Not saying you aren't mature, but think about it this way. At 18 you've experienced more than at 16, at 21, even more. You haven't had a chance to live out certain things, you haven't even lived by yourself yet, or had to support yourself, pay bills, and go to school. I'm not saying you can't handle that either... but maybe when people say you don't have maturity they mean that you haven't experienced things other people have yet. There is a certain maturity/knowledge you gain as you grow older. I didn't see it at 16 either, but now that I'm 25 I can't believe how incredibly naive I was then. (I was really, really naive, not saying you are.)

Experience your life, volunteer if you want. There is still time to figure things out. Don't worry so much about your age. :P
 
sbp7993.....Im not necessarily talking about you specifically. I'm just giving my opinion about states allowing someone to be an EMT before 18. I'm also not criticizing you. You're not doing anything wrong or breaking any laws.

I was just surprised, in my state the age is 18 and I just assumed it was like that everywhere, its not that big a deal.

As other people said EMT basics generally arent allowed to do much and therefore cant screw much up. But its still not like flipping burgers or washing dishes, and theres always the potential to wind up in a situation where your actions can save someones life or have serious consequences.
 
OP, keep in mind you DID ask this question. Remember that if you're getting upset at some of hte answers you get back
 
I became a first responder at the age of 16. I got my EMT at the age of 18. I am now 23.

Yes, there are DEFINITE differences between the ages. It's simple biology in addition to psychology- your brain is still growing and maturing during your teenage years. I was also a precocious, mature-for-age teenager. I can tell you right now that I process things a lot differently now than I did then, and I thought I was capable of a lot more during my teenage years than I really was.

There are select 16, 17, 18 year olds who can function well in prehospital EMS. I can tell you right now, they are in no way the majority. From the psychological standpoint alone, our society has programmed in an "extended adolescence" mentality, and even those who ARE mature for age (or consider themselves to be so) are subject to those thinking patterns.

Do I think teeners have no place in EMS? No. I do, however, have an issue with them working independently with the responsibilities of a primary EMT. I think anyone under the age of 18 should operate in a 3 man crew, with two over-18s as their crew-members.

You may be cognitively there with the skills, you may be an excellent stick with IVs, you may backboard like nobody's business- but the judgment that comes with matured processing and integrated life experience is irreplaceable. You should not be solely responsible for a patient's welfare at any point.

That's my humble opinion. I did not have that opinion when I was 17. I do now.

Wendy
CO EMT-B
 
I just think being 16 is way to young for someone to be in care for a Pt. I can just see it now a little 16y/o kid does a ride along with ALS see's a female around his age or even in there 20's or 30's and the female Pt is a trauma and they take her shirt and bra off and he gets all excited and gets immature and starts talking with all his freinds about it. Ya the girl may have a nice body (figure) but i could just see a little 16y/o running to all his friends talking about it or smiling in the back of an ambulance trying not to laugh because there all excited.
 
emtstudent04 said:
I just think being 16 is way to young for someone to be in care for a Pt. I can just see it now a little 16y/o kid does a ride along with ALS see's a female around his age or even in there 20's or 30's and the female Pt is a trauma and they take her shirt and bra off and he gets all excited and gets immature and starts talking with all his freinds about it. Ya the girl may have a nice body (figure) but i could just see a little 16y/o running to all his friends talking about it or smiling in the back of an ambulance trying not to laugh because there all excited.
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Then the 16 year old should be in EMS. There is a time, and a place.
 
emtstudent04 said:
I just think being 16 is way to young for someone to be in care for a Pt. I can just see it now a little 16y/o kid does a ride along with ALS see's a female around his age or even in there 20's or 30's and the female Pt is a trauma and they take her shirt and bra off and he gets all excited and gets immature and starts talking with all his freinds about it. Ya the girl may have a nice body (figure) but i could just see a little 16y/o running to all his friends talking about it or smiling in the back of an ambulance trying not to laugh because there all excited.
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A sixteen year old might do this, but so might a fifty year old.

Arbitrary numbers shouldn't be used to exclude individuals from this profession, maturity and ability should be. Obviously that would exclude great gobs of current "providers" (and I use the word loosely), so it won't happen.

Most states don't allow a person provide care until they are 18yoa, so it's really a moot point. Let the kid take the EMT-b class, let him ride along for two years and develop his skills.

Frankly, for someone with your abysmal spelling and grammar to call into question the maturity of someone else, especially to provide the level of "care" standard to -b's, is hypocritical and almost farcical. No offense intended, just calling them how I see them.
 
Whats wrong with my spelling and grammer?

For two- Im not immature, yes i do have my moments just like everyone else in this lovely world, but for the most part i consider my self very mature when it comes to the EMS world. I'm strictly professional when it comes to that. I also hold my self to a high standard in EMS and i expect the same from other EMS personnel. Not that it's always going to happen, but still.

For Three- I believe that i do give the "care" and attention the patient's deserve. Not to be cocky or sound self centered but i have received a lot of excellent re-mark's from patient's and other EMS personnel. Sorry not trying to get defensive.
 
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emtstudent04 said:
Whats wrong with my spelling and grammer?
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They suck :-) No offense intended, just saying that different people have different perceptions of maturity. We had to cut the clothes off of a rather beautiful and quite well-stacked young lady before. I guarantee you that every set of eyes on the rig did at least ONE "visual inspection" for flail chest / open phenothorax. Patient care was not compromised. No numbers were exchanged.

For two- Im not immature, yes i do have my moments just like everyone else in this lovely world,
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Exactly, everyone has moments of immaturity and bouts of childish humor. What's going to make a 16 year old more likely than a forty year old? Some girl from New Zealand, sixteen herself, just sailed solo around the world. Some forty year olds I know couldnt' be trusted to watch a goldfish, let alone a patient.

but for the most part i consider my self very mature when it comes to the EMS world. I'm strictly professional when it comes to that. I also hold my self to a high standard in EMS and i expect the same from other EMS personnel. Not that it's always going to happen, but still.
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Agreed there. If someone acts like an immature ****, they get called out (post-patient transfer, of course).

For Three- I believe that i do give the "care" and attention the patient's deserve. Not to be cocky or sound self centered but i have received a lot of excellent re-mark's from patient's and other EMS personnel. Sorry not trying to get defensive.
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Don't be defensive, I'm sure you're a great provider. Wouldn't you be upset if I said that since you misspelled one word that you're "immature" and incapable of providing patient care? That's probably how the sixteen year old feels. Give him a chance, see what happens and be prepared to help him cross some maturity bridges on his own.
 
jtpaintball70 said:
OP, keep in mind you DID ask this question. Remember that if you're getting upset at some of hte answers you get back
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I'm not getting upset, I'm just stating my opinion like everybody else was. Everybody is entitled to think what they want :) But reality is, I am allowed to volunteer on the ambulance if I want to because it is 100% legal for me to do so in my state.
 
(thatJeffguy) Don't be defensive, I'm sure you're a great provider. Wouldn't you be upset if I said that since you misspelled one word that you're "immature" and incapable of providing patient care? That's probably how the sixteen year old feels. Give him a chance, see what happens and be prepared to help him cross some maturity bridges on his own.[/QUOTE]

I see what your saying by helping him/her crossing some maturity bridges, but im not there to baby sit/take care of an immature 16/17 y/o telling them you can't be doing that, stop acting like that. I'm sorry but im not going to be their daddy. I'm there to help patients who are sick/injured. I'm sure with experiance he or she could do a fine job, but for this type of work and the patients you come across can be and are very difficult at times to deal with.
 
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