Tips for BLS transports.

[goidf]

where I work, there is a lot of joking (and griping) about us (and I guess most privet ambulance companies) being a taxi company with paper work. Nothing makes that seem more true then making a transport and getting a tip at the end of it.
Does anyone have any thoughts, is there anything that could be wrong with accepting a tip for a BLS transport?

 

[Flight-LP]

Legally (generic blanket statement) and ethically it is wrong to even consider. If you want to be a taxi driver, go drive a cab. Otherwise, consider promoting your organization as a professionally run EMS service. If you can't then you should consider employment elsewhere.

I really wish we had emoticons, the one ramming his head into the brick wall would be nice about now....................

 

[NESDMEDIC]

Personally i do not accept any gratuities. I do recieve thank you cards at my home residence with gratuites included with the card. I return the gratuities to the patient or the family with a note explaining the Thank you and the thought is sufficient. I just don't feel right accepting money from patients personally.

 

[goidf]

gratuities?! what do you mean by that?! the guy just told us a quicker route! he gave us a driving tip to get to the destination faster. but what I was saying, is maybe we should not have accepted it, because it looks like we didn't know the fastest way...

 

[NESDMEDIC]

Sorry I misunderstood your meaning, I do appolize. I understood tip's as money.

 

[goidf]

OK, on a serious note. My gut was tells me that there is something wrong with it, but I am DEFINITELY NOT going to say a word to my partner. I'm new and the last thing I need is to alienated as some sort of better then thou goody good boy.
And look at it from the another point of view; I'm not talking about responding to an emergency. I am talking about shlepping someone down four flights of stairs on a stair chair, then loading'em into my bus, filling out a meaningless PCR, and accepting the payment for the ride (a few hundred for the transport, not talking about the tip here), so that the Pt. could go to the beach. Why shouldnt I be allowed to accept a tip?!
working at a privet company who's only real emergency's (at least BLS) are flag downs, you kinda get that feeling of being a taxi driver.
If I where doing my real job as an EMT I.E. providing emergency care, I wouldn't dream of accepting a tip, (then again, in those situations nobody is offering one).
In this case, I am more interested in what other EMTs working in privet companies think about this, as I think anyone working 911 would be outraged by the mare idea...

 

[skyemt]

gratuities?! what do you mean by that?! the guy just told us a quicker route! he gave us a driving tip to get to the destination faster. but what I was saying, is maybe we should not have accepted it, because it looks like we didn't know the fastest way...

no need to change your tune and get defensive, own your comments....

you said "Nothing makes that seem more true then making a transport and getting a tip at the end of it."

i think we would all agree that most do not wait until the "end" to give driving tips... lol

pretty clear what you intended here...

 

[JPINFV]

Is accepting tips wrong? Well, it really depends on the situation. First off, if anyone is expecting tips, then this is the wrong field for you. Want more money, then negitioate a raise, find a different company, or find a different career path. Expecting patients to pay the ambulance company AND pay you as well is wrong.

That said, I follow the "refuse 3 times" rule. There comes a point in time when refusing a tip becomes more insulting than simply taking it, understanding that it's the rare exception, being extremely grateful, and moving on with your day. Yes, it's 'wrong' (especially if providers come to expect tips), but sometimes it becomes the lesser of two evils.

 

[mikeylikesit]

Is accepting tips wrong? Well, it really depends on the situation. First off, if anyone is expecting tips, then this is the wrong field for you. Want more money, then negitioate a raise, find a different company, or find a different career path. Expecting patients to pay the ambulance company AND pay you as well is wrong.

That said, I follow the "refuse 3 times" rule. There comes a point in time when refusing a tip becomes more insulting than simply taking it, understanding that it's the rare exception, being extremely grateful, and moving on with your day. Yes, it's 'wrong' (especially if providers come to expect tips), but sometimes it becomes the lesser of two evils.

not me i will only take it if they say "it will insult me, or i will feel bad if you don't take it."
that being said if you do get a tip i always put it toward buying food for the rest of the employees.

 

[rhan101277]

I don't understand, your saying you get dispatched on a 911 call and the person just needs a ride somewhere. Do you pick them up run lights and siren to where they want to go, friends house, pizza hut etc.?

 

[Sapphyre]

No, Rhan, EMTs don't only work 911. They also work interfacility transport, and, it sounds like in this case, there's some sort of transport contract that takes homebound people to appointments, etc (am I getting this right?). The tips are coming during the non-emergent but still medically necessary (?) transports

 

[KEVD18]

medically necessary..... thats a laugh.

 

[rhan101277]

No, Rhan, EMTs don't only work 911. They also work interfacility transport, and, it sounds like in this case, there's some sort of transport contract that takes homebound people to appointments, etc (am I getting this right?). The tips are coming during the non-emergent but still medically necessary (?) transports

oic, there are transports run in the little town I live in. I just thought he/she was talking about something different.

 

[Medic9]

When I saw the title I was thinking they were asking what to do to make the trip better for the provider and pt. I surely hope that I read the post wrong because it is unethical to take money from a pt. We do this job because we like what we do. If you are in it for the money then you need to find a new job. Please understand that I am not picking or attacking anyone, I am speaking in general terms.
I do many long distance transports and have found it to be beneficial to read the paper, ask them about their family, what do they do/did for a living, learn a little bit about everything so you can carry on a conversation with your patient. I have had patients tell me that it was a pleasure talking to me and I made the trip less stressful. Some patients would rather sleep or just rest and you have to learn the cues that thats what they want. Some people will continue to talk to be polite.
Always be professional, try to stay far far away from religion and politics if you can help it or any other topic that may upset the patient.

 

[Medic9]

No, Rhan, EMTs don't only work 911. They also work interfacility transport, and, it sounds like in this case, there's some sort of transport contract that takes homebound people to appointments, etc (am I getting this right?). The tips are coming during the non-emergent but still medically necessary (?) transports

Yes, many places have those services. Some people need an ambulance or ambulette because of an injury that makes them non-weight bearing. Or they are non-ambulatory, morbidly obese etc.
Where I live they are 3 different companys that offer that service and then the sqaud that I work for will do transports if a doctor signs a medical necessity form.

 

[BossyCow]

The word tip means "to insure promptness" which I think all of us accept as a given in EMS. It is acceptable in a restaurant where the waitperson may be serving several tables at once, and made sure that you were attended to with promptness and efficiency. Same with the hairdresser, housekeeping at the hotel, redcap at the airport etc.

I think in healthcare that we assume that promptness is going to be understood as a matter of course. I also wouldn't tip the nurse practicioner at the Doc's office, my dental hygeinist, or any other healthcare provider.

In the service industry, perfunctory delivery of service is the standard. When we get more than that, we tip. To imply that this would in anyway translate into healthcare is ridiculous.

 

[goidf]

I don't necessarily disagree with most of the negative reaction I am seeing here (like I said, I expected more outrage,but anyway) I am curious if any of you nay Sayers work (or have worked) at a privet company that does transports? I wonder how many of you really relate to what its like spending hours doing transports that any taxi could have done (only they wont carry a patient down on a stair chair) and not the long distance transports for the lack of closer medical facility, I mean the transports from home to the beach!

 

[skyemt]

I don't necessarily disagree with most of the negative reaction I am seeing here (like I said, I expected more outrage,but anyway) I am curious if any of you nay Sayers work (or have worked) at a privet company that does transports? I wonder how many of you really relate to what its like spending hours doing transports that any taxi could have done (only they wont carry a patient down on a stair chair) and not the long distance transports for the lack of closer medical facility, I mean the transports from home to the beach!

if you are not enjoying what you are doing, then perhaps it is not for you...

if you do enjoy it, why not put your time into doing it better, instead of griping.

no offense intended.

 

[goidf]

no offence taken. I do actually enjoy doing it (I definitely ain't in it for the money) and there I go griping again ^_^.

 

[JPINFV]

I don't necessarily disagree with most of the negative reaction I am seeing here (like I said, I expected more outrage,but anyway) I am curious if any of you nay Sayers work (or have worked) at a privet company that does transports? I wonder how many of you really relate to what its like spending hours doing transports that any taxi could have done (only they wont carry a patient down on a stair chair) and not the long distance transports for the lack of closer medical facility, I mean the transports from home to the beach!

Yes, I have worked for a private ambulance service. No, I do not expect tips. No, the care provided does not change if I think I'm going to get a tip. No, I do not expect patients or their families to supplement my income past the money my employer pays me. If you want to work for a taxi company and get paid in tips, then there's nothing stopping you from going and driving a taxi.