# Paramedic Burnout



## i5adam8 (Jun 28, 2010)

I am a fairly new Paramedic with about 8 months of road experience as full time,and a year as a part time EMT-Basic before that. I work for a service where I do two 24 hour shifts a week,and one 48 a month. I just completed my 48 for the month yesterday and by the end of the shift I was so completely mentally drained,that I was seriously thinking about a career change. With only 4-5 hours sleep total between the 2 days that I worked,I can honestly say I was feeling the effects of burnout. Now,after some much needed rest I feel much better and no longer think EMS is the worst job on the face of the planet. My concern is that I shouldn't be feeling this way after only working the road for 8 months. I know it's normal for everyone to get burnout at one time or another in their career,but I didn't think it was going to happen to me this soon. Of course this bothers me because I put so much time and effort into my EMS education . I was just wondering if anyone else out their maybe or has experienced  this at such an early stage,and if so how did you deal with it?


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## SanDiegoEmt7 (Jun 28, 2010)

A 48 hour shift with 5 hours of sleep will demoralize even the most motivated of individuals.  I think the most important thing is to have a good social life, family life, and/or hobbies outside of work.  The nature of the job, while it is rewarding, can make you very pessimistic if that's all you do without intermission.

Like you said, after a break you didn't feel like quitting anymore.  Obviously if you don't like what you got into, maybe a career change is in order, or maybe just a company change where you don't work 24/48's.  BUT... if you do like the work, which I'm guessing you do, just make sure you live a balanced life.


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## DrParasite (Jun 28, 2010)

i5adam8 said:


> I work for a service where I do two 24 hour shifts a week,and one 48 a month. I just completed my 48 for the month yesterday and by the end of the shift I was so completely mentally drained,that I was seriously thinking about a career change. With only 4-5 hours sleep total between the 2 days that I worked,I can honestly say I was feeling the effects of burnout. Now,after some much needed rest I feel much better and no longer think EMS is the worst job on the face of the planet.


After 8 months, you probably shouldn't be burnout.

24's suck when you are in a busy system.  a 48 hour shift when you are running your *** off sucks.  and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

One thing to remember, TAKE TIME OFF AWAY FROM EMS.  after a busy 24 hour shift, or an even better 48, don't do anything EMS related.  no side jobs on the truck, no going from job to job, no spending time on emtlife.com.  take a break, get a good days sleep (I work nights so sleeping away a day is common), and make sure you keep your routine.  if you hang out with friends, eat a decent non-fast food meal, or exercise, do it.  stay away from EMS.  relax, go to the pool, spend time with the significant other.

If you can get a new job with better hours, great, but many places run 24s.  yes, you have a long day, but then you get 2-3 days off.  If it's slow, and you get some sleep it's  great job.  if you are running for 24, then it can suck.

only you can decide it this is a field for you.  and remember, this is your job/source of income.  not your life.  make sure you have a life outside of EMS.


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## Stew (Jun 28, 2010)

Here I am complaining about our 12hr shifts that turn into 13-14hrs regularly. I've just come off a week of 60hrs 3x8am-7pm days and 2x7p-7a nights plus overtime, I could never imagine a 48hr shift especially with our workload!


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## MrBrown (Jun 28, 2010)

and to think Brown complains about sleeping on the couch not getting jobs!

"Brown its a go"
"Oh bloody hell Oz, what is it?"
"Fall from height"
"Righto, best we be off then"

City Traffic, Westpac Rescue lifting ....


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## TransportJockey (Jun 28, 2010)

I was the same way after 4 months at my first service, because that 4th month I did 25 12-15 hour shifts in a row without a day off. But after I took a week off after that I was in a much better mindset. It's just being overloaded without time to decompress. Take some time off and it might get better


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## rescue99 (Jun 28, 2010)

i5adam8 said:


> I am a fairly new Paramedic with about 8 months of road experience as full time,and a year as a part time EMT-Basic before that. I work for a service where I do two 24 hour shifts a week,and one 48 a month. I just completed my 48 for the month yesterday and by the end of the shift I was so completely mentally drained,that I was seriously thinking about a career change. With only 4-5 hours sleep total between the 2 days that I worked,I can honestly say I was feeling the effects of burnout. Now,after some much needed rest I feel much better and no longer think EMS is the worst job on the face of the planet. My concern is that I shouldn't be feeling this way after only working the road for 8 months. I know it's normal for everyone to get burnout at one time or another in their career,but I didn't think it was going to happen to me this soon. Of course this bothers me because I put so much time and effort into my EMS education . I was just wondering if anyone else out their maybe or has experienced  this at such an early stage,and if so how did you deal with it?




No, you shouldn't be burned out at t his early stage of the game. Your shift is pretty typical of a 24 hour car though. Some 24's are slam cars and those who work them have to brace themselves for the good and bad. Rest up and hope this humid rainy weather lets up for a few days! DIB days make for some very long days!

Besides taking the suggestions others have given to make sure there is free time not associated with EMS, you could chose to work the 10-12 hour cars. Those are available too. It is a choice to work 24 / 48 rotations.


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## i5adam8 (Jun 29, 2010)

I have worked the 48's before,bit this last one was just non-stop calls for 2 days straight,and when we weren't running calls it was " go sit point now" away from the station just as I was about to get some sleep or eat a meal. And the calls...ranging from combative drunks to self inflicted GSW to the head. It was just one of those rare "killer" shifts I guess. So tomorrow I go back for one of my regular 24's and I do feel much better now.


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## firetender (Jun 29, 2010)

*A GLIMPSE of Burnout!*

You had a rough shift, my friend. *Now, you know!
*
So if people hint that it might be a good idea to be prepared for something similar each and every shift you run, they're really not blowing smoke out of their butts. _But now you know that._ Thank the Gods none of your patients meant something to you. Maybe one did, much to your surprise, and that was what drove you to the edge.

You didn't sign up for a Technician's job. You've immersed yourself in a very HUMAN experience that happens to involve a lot of technical stuff. If your peers were honest with themselves and you, they'd tell you that for every life you save you may have a few facets of your own shaved off. It's a balance thing.

My point is you have put yourself in a position where you are called on to deal with the highest stakes of all; YOUR life; YOUR sanity; YOUR respect for yourself; AND their lives. 

What I say to you, my friend, is it looks like you're in a service area where you'll be tested to the hilt. Give it your best shot; it can be really worth it; to you and a bunch of strangers!.


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## the_negro_puppy (Jun 29, 2010)

It seems ridiculous, even negligent that any company/state/city can expect a paramedic to practice pre-hospital medicine for 48 hours with 5 hours sleep.

48 hour shifts are ridiculous, let alone 24. As Stew said, here we do max 12 hour shifts


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