# a career-changer asking for advice



## cdillon (Apr 11, 2008)

I'm a single 41-year-old male thinking about spending the second half of my working years as an EMT. I've done some research and I think my personality fits, and I can handle the daily routine as well as the chaos. I'm naturally drawn to things that combine art and science (Mom was a nurse and Dad was an engineer).

I'm concerned about the physical aspect. I walk 2-4 miles per day with my dogs but that's my only exercise. I've always been functionally strong enough to perform my work but never really made time for cardio or strength training and I've been driving a desk for a few years. If I started as an EMT tomorrow, I have the feeling I would do fine but would be exhausted in a week. So I'm thinking about joining a gym and working with a personal trainer to build up strength and endurance for a few months before starting the EMT course.

Another consideration is that I don't know how to swim. Pretty embarrassing for someone who grew up on Lake Erie. I took a few lessons as a kid but got so much water up my nose that I gave up. I'm willing to try again. How important is being able to swim?

Any other advice for a mid-life career changer would be welcome.

CD


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## Outbac1 (Apr 11, 2008)

Go for it. You shouldn't need months of physical work up to start. Joining a gym and getting some advice on good strength and cardio training so you don't hurt yourself is a good idea. I wouldn't worry too much about swimming unless you want to be a lifeguard. I'm sure there are many schools where it is not a requirement. 

  My only suggestion is to give some serious thought to persuing it all the way to being a EMT-Paramedic. You will have many more skills and much more knowledge. This will allow you to do a lot more for your patients than if you stay an EMT-Basic. I believe the job and pay prospects are better as well. 

  Best of luck and welcome aboard.


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## cdillon (Apr 12, 2008)

Thanks Outbac1. I am interested in getting as much training and education as possible and working up to paramedic.


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## firecoins (Apr 12, 2008)

you'll be fine.  Lots of people in EMS are just plain fat.


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## crash_cart (Apr 12, 2008)

Give it a shot and things will work out fine.  Wanting to be an EMT made me rethink my own dietary and exercise habits.


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## LucidResq (Apr 12, 2008)

I wouldn't be concerned about fitness or swimming. 

Fitness is indeed important in EMS... there's quite a bit of heavy lifting that requires strength, and the need for cardiovascular endurance to keep up strenuous exercise for extended periods of time.  Plus a person will be better prepared to cope with the stress, both emotional and physical, that a career in EMS will cause if they are in good shape. However, from what I've seen, a person of average physical capability can usually adapt fairly well. You can do the job without training at home, but you'll feel better and work better if you workout. 

This does not hold true for most fire dept. based EMS. Many paramedics are employed by fire depts and do much more medical work than fire, but to gain employment they usually must pass the same rigorous, difficult physical agility test that every other firefighter faces. 

 To really feel comfortable and capable in EMS, however, I would strongly recommend developing a weight training and cardio routine. Maybe you can even make a group with fellow EMT students and train together. 

As for the swimming, don't worry. EMTs are actually taught to never jump in the water to get to a patient unless they have been thoroughly trained in water rescue and have the proper equipment. In my area, the only agencies that train for technical water rescue are fire depts and search & rescue teams. Even then, these agencies usually have special water rescue teams with voluntary enrollment. 

The three steps of basic water rescue that many untrained EMTs are allowed to employ are 
Throw: From the shore, throw them something that floats
Tow: attempt to pull them in with rope (works well if you have something that floats and has a rope) 
Row: boat or raft out (absolute last resort if you can't swim)


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## Medic51 (Apr 13, 2008)

I personally think being an EMT is more Mental strength than physical. Just my opinion.


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## firecoins (Apr 13, 2008)

I mentally lifted a bariatric patient....with the force.:wacko:


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## certguy (Apr 13, 2008)

To work the field , you should develop yourself both mentally and physically . Mental and physical preparation go hand in hand . There are a lot of stresses you'll encounter and they'll take thier toll in both areas . 

Martial atrs training can help in both areas , it did for me . Be careful not to bring work home with you , and spend as much time with your family as possible . ( family time can suffer when you're working long hours , especially if you have munchkins in the house who don't understand why daddy wants to sleep instead of play with them after pulling a near sleepless 48 hr. shift . ) 

Have other coping mechanisms also such as hobbies , religion , and talking out rough calls with your partner . Sooner or later , you'll have a call that gets to you . We're not superheroes , we're just as human as our pts. Anyone who says the job never bothers them is either lying , fooling themselves , or just hasn't encountered the call that gets to them yet . Don't try to John Wayne your way through it , trust me , it doesn't work . Don't be afraid to get help if you feel you need it . 

I hope this helps . These are just some things that helped me .


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## rmellish (Apr 13, 2008)

cdillon said:


> I walk 2-4 miles per day with my dogs but that's my only exercise.



Well, thats more than many of the folks I work with. I'm glad you're thinking in terms of fitness though, ultimately fitness, mental and physical is a component of occupational safety in our field.


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## cdillon (Apr 13, 2008)

firecoins said:


> you'll be fine.  Lots of people in EMS are just plain fat.



It's always surprising to see a LEO with a big ol' gut or a bunch of nurses standing outside a hospital smoking!



crash_cart said:


> Give it a shot and things will work out fine.  Wanting to be an EMT made me rethink my own dietary and exercise habits.



Thanks for the encouragement.


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## cdillon (Apr 13, 2008)

LucidResq,

Thanks for the recommendation. One of my dogs is 90# and I can lift him into the tub and the truck with his legs flailing (combative patient!?!) so I'm not concerned about the strength as much as the endurance. I often wonder if I could carry my 90# dog a 1/4 mile back home if necessary. (Product idea: collapsible one-man stretcher with a tire on one end like a wheelbarrow that can fit in a backpack!) 

As an EMT, I'm wondering if I could carry a bunch of gear up 4 flights of stairs or carry a gurney with a partner down those stairs again and again.

And I'm glad you mentioned the stress relief aspect.

I actually thought about the fire dept back in my 20's but I came to the conclusion that I didn't have the muscle structure or endurance and it would take a year or more of intense training just to pass the agility test and I just didn't want it that bad.

So I think I will start a strength and cardio routine at the same time as the EMT-B training.

Thanks for explaining the water aspect. I was thinking worst-case scenario: if I saw someone drowning and I couldn't help them (I hate feeling helpless) but the techniques you described make much more sense in terms of keeping everyone safe.


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## cdillon (Apr 13, 2008)

Thanks Medic51, certguy and rmellish for mentioning the mental strength and stress aspects. After 10 years as a courier dispatcher and 5 years in technical support including after-hours on-call, I believe I have good stress management techniques in place, not the least of which is 2 goofy dogs!

I will look into martial arts, that's a good idea.

Talking things out does not come naturally as I'm a better listener than talker so I think I will need to work on that. There is a method called CISD for help dealing with the major incidents, correct?


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## rmellish (Apr 13, 2008)

Yep. Critical Incident Stress Debriefings are usually arranged by your service.


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## BossyCow (Apr 13, 2008)

firecoins said:


> I mentally lifted a bariatric patient....with the force.:wacko:



The force.. is that made by Stryker?


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## Ridryder911 (Apr 13, 2008)

cdillon said:


> . There is a method called CISD for help dealing with the major incidents, correct?



Please, please avoid such mythical sessions. If one needs CISD then get professional help. CISD has been proven to be harmful to EMS personnel but for some reason we still want to promote such harmful practices. 

This is why ARC, military, and those involved with stressful and tragedies no longer endorse or uses such techniques. 

R/r 911


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## ffemt8978 (Apr 14, 2008)

Ridryder911 said:


> Please, please avoid such mythical sessions. If one needs CISD then get professional help. CISD has been proven to be harmful to EMS personnel but for some reason we still want to promote such harmful practices.
> 
> This is why ARC, military, and those involved with stressful and tragedies no longer endorse or uses such techniques.
> 
> R/r 911



I was wondering how long it'd take you to chime in on that one.


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## certguy (Apr 14, 2008)

Okay guys , 
    You got me curious . If they're no longer endorsing CISD , what are they recommending in it's place ? How does this affect personnel in large , nasty incidents ?


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## Medic51 (Apr 14, 2008)

I just think they offer it cause it may be some kind of a requirement by someone of a law or something. Like everyone said, It isn't always the best option around though.


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## cdillon (Apr 14, 2008)

Ridryder911 said:


> Please, please avoid such mythical sessions. If one needs CISD then get professional help.



Thanks for the advice.


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## Eydawn (Apr 14, 2008)

Without hijacking this thread too much...

CISD was made by psychologists to be *run* by psychologists in order to respond to stressful events that public safety workers go through. Unfortunately, many companies decided "Hey, that was easy, my senior chief could run that.." and "Ok, this is supposed to help you folks not burn out and deal with things. So all of you are going."

Both approaches were *disastrous* and ended up causing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) in people who were forced to go... or who weren't given the appropriate resource in lieu of or along with CISD. 

Some find CISD sessions to be beneficial... it allows a place to vent... somewhere to discuss what happened with those who were there. If you are a "talker" and like to talk about things to process them, this might be good for you. I would strongly caution that you make sure that in addition to senior personnel from your department that you also have a licensed mental health care professional overseeing the session. 

If you're not a talker, and you need time to process things, go up to your employer and as for a reference to a psychologist. Put the business card in your pocket, and when you're ready (if ever) to speak to someone professional about it, go for it. 

Not all psychologists are pill pushers, by the way. I know many of us fear being medicated if we come forward. As a matter of fact, a good psychologist shies away from medication, saving them for serious cases or a last resort. A good psychologist should *never* tell you what to do... they should only be there to help YOU think through things and decide what course of action is best for YOU. 

Hope this helps with the whole CISD aspect. Welcome to the EMS field! We're glad to have you here! 

Wendy
CO EMT-B


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## cdillon (Apr 14, 2008)

Thanks Wendy for the explanation. I am not a verbal processor which actually helped in my previous professions because they required a great deal of talking to extract information and provide solutions in a time-sensitive environment so I had to be quick and concise.

Like I said before, I have good "home grown" stress management techniques in place so I think I will adapt well; though I've never seen a compound fracture or gray matter, so we'll see...

Thanks to all. I have learned a lot from this thread so far.


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## firecoins (Apr 14, 2008)

BossyCow said:


> The force.. is that made by Stryker?



I think its a Ferno. The designer was a short guy from Aldoron.


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## OminousFinding (Apr 18, 2008)

I'm just starting an EMS career as a volunteer myself.

I read that you are 41...You make yourself sound old like you're thinking you might be past your prime for this career. I'm sure flexible bones and a bit more muscle mass could be useful at certain points, but think of it this way--only 2 years ago you were still in your 30's. You sound like you are active (i.e. not just a blob on a couch), so you'll be fine, yes, even at 41 years young.

FYI--went to my assigned station last night (just graduated from EMT class) and met the folks I'll be volunteering with. 3 of them are over 40!

When you go to EMT class, you'll get a sense for how much agility and strength you'll need. Make it a point to practice dragging, boarding, moving patients (your classmates) who are of good size and weight.

Back injuries and heart trouble sound like the EMS achilles heel. Go do some cardio and back strengthening exercises, it will do you wonders!


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## BossyCow (Apr 18, 2008)

cdillon said:


> Thanks Wendy for the explanation. I am not a verbal processor which actually helped in my previous professions because they required a great deal of talking to extract information and provide solutions in a time-sensitive environment so I had to be quick and concise.
> 
> Like I said before, I have good "home grown" stress management techniques in place so I think I will adapt well; though I've never seen a compound fracture or gray matter, so we'll see...
> 
> Thanks to all. I have learned a lot from this thread so far.



I think its important to acknowledge going in that at some point, something is going to sneak under your radar and getcha. The key is knowing how to recognize that you've been got and have tools and systems in place for when (not if) that happens. Everyone thinks its going to be the blood and guts that gets them.  Not always so. And it might just be one aspect of an injury that gets to you. I have a co-worker who can't handle mucous. The sound of a pt making that horky, gonna puke up a lung noise makes her nauseaous. Another medic I know with over 20 years in the field can't be anywhere around a rectal bleed without losing his last meal. There may just be a certain trigger that gets to you. 

Or it might just be that the kid whose eyes look just like your little brother's or the woman whose name is the same as your mom, sister or favorite aunt. As long as you remain a feeling human being, you will have a call get to you.


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## Jon (Apr 18, 2008)

Hi cdillon.

walking 2-4 miles a day is more exercise than many EMT's I know get. And we wonder why we need big uniforms.

Don't worry too much about swimming... I can swim enough to keep myself alive, but I don't work as a lifeguard, and try to stay dry. My cell phone doesn't like getting wet.

good luck!


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## cdillon (Apr 18, 2008)

Thanks BossyCow for that insight. I can imagine what my current sensitivities might be but I won't know for sure until I get out there. In terms of the emotional calls like you mentioned, would it be safe to say that you "disconnect" just long enough to do your job?


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## cdillon (Apr 18, 2008)

Thanks for the encouragement OminousFinding. I don't consider myself old by any stretch and I feel like I'm just hitting my prime. I've got at least 20 years of work ahead of me!

I asked about the physical aspect (a) to get a feel for what real-life EMT's consider an acceptable level of fitness, and (b) because I've been driving a desk for a few years so I've lost some functional strength.

So I'm taking the advice from you and others to start a strength and cardio routine. That's a good idea to practice with my classmates.

Good luck to you as you start your EMT career!


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## cdillon (Apr 18, 2008)

Jon said:


> walking 2-4 miles a day is more exercise than many EMT's I know get...
> 
> Don't worry too much about swimming...
> 
> good luck!



Thanks Jon. I'm glad people on this forum are willing to share the real-world aspects of EMS. The more I read, the more I think I'll do well.


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## John E (Apr 20, 2008)

*Do it...*

I'm 47 and I was the oldest student in my class. Now working as much as I want to as an event/stand by and film set medic. Not as glamorous as 911 stuff but the pay is WAY better and it beats sitting at a desk.

Good luck.

John E.


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