CCT, RT, ALS, AMI, Hospital, or IFT?

Tigerlily

Tigerlily

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Hi all~

I just got offered a job at a private company and I'm not sure which shift to take. This is my first EMT job, so I'm still a little unclear about the pros and cons of each. 911 is not an option, so I'm looking for the next best thing.

Should I request to be on a CCT unit, an RT unit, an ALS unit, a unit that does AMIs, a hospital based unit, or a BLS general transport unit? Also what about the night shift vs. the day shift?

Thank you! :)
 
If you just got started you will not get a choice on the unit you are on. Most likely you will be assigned to a BLS unit that does transfers. Your schedule will probably also be where they have a need more then anything.
 
Tigerlily said:
Hi all~

I just got offered a job at a private company and I'm not sure which shift to take. This is my first EMT job, so I'm still a little unclear about the pros and cons of each. 911 is not an option, so I'm looking for the next best thing.

Should I request to be on a CCT unit, an RT unit, an ALS unit, a unit that does AMIs, a hospital based unit, or a BLS general transport unit? Also what about the night shift vs. the day shift?

Thank you! :)
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If you are doing IFT's, a CCT rig is considered the most advanced because they have nurses on board. My friend works for an IFT company and says the CCT's are the best. You have more of a chance of driving code 3 because the patients are in critical condition. He says the hospital based ones is a bunch of busy work like moving patients from room to room and is physically demanding. A BLS rig would transport any basic patients that would not need a paramedic or nurse on board.
 
Thank you for the quick response!

After the interview, they gave me list of open shifts and told me to "pick my top 10" but you're right, it is very likely that no matter what shift I choose the company will put me where they need me (especially as a new hire with no prior experience).

I'm still curious about the pros and cons of working the other types of non-911 units though, So if you or anybody else have any opinions/advice on the subject, it would be much appreciated.
 
slewy said:
If you are doing IFT's, a CCT rig is considered the most advanced because they have nurses on board. My friend works for an IFT company and says the CCT's are the best. You have more of a chance of driving code 3 because the patients are in critical condition. He says the hospital based ones is a bunch of busy work like moving patients from room to room and is physically demanding. A BLS rig would transport any basic patients that would not need a paramedic or nurse on board.
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Thanks Slewy! That was very helpful :)
 
slewy said:
if you are doing ift's, a cct rig is considered the most advanced because they have nurses on board. My friend works for an ift company and says the cct's are the best. You have more of a chance of driving code 3 because the patients are in critical condition.
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ImageUploadedByTapatalk1358407818.320160.jpg
 
All depends on what you want and what you like. Do you like working at night or during the day?

Night shifts are generally slower than the day shifts.

As for the work:

BLS is usually easy. Doctor appointments, Transporting patients who can't walk, etc.

ALS can be a lot of different things. If your an EMT you will more then likely be the driver with not much else to do.

CCT all depends on how the company is ran on what you can do (you may be in back if the ambulance or you may be a driver). Same for RT.

As for a unit that only does AMIs I have no clue about that.
 
I'll wager that hospital based will be a smaller area of operations with repeat IFT business.
 
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It really depends on what you want. But as someone said earlier, they'll put you where they need you. I would suggest you try to get onto a CCT or paramedic unit asap for the experience if you can. You could also do AMI, but those typically are not dedicated only to AMI's... you'll be running mostly BLS calls. BLS units get old very quickly for most people. As someone also said earlier, night shift is usually slower than the day shift... but IFT companies also staff fewer units at night because of this, so you could still be very busy and possibly even moreso than during the day shifts. Good luck to you with your new job, get the experience you want/need and move onto greener pastures. You don't want to get too comfortable because IFT companies offer you very little in regards to emergency experience. If you're planning on becoming a paramedic, RN, PA, doctor, etc. you'll want to be running 9-1-1 calls.
 
Lily,

You may want to add where you are located before taking the advice of others who may not have a clue on the configurations or working conditions of your location. That being said, the CCT unit will give you a broader exposure to those that are truly ill or severely injured. Do NOT take that position on the hope you get to drive code 3. A critical care unit by nature and definition is capable of sustaining a patient to the level of care needed for transport. When I ran a CCT, I rarely ever had the driver flip the lights and sirens on. There wasn't a need, nor did I want an overstimulated patient that is already hemodynamically or metabolically compromised.

911 is not the cream of the crop, even in the dark ages EMS of Cali. Yes, 911 exposure adds to the resume and experience, but you will learn more about true patient care and more importantly, continuity of care in the IFT environment. Being currently employed by a California Air Medical provider, I can tell you the "get 911 experience" push is not needed nor heavily emphasized at the advanced licensed medical provider level.

Regardless of your choice or assignment, absorb all the learning you can! Get the tools, skills, and attributes that will put you ahead of the saturated market.

Good luck!
 
Flight-LP said:
Lily,

You may want to add where you are located before taking the advice of others who may not have a clue on the configurations or working conditions of your location. That being said, the CCT unit will give you a broader exposure to those that are truly ill or severely injured. Do NOT take that position on the hope you get to drive code 3. A critical care unit by nature and definition is capable of sustaining a patient to the level of care needed for transport. When I ran a CCT, I rarely ever had the driver flip the lights and sirens on. There wasn't a need, nor did I want an overstimulated patient that is already hemodynamically or metabolically compromised.

911 is not the cream of the crop, even in the dark ages EMS of Cali. Yes, 911 exposure adds to the resume and experience, but you will learn more about true patient care and more importantly, continuity of care in the IFT environment. Being currently employed by a California Air Medical provider, I can tell you the "get 911 experience" push is not needed nor heavily emphasized at the advanced licensed medical provider level.

Regardless of your choice or assignment, absorb all the learning you can! Get the tools, skills, and attributes that will put you ahead of the saturated market.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

This advice is so good, it should be the first thing anyone ever hears in EMT class.
 
slewy said:
My friend works for an IFT company and says the CCT's are the best. You have more of a chance of driving code 3 because the patients are in critical condition.
Click to expand...

LOL wut?
 
Rykielz said:
If you're planning on becoming a paramedic, RN, PA, doctor, etc. you'll want to be running 9-1-1 calls.
Click to expand...

LOL wut?
 
JPINFV said:
LOL wut?
Click to expand...

It is your official jobon the forum to debunk misconceptions on what it taks to be a doctor or get into med school.

Try to add in something good like: "you must first undergo a sex change because there are more females in med school now than males world-wide so it will increase your chances."
 
Veneficus said:
It is your official jobon the forum to debunk misconceptions on what it taks to be a doctor or get into med school.

Try to add in something good like: "you must first undergo a sex change because there are more females in med school now than males world-wide so it will increase your chances."
Click to expand...


Transexuals... an under represented minority.
 
Flight-LP said:
Lily,

You may want to add where you are located before taking the advice of others who may not have a clue on the configurations or working conditions of your location. That being said, the CCT unit will give you a broader exposure to those that are truly ill or severely injured. Do NOT take that position on the hope you get to drive code 3. A critical care unit by nature and definition is capable of sustaining a patient to the level of care needed for transport. When I ran a CCT, I rarely ever had the driver flip the lights and sirens on. There wasn't a need, nor did I want an overstimulated patient that is already hemodynamically or metabolically compromised.

911 is not the cream of the crop, even in the dark ages EMS of Cali. Yes, 911 exposure adds to the resume and experience, but you will learn more about true patient care and more importantly, continuity of care in the IFT environment. Being currently employed by a California Air Medical provider, I can tell you the "get 911 experience" push is not needed nor heavily emphasized at the advanced licensed medical provider level.

Regardless of your choice or assignment, absorb all the learning you can! Get the tools, skills, and attributes that will put you ahead of the saturated market.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

If the 911 experience is not needed or emphasized why do a lot of HEMS companies in Cali require 2-5 years in a busy 911 system?
 
What I said was in regards to emergency medicine. You need to be able to handle stress and quickly assess and treat your patients. Can you get situations like that on CCT or BLS? Sure. But those calls are extremely rare.
 
What's so stressful about 911? And are you running priority 1 after priority 1 doing 911 where you work?
 
I run about 8-9 calls in a 12 hour shift. Most nights I get at least one critical call. Whether that be a GSW, stabbing, full arrest, etc. Those calls are stressful because you need to act quickly. I think we can both agree than an IFT medic is not going to be nearly as fine-tuned as a medic who runs 9-1-1 only. There's a huge difference between the two.
 
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