EMT to Flight Crew

[Fly-write]

I'm looking for feedback about EMTs interested in continuing their careers to air medical flight crew positions.

Are many (or any) EMTs interested in doing that? Does it make any sense to design training for EMTs who eventually want to become flight crew?

Any feedback or suggestions appreciated.

Warm Regards,

Fly-write

 

[Handsome Robb]

Flight crews don't employ EMTs to my knowledge except in the military. It is usually 2 CCRNs or CCRN/CC paramedic.

To answer your question though, I am working on getting my paramedic cert, getting the required street time in a high volume system and if all goes to plan, ending up somewhere as a flight medic.

 

[Fly-write]

NVRob,

You're absolutely right. I should have been more specific.

I'm talking about training to do exactly what you described - progress from EMT to paramedic to flight paramedic or nurse.

Good Luck to you. Also, I sent you a message with a resource you might find useful.

Fly-write

 

[medicRob]

I'm looking for feedback about EMTs interested in continuing their careers to air medical flight crew positions.

Are many (or any) EMTs interested in doing that? Does it make any sense to design training for EMTs who eventually want to become flight crew?

Any feedback or suggestions appreciated.

Warm Regards,

Fly-write

Myself or any other member of this forum who works with a flight team can tell you that we see people every day with aspirations to pursue flight. However, very few actually make it that far. Moreover, 90% of them really have the wrong idea about what it is we do. They think the pay is stellar.. wrong. For every flight nurse out there, there are 10 nurses just wishing to have their position, the services can pretty much pay what they want.

As far as us stabilizing the most critical of patients? Not really. The ground team usually does that. After all, what is the point of flying a cardiac arrest that has been down for 20 minutes with no signs of ROSC? Furthermore, by the time we get there, the patient is usually already packaged and ready to go. Our job usually consists more of monitoring them on the ride, more reminiscent of an IFT than a 911 service. That being said, a lot of what we do is transport of critical patients from smaller facilities or even Trauma III's to facilities like Trauma I and II with more resources.

While we can bring an advanced scope to the field, and a few more skills (in some services), the point of flight is mainly to get a patient to definitive care (trauma surgeon) when they are not within a feasible range to a Trauma Center (preferably a Trauma I or II).

Don't get me wrong, we do have our days and some pretty interesting patients (Severe Burns, TBI, Stroke, amputations, etc) but these are not really the majority of our patients. Most of the patients that I fly are patients who were admitted to an ICU and got progressively worse over time, requiring them to be transported to a facility with more resources.

So many EMT's out there think that we are what they see on shows like "Trauma". Wrong. If I did half of the things that rabbit did on that crazy *** show, I'd lose my job, my licenses, and probably face charges.

That being said, good luck in your endeavors.

 

[ArcticKat]

100% in agreement with what Rob said. The only real differences between a flight medic and a ground medic is the mode of transport and thus "in many cases" their egos. After the first few months for a newbie, the "Flight Medic Goditits" finally wears off and the veterans manage to take him off his high horse.

Their training shoud be similar and there should be no reason that a ground medic can't be a flight medic with a simple weekend training course to cover the subtle differences between a ground and air ambulance. The CAMATA training course is an excellent source in Canada, not sure what the States might have. Most paramedic programs up here have an aeromedical component to them as well.

 

[usafmedic45]

Flight crews don't employ EMTs to my knowledge except in the military. It is usually 2 CCRNs or CCRN/CC paramedic.

Some do use them as extra crewmembers if necessary, but it's rare and they are supplemental. Also keep in mind that a military "EMT" and a civilian EMT are two very different animals.

Also keep in mind that being a crewmember on a medical helicopter is the most dangerous job in the US. Stop and think long and hard if you're willing to risk getting killed to not benefit a patient and maybe have a few people think you have a "cool" job.

 

[medicRob]

There should be no reason that a ground medic can't be a flight medic with a simple weekend training course to cover the subtle differences between a ground and air ambulance.

While I thank you for agreeing with me, I am going to have to 100% disagree with this. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration.

Flight Physiology, Stressors of Flight, HELICOPTER SAFETY, also as a crew member, you WILL be participating in pre-flight check offs. Moreover, a medic needs to learn things such as normal lab values of a CMP or BMP, CBC, etc and other values that can be obtained on an iStat or another Point of Care device. Moreover, if the medic has no training on vents, they will need that as well. Furthermore, air and surface CCT transport are more in line with ICU type practice (Acute & Critical Care) than the emergent (ER) care that the paramedic is trained to provide.

The flight paramedic needs a pretty good grasp of ICP monitoring for the ICU to ICU transports, as well as other values. The paramedic will also need a knowledge of common critical care medications (Glycoprotein iib/iiia inhibitors, propofol, pent, etc), the management and considerations of these drips, the use of IV Pumps, heparin protocols, pump troubleshooting, vent troubleshooting, calculating trip time doses, advanced skills (chest tube insertion as one). Not to mention, the medic needs to be oriented to the safety protocols and what to do in case of an emergency (such as the disable switches, meeting at x O'clock where the nose lands, how to play an integral part in spotting LZ Hazards such as power lines, IRD, etc).

This is much more than can be taught in weeks.

As a matter of fact, a lot of services require that you obtain FP-C within 1 year of hire, or even before hire.

 

[dixie_flatline]

Also keep in mind that being a crewmember on a medical helicopter is the most dangerous job in the US. Stop and think long and hard if you're willing to risk getting killed to not benefit a patient and maybe have a few people think you have a "cool" job.

Has it really been almost 3 years since Trooper 2 went down? Damn.

 

[ArcticKat]

While I thank you for agreeing with me, I am going to have to 100% disagree with this. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration.

Sorry Rob, this is just one of those geographic differences that are all too common in our profession. Our Ground medics are just as qualified to operate any of the equipment or provide any of the treatments as our flight medics are. The physiology and such is all covered under the CAMATA training program. Boyle's Law, Bernoulli's principle, etc as well as aircraft safety, emergency procedures and other pertinent information is included.

Although flight medics do have a slightly expanded scope of practise over our Ground medics, it's nothing that a few inservices wouldn't cover.

 

[medicRob]

Sorry Rob, this is just one of those geographic differences that are all too common in our profession. Our Ground medics are just as qualified to operate any of the equipment or provide any of the treatments as our flight medics are. The physiology and such is all covered under the CAMATA training program. Boyle's Law, Bernoulli's principle, etc as well as aircraft safety, emergency procedures and other pertinent information is included.

Hmm, I didn't know that.

 

[ArcticKat]

Here is a link to our air ambulance protocols:

http://www.collegeofparamedics.sk.ca/docs/Air_Amb_Protocols_may_2011.pdf

Admittedly, the treatments and procedures are beginning to get to the point of more and more CME than there is time to conduct it and I, for one, am advocating and additional level beyond the current Advanced Care Paramedic level that we currently employ. In fact, we have ACPs working in facilities with expanded scopes of practise as well, which worries me. I'm trying to get our province to consider two branches for the ACP, the Clinical Care Paramedic and the Critical Care Paramedic with the appropriate training in class.

Chuckle, how many medics know how to use an otoscope properly.

 

[medicRob]

Chuckle, how many medics know how to use an otoscope properly.

Every paramedic that graduated the program I was in. It was one of our required skills. Then again, I was part of a really good program taught by a state director of EMS with years experience under him and a masters.