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carmean4

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I am a new EMT in Los Angeles.
I start my first day on friday for Impulse ambulance company doing IFT's

I am trying to gain experience as an EMT so I can get a job as an ER tech.
I currently work part time at a hospital as a Transporter. I transport patients too and from the ER to CAT SCAN or up to there rooms. I am very friendly with the staff and I have shared with them my interest of being a tech. The only problem is, these Tech positions are far and few between. But I know as long as I keep a smile on my face and my spirits high they will hire me.

In the mean time I need more hours since I only work 24-32hrs a week at the hospital. So I am taking on an IFT job to gain experience and a little extra cash in my pocket.

Any idea on what kind of boots are good for EMS? I am used to scrubs and Nikes as a uniform…
 
Search the other threads, but 5.11 tactical boots are popular. Best bet is to go to a store and try different ones on to see what you wouldn't mind spending hours on your feet in.
 
All the ER tech jobs around here are pretty much room cleaners, patient transporters and gofers. Don't really need a whole lot of EMT experience for that. A couple hospitals(like where I work), use Paramedics in the ER, here we do the majority of the IV starts, Blood Draws, EKGs, ICU Transports, we accept alot of the incoming EMS patients, do alot of the triage, and if you get in good with the docs they let you do a bunch of other stuff. On top of that we also clean rooms, transport patients, and play gofer.

As far as boots I like the Swat boots, really light and comfortable, but they wear out fast.
 
carmean4 said:
Any idea on what kind of boots are good for EMS? I am used to scrubs and Nikes as a uniform…
Click to expand...

Completely caught me off guard after reading the final sentence. Thought this thread was going else where.

Most hospitals in my area require CNA, RA-C, or MA-C so you could always look into doing another course in one of those. On top of that, many will want you to have 1-2 years experience in urgent care or emergency care.

Phlebotomy cert couldn't hurt either. Mention experience with all the systems you've used I.E. electronic records, EKG, etc.
 
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Drax said:
Completely caught me off guard after reading the final sentence. Thought this thread was going else where.

Most hospitals in my area require CNA, RA-C, or MA-C so you could always look into doing another course in one of those. On top of that, many will want you to have 1-2 years experience in urgent care or emergency care.

Phlebotomy cert couldn't hurt either. Mention experience with all the systems you've used I.E. electronic records, EKG, etc.
Click to expand...

I have experience with EKG and going on two years for just transport for ER SO Most of the RNs are familiar with me as well as the supp. I don't have phlubotomy but, techs aren't alloud to start lines where I work anyway... I'm just waiting for an opening. The ER techs start out at $20 an hour and I only make $11.27 as an emt and the hospital pays $17.93 an hour as a transporter... I thought the EMT pay was a joke...
 
Most ERs could care less if you have EMT road experience, so working the road in order to get an ER job seems like a waste of time. I do know of a couple level one trauma centers that require road experience as a Paramedic, but the hospital I work at requires 2 years acute care experience, and doesn't even consider EMT Basic experience as acute care.

Where I work now if you tell a Nurse you worked the road as an EMT Basic they'll probably laugh at you. Its not really considered a "real" job in health care.
 
I know this wasn't your question, but I spent quite a bit of time at Impulse and thought I'd share. It's a fine place to start in LA County. They are not nearly as shady as some companies in LA, but it's not somewhere you want to stay for any period of time. They've got some insane turn over rates, with more tha half the employees gone in 3-4 months.
If you've got a EMT cert and a valid drivers license they'll hire you, and I know what it's like looking for a decent job in LA. always be looking for something better, be it in the ER or on a 911 truck...
Pay is 9.75/hr, shifts are mostly 12's and a couple 10's. They run all ford vans, with a couple trucks that shouldn't be on the road, much less ambulances (but that's par for LA).
Units post all day, with 4-6 calls on average. Mostly hospital to SNF discharges, with lots of psych calls often picking up directly from PD and the psych evaluator at schools, residences, etc.
Management is great for the most part but for the very top, and supervisors are all good people. Any other questions about the place just let me know...
 
carmean4 said:
I don't have phlubotomy but, techs aren't alloud to start lines where I work anyway... ..
Click to expand...

Phlebotomy refers to drawing blood not staring IVs. It will likely be once of your responsibilities as an ER Tech.
 
Cna?

I only work 24hrs a week in the ER as a transporter... So I have to pick up more hours where I can... Since I completely support myself. Would you recommend getting a job as a CNA for experience, although the whole world has told me not to be a CNA, I'm very willing to get my hands dirty though. And where I work we have phlebotomist that specifically draw... Only nurses or the phlebotomists draw, not the ER techs...
I'll just keep informing the supp of the ER that I want want a job... Only thing I can really do...
 
Hospitals definitely do recognize field experience. Some hospitals also prefer the Tech to have the phlebotomy cert so they can draw as well as knock out the EKG in one swoop. Yes there is alot of cleaning and such, that's how it is in the ER. bound to get lucky if you keep looking. I always see openings when i look. As for boots, I liked Haix when i worked on the rig.
 
carmean4 said:
I only make $11.27 as an emt and the hospital pays $17.93 an hour as a transporter... I thought the EMT pay was a joke...
Click to expand...

holy sheet! EMS pay is a joke by comparison (which makes no sense to me) - my first job as an EMT i was around 9/hr, and I honestly thought most transporters were volunteers. Are wages all that high out there?
 
jrm818 said:
holy sheet! EMS pay is a joke by comparison (which makes no sense to me) - my first job as an EMT i was around 9/hr, and I honestly thought most transporters were volunteers. Are wages all that high out there?
Click to expand...

Really dependant on your area. I started out as an intermediate making 7.50 an hour. I now make 6 figures as a non fire based medic. If you are willing to move and look around there are good paying jobs. They may not be easy to get... but they are out there.
 
An EMT-Basic making $20 an hour as an ER tech seems pretty insane. Isn't that just low of what a starting Paramedics usually make in the ER, or even on a truck?
 
I can confirm $20 for an er tech pay. I just got hired as an er tech at a hospital in SD county and that is what I'm starting off at. Not including shift differentials which range from 1.00-2.50 per hour. I have only an emt-b and minimal experience. I'll be working the 7am to 7pm shift.
 
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