Following my dream

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Bamalamb

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Greetings from Idaho! I am currently a 27 yr old stay at home mom looking to enter the work force here in the near future. I don't know if this happens to everyone but since I was a child every time I see an ambulance or am in the E.R I get this overwhelming feeling that that's the line of work I need to be in. It literally makes my body tingle with excitement. I am so incredibly fascinated with emergency medical services. As I said before it stems back to my childhood years, starting with the show 911 with the great William Shatner and amplifing when my infant sister died when i was 6 and seeing how compassionate the ems was and the way they comforted my mom. Then again when i was 9 my other sister clinically died twice and EMS brought her back both times and saved her life.They never knew it but they were my heroes, and that's what I've wanted to do pretty much ever since. Now whenever I get a chance to watch tv its directly to the discovery fit and health channel for some real life Trauma shows to indulge my desire and fascination. I have thought in depth about what I would choose if given the opportunity to go to school. I came to a conclusion that I don't want to work in a hospital if I go for anything it would be an EMT and with any luck later on a paramedic. I do have some questions and was hoping someone (s) with experience could tell me their opinions and share their knowledge with someone very eager to pursue the future. My questions are....I know EMS personnel have families but how much family time do you actually sacrifice? I know it would be long hours but do you and your family ever get used to it or regret the career from missing out? What happens once you get older and you wanna slow down a bit, are there job opportunities within the field for people like that? Are there any ways to know if this is the right cut field for you, I don't pass out from the sight of blood, and don't shy away from the more intense scenarios on the real life trauma shows, and have handled the small number of accidents one encounters having small kids well enough I believe. Yet still I am a softer heart for children and people who need daily assistance. Could that make it a deal breaker as soon as a call would come through for an abused child or a child in more pain than I could ever fathom? Does that stuff haunt you or are there resources to help you kope? Are you much more at risk to contracting diseases from sick patients and how dangerous is the job, I guess in other words, do you have to go on scene before police clear it? Any other advice you think would help me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time and I apologize for the "book" :)
 
This is kind of the same reason why I wanted to get into this profession, I have never got to ride in an ambulance as a Patient, Knock on wood. But my passion is to help people and make sure they live long happy life. But every time I hear the scanner and the sirens. I said to myself I wish I was on that rig! So I did take the EMT-B. class and I passed the class and the National Registry. And now I am looking for a job and hopefully I will work on an Ambulance. Right now I am doing ride alongs with a volunteer agency. Just to get a more feel for the job. But they don't have any openings right now. Be aware it may take you awhile to get a job as an inexperienced EMT-B. Try to volunteer at a small agency and try to volunteer at festivals or other places that need EMTs. Thats what some of my EMT friends have told me. Good luck to you in your career searches.
 
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Not to be a downer, but the thrill of lights and sirens wears off quickly. You wind up not saving lives as much as shuffling people to doctors appointments or picking up Medicare patients who just want a ride to the hospital. There's a reason we call it the horizontal taxi service. And sick kids? If you're a mom, you'll do fine. Most of the sick kids are just snotty or maybe have had a febrile seizure. Abused kids aren't super common, but when you see one, you report it. (Everyone will be as pissed about it as you are.)

Working as an EMT is not a career. I call EMTs the McDonalds workers of health care. Minimal training, low pay and a dime a dozen, so easily replaceable.

EMS can be rewarding and depending on where you work, even lucrative... But go into it well aware that there is very little life saving going on.
 
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Thanks for the advice. Do you need any certification for volunteering? How long is the course for the emt-b?
 
yes that is kind of a bummer but I'm wanting all the info, good, bad and the ugly. From the little bit of research I've done it seems like you can start as an emt then just do some more advanced courses to become a paramedic, and that sounded like decent money or am I wrong? Also is it possible to just go for a medic right off the bat or do you have to start as an emt? Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I know there is an element of excitement, but I did figure that would wear off like most things. every day is different? One more question, can any of the certifications and training transfer to another "cousin" field?
 
That is one of the reasons why, I have decided not to step up to the paramedic level, in this field. I have decided to pursue a career in surgical technology. That may be a little stressfull at times too. When you deal with a surgeon that's a real A@@$@$hole! That happens in that career as well. The doctor's sometimes don't care about you they care about the money not the bedside manner. I have seen it in my hospital. One of my friends was a ST and the surgeon made her cry and said to her that she should go back to flipping burgers. Because she was not doing what he had told ter to do during that case she was working on. "This is my opinion in the medical field". Some workers are in it for the money not the patients. I am not that kind of person who thinks that way when it comes to patient care. It may sound crazy, but the patient comes first. And then our wallets!
 
EMT-B is a 6 month course. To work as an EMT-B either volunteer or paid positions you have to pass the state exam and the national registry exam to be a registered EMT-B. For the state exam you take a written exam and you have to do 6 practical skill stations. Trauma, Medical, O2 tank setup OPA, NPA. CPR with AED and with BVM. two rescuer CPR. and then you draw for other skills. like bleeding control and KED board placement and then C-spine precautions. Volunteer agencies do require that you are certified because you some what get paid. depending on the agency or city you work for. The agency I do run for they get paid per page. and today I did a 9-6 shift today. Not one page. and we had bad snowy weather in Minnesota too. the calls vary depending on the town that you work for.
 
That is very well true, Burnout is really high in this field. And my friends will tell me, It gets old fairly quick.You deal with the Frequent flyers and the people who play the system try and get medications that they want, when there is nothing wrong with them. I have seen it and I have heard it. I can tell when a PT says well my pain is at a 10 and they are as calm as a church mouse and they are not screaming in pain or crying out in pain. I can see a faker from a mile away. But you cannot tell them that because you can end up in a legal issue for that. In my opinion, this is why healthcare is so high and why we have to have OBAMA care now.
 
That would be so stressful to deal with. It's crazy how would you know when to administer pain meds, I feel like it would be difficult to descern between someone with severe pain or a skilled acting drug addict. I guess it would all come with hours put in and training. I know from experience with the healthcare professionals that there are a good number of them unit for the money and they don't hide it. My kids have had a handful of medical needs and I've been three so many "crappy" doctors. It's pretty rare to find someone you can trust. Funny enough the one person who finally found out what was wrong with my son happened to be a speech therapist, and I know she didn't make a lot. But she cared the most and in the end hounded the doc till she put in a referral to a surgeon. Coulda skipped a year of hardships but that's how it goes. Well that's great that its not too much of a commitment, 6 mo is not too terrible. Man after hearing all if this I may need to be looking for some alternatives. It's disappointing a little bit, but I won't give up, I'll just continue my research and maybe find a career counselor or someone like that to talk to.
 
Bamalamb said:
That would be so stressful to deal with. It's crazy how would you know when to administer pain meds, I feel like it would be difficult to descern between someone with severe pain or a skilled acting drug addict. I guess it would all come with hours put in and training. I know from experience with the healthcare professionals that there are a good number of them unit for the money and they don't hide it. My kids have had a handful of medical needs and I've been three so many "crappy" doctors. It's pretty rare to find someone you can trust. Funny enough the one person who finally found out what was wrong with my son happened to be a speech therapist, and I know she didn't make a lot. But she cared the most and in the end hounded the doc till she put in a referral to a surgeon. Coulda skipped a year of hardships but that's how it goes. Well that's great that its not too much of a commitment, 6 mo is not too terrible. Man after hearing all if this I may need to be looking for some alternatives. It's disappointing a little bit, but I won't give up, I'll just continue my research and maybe find a career counselor or someone like that to talk to.
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You don't have to worry about pain meds at the EMT-B level, with the exception of a few states here and their. A lot of places are starting to get to where they just give them the meds as long as their is no blatant or obvious reason not to.
 
EMS can be a good gig, but you have to go into it with the right mindset and without misconceptions.

EMS is not a bunch of heroes screeching through town to save some poor soul from certain death.

We're not heroes; we're just like anybody else. I'm not being modest, I'm being truthful.

Sirens are not an adrenaline rush. They're annoying and extremely dangerous, to both you and to other drivers on the road.

I've been a paramedic for 5 years working 911 in a very large, busy city. I can count on one hand the number of lives I've saved, that would have likely died had EMS not been on scene. I have become quite accustomed to prolonging death just long enough to get somebody to the hospital, only to have them not walk out.

You will likely not be financially comfortable, especially without working considerable overtime. It will be even more difficult as an EMT. As a paramedic, there are jobs that pay well, though you may have to move to find them. Do not expect to live lavishly unless you marry into money.

A recent hot-topic lately has been the high number of EMTs and Paramedics suffering from mental illnesses. Many members of EMS suffer (often undiagnosed) from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It seems there have been a rash of suicides lately as well, though I wonder if the frequency is unchanged and they're just being reported more readily. Alcoholism is not uncommon, nor are a number of other unhealthy coping mechanisms. The cliché is that people call us on the worst days of their lives. While not always true, it does point out that we are typically not called out to celebrate somebody's anniversary. You will see things that will dishearten you, change how you look at people, warp your sense of humor, and make you generally cold-hearted and callous. Stress accumulation is expected; it is imperative that you find a healthy means of managing it. I'm not going to touch the seeker comment above, but that shouldn't even register on your stress scale, especially as a Basic that doesn't even have pain medication available.

Another reason people don't typically stay long in EMS is injuries- specifically back injuries. After several years of picking up grandpa, or removing the morbidly obese lady from the bathroom, or transferring people from the stretcher to the hospital bed, your back will not be happy with you. Proper lifting mechanics are highly encouraged, but not always possible. Staying fit is important to stave off back injuries, but the majority overlook fitness as they pull into McDonalds to scarf down a quick lunch in between calls- which brings up the next point. Back injuries aren't the only thing you will experience that's detrimental to your physical health. A very large number in EMS have very poor diets while on shift. If you're in a system that posts on street corners, it takes a conscious effort to pack a healthy meal instead of throwing down fast food at every post. I challenge you to keep count of the number of obese EMS providers you see on the ambulances (hint: good luck not losing count). Sleep is another issue not to be overlooked. If you work 24hr shifts, good luck having any kind of normal sleep schedule. I am constantly battling my circadian rhythm, and my body hates me for it.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not some burnt out medic that only sees the negative. For the most part, I still very much enjoy what I do.* EMS can be very rewarding. I don't go to work hoping to save anyone's life; I do go into work hoping to make somebody's bad day a little better. That alone can be very rewarding. If I can ease somebody's pain, make them feel a little less sick, or even merely comfort their fears, I'll leave that run feeling good. If you're like me and medicine is your forte, the challenging medical runs can be quite exciting (prehospital trauma becomes fairly repetitive and boring). I also love not being constrained by an office, and not having a supervisor be able to breathe down my neck. There's also the benefit of not knowing what's going to be coming next, which really helps fight off some of the monotony. I'm also fairly stress-free thanks to running and my previously existent apathy.

To summarize, EMS can be a great job. Don't go in expecting to save lives or make a lot of money. Go in hoping to make someones day a little better than before you got there. Be safe when driving with lights and sirens; the extra minute you save is not worth the your life, or the life of your partners or a bystander's. Find a healthy means of alleviating stress, and don't be afraid to talk to somebody if your stress begins to build. Make a concerted effort to keep yourself physically healthy. If you're not sure if the job is for you, find a nearby volunteer or ambulance service and ask to do some ride-outs to shadow. You can see if the type of work is something you'd enjoy. I hadn't intended to belabor, so I apologize for the lengthy read. Hopefully it gave you some bit of insight. Best of luck to you.



*Ambition and coworkers are preventing me from saying I absolutely love what I do.
 
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Yes, EMT-B level is the process of starting IV starts, depending on protocols, just like med administration.
 
GoldcrossEMTbasic said:
Yes, EMT-B level is the process of starting IV starts, depending on protocols, just like med administration.
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The EMT base certification doesn't allow IV starts or most medication administration in the majority of places. There are exceptions to this of course, but most of them at least require add on certifications, IE EMT-IV certification in Colorado. For the most part, if you want to start IV lines and utilize meds beyond the bare basics, go to paramedic school.
 
GoldcrossEMTbasic said:
Yes, EMT-B level is the process of starting IV starts, depending on protocols, just like med administration.
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You should really start quoting posts, or portions of posts, that you are responding to. Most of your responses seem to come out of the blue and make little sense.
 
That's just what I was looking for. To hear from real people in the field that could tell it like it is. I hadn't thought about a number of the topics you touched on but when I think about it, it does make sense. I'm not sure anyone else could've worded it better. It seems like it would definitely put a strain in a family dynamic. It would be a ton of work just to try and juggle your sleep cycles, some intense gym time, being on call, keeping your mental health up to par let alone trying to upkeep your personal life. I would guess this line of work is not for me. I really do wish I would've gone into EMS when I was younger before I had a family. I feel like I will forever have that small void there, it sounds crazy but it has always just called to me, I feel myself almost wanting to just the ambulances ( of course i wouldn't) and not in a looky loo or adrenaline rush way, I just felt like it calls to me. But I have small kiddos at home who strongly rely on me, I can't go chasing dreams that could potentially have a negative effect on them. Im not sure im strong enough to keep it all together the job plus family.Sorry for writing all this I think it's helping me by saying it "out loud". Well as always I have mad respect for medics,firefighters and police probably more now thinking about what they go threw. I know you don't think of yourselves as heroes but to me you are, y'all are who we call on our most desperate times, in the couple emergencies we've been in it has been so comforting having EMS there, even when the outcome is the worst. So thank you for everything you do for your community. I'll always be the gal on side wishing the ambulances well as they drive past. Who knows maybe when I'm 40 And my kids are grown I could look into it again. Thank you for the words of advice, I really appreciate it, take care!
 
STXmedic said:
You should really start quoting posts, or portions of posts, that you are responding to. Most of your responses seem to come out of the blue and make little sense.
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I'm new to this website as well as blogging, this will probably be my last post anyways but thanks for the tip :)
 
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