mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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- 48
- 48
(One benefit of lurking is the ability to surface and let loose a salvo once in a while. Especially about things that drove you underground in the first place).
Despite any protestations and self-confident exclamations to the contrary, EMT and paramedics (who ARE in many ways legally equal to EMTs and originally were called "EMT-Paramedics") cannot go around practicing their dark arts on people. Nope, sorry, check your sources.
Besides the fact that probably in most cases those C-collars and oxygen cylinders are "borrowed" (stolen) from a licensed provider, there are three obstacles which are insurmountable: the needs for INSURANCE, PROTOCOLS, and MEDICAL OVERSIGHT/CONTROL.
Probably there is no legal requirement for "freelancing" insurance (since the law doesn't recognize freelancing/freestanding medical technicians) but without it you could lose every stitch and stick if someone sues you. Maybe jail time. Look at murder, manslaughter, assault and battery, maiming, false arrest, kidnapping, drug offenses, possession of illegal hypodermics and other devices. I bet you cannot find an insurer who will sell it to you AS a freelancer, or not without provisions which will let them keep your money and not pay out a nickel if you get sued doing that.
So you can remember and use your company's protocols? Are you absolutely sure? Don't they change once in a while? Are these protocols universal between all companies? Are they perfectly clear? No, because they are literally a MD's orders written generically for his or her company's employees when they come upon this or that set of circumstances. (As in "If you see ABC,. then you can do 123"). Protocols are not like the various measures used to figure out if a doctor's actions are reasonable or not. They may be in accordance with guidelines from EMSA or the Feds or whomever, but they reside between the Director and his employer, the company or service.
And that pesky medical director person is the one who DOES decide if what you are doing is OK and can help defend your treatments when someone thinks they are not reasonable, hence becoming actionable. Warns you when there is trouble. Tells the boss when specialized or new training is required.
So please raise the level of discussions by letting go of this "single combat versus Death" thing. If you want to act like a doctor, become one. Being a tech lets you do many things more than a layperson does without very much more preparation and legal responsibility if you follow the rules, but that is all. Enjoy it, don't screw it up.
Despite any protestations and self-confident exclamations to the contrary, EMT and paramedics (who ARE in many ways legally equal to EMTs and originally were called "EMT-Paramedics") cannot go around practicing their dark arts on people. Nope, sorry, check your sources.
Besides the fact that probably in most cases those C-collars and oxygen cylinders are "borrowed" (stolen) from a licensed provider, there are three obstacles which are insurmountable: the needs for INSURANCE, PROTOCOLS, and MEDICAL OVERSIGHT/CONTROL.
Probably there is no legal requirement for "freelancing" insurance (since the law doesn't recognize freelancing/freestanding medical technicians) but without it you could lose every stitch and stick if someone sues you. Maybe jail time. Look at murder, manslaughter, assault and battery, maiming, false arrest, kidnapping, drug offenses, possession of illegal hypodermics and other devices. I bet you cannot find an insurer who will sell it to you AS a freelancer, or not without provisions which will let them keep your money and not pay out a nickel if you get sued doing that.
So you can remember and use your company's protocols? Are you absolutely sure? Don't they change once in a while? Are these protocols universal between all companies? Are they perfectly clear? No, because they are literally a MD's orders written generically for his or her company's employees when they come upon this or that set of circumstances. (As in "If you see ABC,. then you can do 123"). Protocols are not like the various measures used to figure out if a doctor's actions are reasonable or not. They may be in accordance with guidelines from EMSA or the Feds or whomever, but they reside between the Director and his employer, the company or service.
And that pesky medical director person is the one who DOES decide if what you are doing is OK and can help defend your treatments when someone thinks they are not reasonable, hence becoming actionable. Warns you when there is trouble. Tells the boss when specialized or new training is required.
So please raise the level of discussions by letting go of this "single combat versus Death" thing. If you want to act like a doctor, become one. Being a tech lets you do many things more than a layperson does without very much more preparation and legal responsibility if you follow the rules, but that is all. Enjoy it, don't screw it up.
