Need an opinion/advice.

[AfxEMT]

Hello everyone.
I've been working as an EMT for a private ambulance company for about 6 months now. Everybody who's worked private ambulance knows the deal or what it's all about (dialysis, discharge, ift, some "911" from a snf, 911 assist, taxi, etc.) Now I am somewhat torn between "I didn't go to emt school to become a taxi driver", the long hours ( I was supposed to get off at 22:00!!), not using what I learned in emt school like bandaging, splinting etc or even the adrenaline rush of saving someone versus it's a pretty easy job(sometimes on a 12hr day we'll do 4-6 calls) , easy money( take pt from point A to point B).
And is it worth it to become a paramedic for private ambulance? Basically the same stuff I've said up top but with a little more action, more responsibility & maybe a few bucks more. Is private ambulance actually EMS?
I've read somewhere that EMS is actually more like SME, service - it's what we do. Medical - for the most part. Emergency - lights & sirens NOW!!

I would like to hear from people who've worked or still works for a private ambulance company & hear your thoughts about stuff I've said.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[DesertMedic66]

I work for a private company as both an EMT and now a medic. I'm coming up on my 5th year with this company. To date I have done 2 discharges home and 0 dialysis calls.

You just have to find a private company who has the 911 contract for the area.

 

[MS Medic]

I've worked for 4 different private services over the years. I hear a lot of guys here talking about all they do is IFT. In my state, the vast majority of EMS is private services who contract with counties to run the ALS 911. I do routine IFTs and granny hauls where ever I've worked. So the answer is probably dependent on how the 911 system works in your area.

There are 2 pieces of advice I can give. First, do some research into how your area tiers the 911 system. And if your area doesn't have privates running primary 911, consider moving to an area of the country that does or transition to the fire side of things.

Second, realize that those adrenaline rush saves are very few and far between. In fact, most of the time, working the 911 system is just as dull and usually a lot more frustrating than IFTs. The best victories in EMS tend to be the small ones where you make some random stranger's life a little better by being kind and caring. Simply looking for that rush is the road to burnout.

 

[StCEMT]

I agree with the above, but I will also pitch in my limited experience. I work for a private that has probably the biggest 911 contract for the city when the city doesn't take the call. I have a medic buddy who seems to actually get to run real 911 calls. Recently told me about a heroin OD and a pt with SVT that he cardioverted. So there are privates that do get to run 911. However, I am only on a BLS truck, so the 911's that I get tend to be either A. suicidal or B. throwing up since last night and the majority of what pays my bills is IFT. But I am not on ALS/BLS truck status either, so it probably changes as I progress in the company and once I finish medic it sounds like I will actually get to work "real" city 911 calls. Just gotta learn about the company in your area, I'd imagine it varies from place to place.

I'd say go to medic, not for the company you work for, but because you want to better yourself for your patients and because you want the next step in learning and improving. Yea, admittedly I am new and still love running 911's and those more intense calls because I want to challenge myself and learn, but I also know what my own motivations are for the multiple plans I am currently working on and will be working on...just make sure yours are the right ones.

 

[MS Medic]

Before you jump into medic school, take some time to figure out if this the field you really want to be in. I went into medic school after only a year as a Basic and have been at this for 10 years now. But I was sure this was my thing. Medic school requires you give up at least one year of your life. And you do have to give everything else up.

I've also seen a lot of people who go into medic shortly after becoming an EMT and a year or two after graduating are out of the field or back in school for something else because they didn't find it as fulfilling as they thought. Take a year or two more to decide. The field will still be here when you know your ready and it will be a lot more gratifying to you if you do.

 

[Meursault]

This is something a lot of private EMTs with little prior knowledge of EMS/healthcare/life seem to go through. I no longer believe it's a stage on the way to Getting It. If it is, I don't think it's worth it to try to guide people through it; most of the people who are voicing thoughts like this won't Get It because they're just not suited to the work.

Second, realize that those adrenaline rush saves are very few and far between. In fact, most of the time, working the 911 system is just as dull and usually a lot more frustrating than IFTs.

In short:

Is private ambulance actually EMS?

Yes. You've realized you don't like EMS. Go do something else before you start making yourself, your partners, and most importantly, your patients miserable.

 

[MS Medic]

This is something a lot of private EMTs with little prior knowledge of EMS/healthcare/life seem to go through. I no longer believe it's a stage on the way to Getting It. If it is, I don't think it's worth it to try to guide people through it; most of the people who are voicing thoughts like this won't Get It because they're just not suited to the work.

You"re right. Its why I recommended a delay in going to medic school. But along with seeing people move on who weren't suited for the field, I've also seen people who I'd have bet money wouldn't last in the field more that a few months become very good EMTs or Medics because someone took the time to help them. I feel that we're in the business of helping strangers and we should be the first ones to help each other because very few outside of this field get it enough to help.

 

[triemal04]

Yes. You've realized you don't like EMS. Go do something else before you start making yourself, your partners, and most importantly, your patients miserable.

No. Non-emergency transport services, services that strictly do non-emergent IFT's, dialysis, discharge, doctor's appointment, etc etc etc, ARE NOT EMS. They may advertise themselves as such, they may have EMT's working for them, they may be allowed to scam medicare and insurance companies like they are, but they are a seperate animal entirely. This is a part of why American EMS is so screwy; the sooner this is recognized and acted upon, the better of we will all be. (more pipe dream stuff, I know)

An EMS agency may also do non-emergency transports, and such (it pays the bills) but an agency that soley does work of that nature is not the same thing.

 

[Meursault]

No. Non-emergency transport services, services that strictly do non-emergent IFT's, dialysis, discharge, doctor's appointment, etc etc etc, ARE NOT EMS. They may advertise themselves as such, they may have EMT's working for them, they may be allowed to scam medicare and insurance companies like they are, but they are a seperate animal entirely. This is a part of why American EMS is so screwy; the sooner this is recognized and acted upon, the better of we will all be. (more pipe dream stuff, I know)

An EMS agency may also do non-emergency transports, and such (it pays the bills) but an agency that soley does work of that nature is not the same thing.

You're completely right about the big picture, though I'm not sure the divisions among EMS, medical transport, and non-medical stretcher transport are quite that clear. I also suspect attempting to legally separate the functions would just make things worse.

But whether someone finds any of them intrinsically rewarding comes down to the same basic question: do they like taking care of people?