Newbie with a bunch of questions!

WannaBEMT

WannaBEMT

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Hey all-

I am starting school at the end of March for EMT-I. I have so many questions and trying to get my hands on as much information as I can. If you guys could suggest any good books or movies that would be great, I have alot of questions I want to ask so please bear with me and feel free to ask me any.

A little about myself, I am 31 year old wife and mother of one. I have always worked in the medical field and for as long as I can remember wanted to be a Paramedic. I got stuck in the rut of life, liking my job but knowing there was more out there and wanting to go for it, I finally did, I applied for school, took the entrance exam, and I am program ready to go:)!

My mother had MS and comitted suicide about 2 1/2 years ago, I fell into a deep depression as she was my best friend, finally got help and ready to live out my dreams finally.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and hope you all don't mind answering a few questions.

If you could tell me one thing that you know now that would help me what would it be?

What do you love most about your job?

What do you dislike most about your job?

What do you make and what is your certification level?

What was your training like?

What were your first days like?


Thanks so much guys!
Jenn
 
I will be the first to jump up on the welcome bandwagon...

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME to our dysfunctional family... Remember we put the fun in dysFUNctional.....
 
If you could tell me one thing that you know now that would help me what would it be?
Click to expand...
nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care...

~S~
 
Thanks guys for the welcome! I appreciate any insight you can give!

Jenn
 
If you could tell me one thing that you know now that would help me what would it be? If you don't know the answer or how to do a task, ask. Don't pretend you do then make yourself look like an *** or worse harm your patient.

or..

Ensure you have total familial support. Training takes time and dedication and sometimes you have to sacrifice seeing the kids soccer game, or play one less game of whatever with them to ensure your ready for class or to go to your clinical rotations. Having that support will also help you when it gets tough and you start to question if your meant to be an EMT. Someone to kick you in your butt and say "You can do it" is wonderful to have.


What do you love most about your job? Everything. Its the BEST JOB EVER!!! Its the job I have been waiting all my life to have and didn't know it.

What do you dislike most about your job? Sometimes, like last shift, we get so busy and I REALLY REALLY have to pee, but the call is taking for ever or were on a long distace stat transfer, or as we are dropping on patient in the ER dispatch is telling us to hurry up there are calls waiting and I still have to pee really really bad.

What do you make and what is your certification level? $10/hour. I am "relief". All that means is I get paid more and they don't have to offer benefits. I can still work a crazy amount of hours if I want to. Like next week. I have 3 - 24 hour and 1 8 hour shift scheduled between Monday and Saturday. I am a Basic.

What was your training like? 6 months. 3 nights a week and a bunch of Saturdays. Plus clinical roation time. It was nerve wrecking, hard, and awesome. Like you and a lot of us here, I worked 40-50 hours a week at my day job and still made it to class. Never missed one, was not late for a single class.

What were your first days like? I am still in my "first days." How long will this last? Hell, I don't know. Perhaps until I learn how to either go hours and hours and hours and hours without needing to pee, or my bladder gets bigger.


WELCOME TO EMT LIFE!!
 
If you could tell me one thing that you know now that would help me what would it be?
This profession is something that you have to love to do, you have to want to do it, it's not just another job. Patients and other providers can tell if you are being yourself, or you truely don't want to be there. It will affect the way you treat your patient.


What do you love most about your job?

The lives that I've touched, brought into the world, and the people I have met.


What do you dislike most about your job?

Providers who turn to this as an easy way to make money, and people who have little respect for their job and patients.


What do you make and what is your certification level?

I work for two EMS agencies; one that provides critical care transports and one that provides municipal ALS. I have maintained a state level certification of EMT-P for just about eight years, and I've had National Registry for four years on and off. It wasn't a requirement until just recently. I just began with the municipal agency, so my planned income for one year should be about $27,000.00 For the critical care transport my income is $39,750.00 annually. The two combined make for a nice income, but I have to commute 100 to 250 miles to get to work. It'd be nice if I could make about $50,000 with one job, and only have to work one. But I still love my job.

What was your training like?

I went to technical college, and attended a Hospital based Paramedic School. During school, I focused on training that I may need to get a job as a Paramedic. I may have to work for a fire dept., or in a city; so I wanted to be prepared. I've had training in all levels of rescue; vehicle/school bus/trench and confined space/high angle/water/ice/structural fire/collapse/wilderness SAR. I also have certificates in Firefighting essentials, FF1, pump operation, water movement, and engine & truck company operations. As a requirement for my job in the Pittsburgh area, I took fire officer 1 and ICS. Very extensive and career focused training..

What were your first days like?

Hectic. I loved it.
 
Thanks for the answers guys, very interesting!

Jenn
 
Oh NO...ANOTHER Jenn!! Its like they are taking over the world.

Roaches I tell ya....:P
 
Same as my wifes name... -_-

I can't escape it anywhere. What do I have to do, lock myself in the closet?
 
Aww us Jenn's are good people:)
 
Yes, we're everywhere and we rock. :)


:) :) :) Welcome! :) :) :)

We love to answer questions, throw em at us. I wish I could answer the questions for you, but I'm only interviewing for the job on Wednesday, hopefully I soon have a little more insight to share.
 
Good luck on your job interview, I will be anxious to see how it went!

Jenn
 
Suck up...

I mean that you should suck up to the interviewer guy.

Donuts. a cake. tight clothing. money. If they fail. Cry.
 
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL!!!!!!EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL INCARNATES!!!!

Everyone...we need to have a Jenn free meeting *taps foot* this is just Ridiculous *grin*
 
Celtictigeress said:
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL!!!!!!EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL INCARNATES!!!!

Everyone...we need to have a Jenn free meeting *taps foot* this is just Ridiculous *grin*
Click to expand...

:sad:




Whkr, no comment...:P
 
For the record I have never met a Jenn, Jen, I did not like. Comparing them to cockroaches is mean, rude, and socially unacceptable!! :P I had a partner whos wifes name is Jenn and she is wonderful too!!! And now that my wife is reading over my shoulder, let me say how wonderful Anna's are as well... :ph34r: Welcome to the site.

I am only going to coment on a few of your questions. I do this job because I love it. I have worked in a many fields and have never been this happy with a job. Being able to be out helping people in need with the people I work with is exceptionally satisfying. Coming in off of a call and seeing yourself on TV is kinda neat too!!! B) The hardest part of this line of work for me is seeing what people do to kids. But I get through that by paying attention to everything on scene so that I can be the best advocate the kid has.

Good luck with your schooling!!
 
Thanks you guys for all the insight, I have really enjoyed reading all the topics and tips!

Jenn
 
Well, I wasn't comparing the PERSON themselves to roaches....go back a few threads.....It was a reference to that.....I promise.....To all the Jenns in the world....I don't think you as person is anything like a roach....they are small....brown....disgusting.....You Jenns are not....Well unless you are....but then its okay....either way....Jenns of the world....do not unite! That'd be a bad day.:P
 
We Jenn's "Strong Like Bull"

B*hit maybe.........LOL:P

Jenn
 
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