'Newly' Certified EMT in need of advice.

[JBryan25]

I've been an EMT card holder for about two months or so now. However I don't roll on a EMS agency, I mainly did it for the fire service. We do not run an ambulance out of our station. Our station is a volunteer service for right now, with some talks going around, eventually we'll be part time as the state is looking more and more into getting rid of volunteers completely... Anyways as far as the advice I need, (heh)... I've been thinking and thinking of applying for a few agencies to run as a EMT so I get some experience. However, when I was a student doing ride time. I rode with two different agencies, first one which was about 40 minutes away were awesome, respected me helped me alot. The one locally, not so much, treated me like a sack of :censored: really. From the time I walked in the door, until I left, just like utter :censored: and I'm not sure why. I'm not one of those outgoing type of guys who can talk your ear off. Though once I'm relaxed around you, I tend to open up. Anyways, the story goes I was with a crew on the local station. One was a paramedic student, though running as a basic for the day, studying his stuff, thats fine. I understand what this stuff involves, he was preoccupied with that. The other crew member however, only seemed to be interested in watching nascar on tv all day. I asked a few times if either of them would be willing in going over stuff with me. Both said, sure, then sorta just left it at that... Never once did either of them ask what my questions or show me anything. We had one call that day. Once on scene, the medic takes the BP cuff and Stethoscope from the bag. I'm standing there watching, not really knowing what the :censored: to do as no one is really telling me anything. The medic throws the Cuff and Stethoscope at me and tells me to get her BP. Having only did it a few times in class nervous as :censored:. I couldn't obtain a reading, which apparently set the medic off. After it was all said and done, he gave me a :censored: review and at the end of it all told me to "Jump in" very vaguely...

The question is, how can you expect someone who is brand new at this entire field to simply "Jump in" School only really teaches you so much, merely just how to pass a test and so be it.

I guess that whole scene right there, is preventing me from applying to an agency to run on an ambulance... Sorta ':censored:s' with me so to speak.

What sorta advice you all have? Sorry it's rather long and the cussing, it's just sorta how I am.

 

[Tigger]

As you have seen, cussing gets blocked out and generally does not do much for coming off in a professional manner. In any case...

I certainly wouldn't let one experience deter you from applying. I'm not excusing the crews behavior, but some places will dump students on crews at the last second, and that's no fun. Some places also make every crew take students, and if you don't like to teach, well that's an issue. Not saying it's right, but that's how it works in some places.

It is also generally good policy as a student (and new hire) to ask the crew what their expectations of you are, if they do not do so early on.

I do expect my thirds to jump in. The class does in fact teach you the skills needed to work on an ambulance. You may not be great at them yet, but you won't improve just watching.

 

[ffemt8978]

I asked a few times if either of them would be willing in going over stuff with me. Both said, sure, then sorta just left it at that... Never once did either of them ask what my questions or show me anything.

So did you ask them anything, or expect them to start teaching you on their own?

 

[JBryan25]

So did you ask them anything, or expect them to start teaching you on their own?

I asked many things... Mainly if they could go over vitals with me, work with me obtaining vitals, blood pressures, etc.

 

[Ewok Jerky]

some people have the attitude that they are not being paid to teach, so why teach a student who for all they know "just showed up". you have to understand that the crew did not volunteer, nor where they told before they clocked in that they would have a rider.

second, if you are riding with me and you tell me you are only doing this to get into fire, im not going to go out of my way to do anything for you. you get what you give in these situations.

 

[JBryan25]

some people have the attitude that they are not being paid to teach, so why teach a student who for all they know "just showed up". you have to understand that the crew did not volunteer, nor where they told before they clocked in that they would have a rider.

second, if you are riding with me and you tell me you are only doing this to get into fire, im not going to go out of my way to do anything for you. you get what you give in these situations.

Firstly, shouldn't really matter to be honest with you... That isn't fair to the student and what is the student learning there? Put YOURSELF in that situation. It's easy to make excuses, actually sit down and think about it a moment.

Secondly, not once did I mention to any of them. "Oh hey I'm only doing this to be a Firefighter." Regardless, you're still a EMT Student it is the exact samething. I don't care if you run out of a hospital, county squad, private agency, a fire department. It is exactly the same.

Eh whatever though, I guess you all will truly never know until you experience this for yourself. I just wanted some advice