"The ambulance drivers are here"

[Sasha]

Calling an RN a CNA isn't the same as calling an EMT/Paramedic an ambulance driver. Seriously?
Although I may agree that being called an ambulance driver is neither here nor there, but that analogy used above is entirely correct.

How is it correct? You are not downgrading an EMT or Medic by calling them an ambulance driver. You DO drive an ambulance, do you not?

By calling a nurse a CNA you are downgrading them. They are not certified nursing assistants.

 

[JPINFV]

Why is it so bad to want your proper title used, and not some ignorant name that a fellow healthcare professional should know better?

Provided one unifying name is acceptable, I'll agree to pushing to get that one name used. However, this also means that I'll never have to hear of the "paramedic called an EMT" or "EMT called a paramedic" complaints discussed earlier.

 

[Anjel]

I personally prefer to be addressed as "Gurney god", "Basically Beautiful Basic", "Hunky Hairless Healer" or once at a party "Smashing Susan" but that last one was after a few drinks and involved a double dog dare.

Hahahah Basically Beautiful Basic. That's perfect. Hunky Hairless Healer is a close second.

 

[looker]

What about people who act as attendants only? They don't drive, therefor they aren't ambulance drivers.


What do you call a Paramedic or EMT in a hospital working in the capacity of a technician? Again, they aren't driving an ambulance.

Okay i see your point. I guess ambulance crew would be more appropriate in that case? I mean nurse calling someone an ambulance driver because they tell the nurse we are from xyz ambulance and here to pick to up so and so.

Unless emt/medic are driving ambulance for the hospital ambulance driver would not work at all.

 

[bigbaldguy]

You might also bear in mind that in some countries ambulance drivers are in fact just ambulance drivers.

 

[Zodiac]

Yet, I never hear a LEO called a 'police car driver'. Never hear a firefighter get called a "fire truck driver". Why is it ok for us to be named for a menial task that some of us don't even do, but not for others?



Why is it so bad to want your proper title used, and not some ignorant name that a fellow healthcare professional should know better?

Nobody said that they condone EMTs/Paramedics being called ambulance drivers, just that it isn't worth getting all bent out of shape over. Generally, a friendly "Actually, I'm a -insert title here-" is enough to get most reasonable people to comply but if they choose not to then they're obviously trying to get a rise out of you. Getting pissed off about it just lets them know they were successful.

 

[18G]

Unless you're ALS unit or doing CCT will you please tell me what is that your really do that would be wrong to refer to you as "ambulance driver". If all you're doing is IFT BLS then yes you're an ambulance driver as usually there is nothing going on. In rare case something happens you either calling for intercept or you're going code 3 to nears ER. In California BLS is really restricted so ambulance driver does describe it correctly.

Myself personally, I work for a FD and do both 911 and IFT. The IFT consists of ALS / critical care patients only from a rural medical center to higher level facilities. The acuity level is pretty decent given the fact that the patients are being transferred to receive the acute care they need (ie STEMI, cardiac patients, CVA's, trauma patients, patients needing pain/nausea management enroute, patients on drip medications, intubated patients, monitor chest tubes, etc). Granted some patients only requiring cardiac monitoring due to being on a potassium drip or some other minor reason but BLS transfers aren't a part of my job.

So naturally it does bother me to be labeled an ambulance driver considering what my job is and the fact that I never drive. The only time I drive is if its in the chase unit going to an area that doesnt have their own ALS or its mutual aid.

And we are not "ambulance drivers" in the perception that all we are capable of is turning the wheel and pushing the gas pedal.

 

[looker]

Myself personally, I work for a FD and do both 911 and IFT. The IFT consists of ALS / critical care patients only from a rural medical center to higher level facilities. The acuity level is pretty decent given the fact that the patients are being transferred to receive the acute care they need (ie STEMI, cardiac patients, CVA's, trauma patients, patients needing pain/nausea management enroute, patients on drip medications, intubated patients, monitor chest tubes, etc). Granted some patients only requiring cardiac monitoring due to being on a potassium drip or some other minor reason but BLS transfers aren't a part of my job.

So naturally it does bother me to be labeled an ambulance driver considering what my job is and the fact that I never drive. The only time I drive is if its in the chase unit going to an area that doesnt have their own ALS or its mutual aid.

And we are not "ambulance drivers" in the perception that all we are capable of is turning the wheel and pushing the gas pedal.

Now that is totally different. If you're ALS unit or some other you should be called by your proper title. However OP stated he does IFT only, to me there is nothing wrong with calling him ambulance driver or maybe politically correct ambulance crew.

 

[DrParasite]

Calling a nurse a CNA is not the same thing as calling an EMT/Paramedic an ambulance driver. It's also not the same thing as calling a nurse an "butt wipe/wiper" That's just confrontational and disrespectful.

its minimizing their job, ignoring their training, and exactly the same think that they are doing by calling you an ambulance driver.

I highly doubt those who claim they do it actually have the cajones to say that to a nurses' face. And if you do, I hope you get reported and fired.

I have, got a big pair of cajones, haven't been fired yet.... she reported me to my boss (using the number I gave to her), and my boss said "I bet if you call them by their proper title, they will call you by your proper title." she had no response to that one, and I still have my job.

Who cares, part of your job is driving an ambulance, there are so many different types of transport. Sometimes I get called simply "transport" like the stretcher pushers.

and part of their job is the wiping of butts. it's the exact same thing.

If you are so insecure that it bothers you THAT much you've really got a problem.

Sorry Sasha, but you can't have it both ways. We should be treated with the same amount of respect that they expected to be treated with. If they can't be bothered to treat us with the proper level of respect, than there is no reason we should treat them with respect.

Plus, once you start calling them the insulting title, they will know what it feels like, and hopefully will change their attitude.

I personally prefer to be addressed as "Gurney god", "Basically Beautiful Basic", "Hunky Hairless Healer" or once at a party "Smashing Susan" but that last one was after a few drinks and involved a double dog dare.

I prefer to be called "the EMT who is doing naughty things with the long legged blonde who works in the ER, that no guy can understand how he got her." and I have my hair, and don't have the legs to pull off "Smashing Susan."

 

[Akulahawk]

As angry as this can make some of us, when "correcting" someone, don't be rude about it. Being an a**hole medic about it won't win you any points and may get the hospital staff looking for either a replacement service to contract with or it'll get them looking at any an all mistakes you may have made medically to report you to the State or local licensing board.

Most of the time, a friendly "I'm a ... " works quite well. Remember, a lot of times all they see is the uniform. They might not notice that the patches are different. They might not be all that aware that there are differences between EMT and Paramedic and that driving is but a part of the job.

Learn to speak (and understand) their language. As you do, you'll pick up on things you never realized you were missing. I used to ask for report just as if they were giving report to another nurse that was taking over care. It gave them a familiar way to tell you what you need without having to wonder how to translate it for some provider that they had no idea about.

Now if the friendly advisory education stuff doesn't work out well, then step it up a little bit... to get their attention and then educate politely. Otherwise, just let it be.

 

[18G]

911 or IFT... you deserve to be called by your title. To me its the same thing as calling a "mrs" a "mr". There is no relation whatsoever between someone who can only drive an ambulance to someone who can drive an ambulance AND provide a professional level of care at a Paramedic or EMT-B/I level.

Who cares if the majority of IFT transfers are "routine". The fact remains that the patient is being monitored by someone who knows how to intervene and perform appropriate interventions if necessary. Can someone who is just an "ambulance driver" do that?

If your a Paramedic and feel your comparable to an "ambulance driver" you should prob be just an "ambulance driver".

 

[looker]

911 or IFT... you deserve to be called by your title. To me its the same thing as calling a "mrs" a "mr". There is no relation whatsoever between someone who can only drive an ambulance to someone who can drive an ambulance AND provide a professional level of care at a Paramedic or EMT-B/I level.

Who cares if the majority of IFT transfers are "routine". The fact remains that the patient is being monitored by someone who knows how to intervene and perform appropriate interventions if necessary. Can someone who is just an "ambulance driver" do that?

If your a Paramedic and feel your comparable to an "ambulance driver" you should prob be just an "ambulance driver".

I am not sure how someone can demand to be seen as "professional" when majority of emt's making around minimum wage. Being that to become emt requires very little schooling it's pretty easy to see why crew get called "ambulance driver". OP needs to get over it and just do his job.

 

[18G]

I am not sure how someone can demand to be seen as "professional" when majority of emt's making around minimum wage. Being that to become emt requires very little schooling it's pretty easy to see why crew get called "ambulance driver". OP needs to get over it and just do his job.

Eh I'm not sure professionalism is dictated by $$$$. Volunteers can look/act just as professional as those receiving paychecks.

And I agree an EMT's initial training is limited but is still more than what an "ambulance driver" only can do. So with that they deserve to be called an EMT or a Paramedic. To me it's a respect thing. Being called an ambulance driver is demeaning.

Just my opinion.

 

[Sasha]

Eh I'm not sure professionalism is dictated by $$$$. Volunteers can look/act just as professional as those receiving paychecks.

And I agree an EMT's initial training is limited but is still more than what an "ambulance driver" only can do. So with that they deserve to be called an EMT or a Paramedic. To me it's a respect thing. Being called an ambulance driver is demeaning.

Just my opinion.

Haven't seen a lot of professionalism on this thread.

it's unbelievable. People wonder why EMS doesn't get respected when there are people running around griping about a name and calling nurses "butt wipers"

You want respect? Earn it. Don't go getting hostile because you were called by a very common name.

 

[rhan101277]

As others have said people are just used to that term. I don't say anything back, I know what I do and that is fine with me.

 

[EMTMama]

Some of your responses have been pretty funny! :lol:

A couple points of clarification:

1. I'm female (hence the "mama" part of my SN).
2. My company mainly does IFT, yes, but not all calls are BLS. We do a LOT of ALS calls as well. I'm frequently the only ILS truck on for my company. A lot of our calls are run of the mill, no big deal stuff. But we also have a lot of calls where the patients aren't so stable and we do actually have to do interventions of one kind or another. It's obviously not the same as responding to an MCI, but I do more than drive patients from point A to point B.
3. I haven't called anyone a bed pan changer or butt wiper. I know another poster said that they have, but that wasn't me (I thought that was funny myself, but that's another story...). I think I wasn't very clear about seeing a trend with being called an ambulance driver, which didn't really bother me much until one incident where a nurse (RN/CNA whatever she was) thought she was being funny I guess. I politely said "no I'm an EMT", to which she ignored and continued to laughingly call us ambulance drivers. I've inadvertently called RN's CNA's, and apologized when I was corrected. I've always been professional and polite to my patients and to medical staff, even when it would have been easier not to be. I was merely venting some frustration. It just seems to be that when medical staff uses "ambulance drivers", it's being used as a derrogatory term, much like me using "butt wiper" to a nurse would be a derrogatory term to them, especially if they're (politely) corrected. I've been asked if I was a medic and I corrected them for that, too.

 

[Shishkabob]

there are people running around griping about a name

And, for the umpteenth time, go call ANY professional the wrong title multiple times, and see if they don't correct you. I guarantee they will.


I had a teacher in 7th grade who had her PhD. She demanded to be called Dr, and if you continued to call her "Miss", she'd give you detention. Go call an RN an LVN multiple times, they will correct you. Go call a DO an MD multiple times, they will correct you. That's why police introduce themselves as "Officer so-and-so" or "Deputy so-and-so" or "Trooper so-and-so", as that's their proper title.




Why is it so bad that we want to be called by our proper title? Why must we be relegated to a task, and not our title? Common name or not, it's wrong.

 

[Zodiac]

Go call an RN an LVN multiple times, they will correct you. Go call a DO an MD multiple times, they will correct you.

But you're not correcting the nurses, you're calling them butt wipers. If I were a nurse and someone jumped to calling me a butt wiper just because I messed up and called them an ambulance driver, I'd be inclined to continue calling them an ambulance driver simply because of their attitude. Not everybody is aware of the titles we fall under. Heck, I thought everybody was either a paramedic or a driver until I started looking into EMS as a career choice so it isn't really fair to expect floor nurses, who usually have limited contact with EMS, to know any better. Take the high road instead of downgrading yourself just to get back at people for calling you the wrong title.

 

[Shishkabob]

But you're not correcting the nurses, you're calling them butt wipers.

But that's what they do, is it not?


If we're going by your/Sasha's/others defense of them using the wrong title, then it is perfectly acceptable to call them a butt wiper or any other menial task that they do on a daily basis. Correct?




Every nurse I've used that on (admittedly with a joking tone), got the picture pretty quick, and although they may or may not have then viewed me as an ***, they never again called us ambulance drivers, atleast to our faces.

 

[wyoskibum]

Can't we all get along??

If you have someone calling you an "Ambulance Driver" and you take offense, then you should offer some positive corrective feedback before starting to call RN's "Butt Wipers".

I would take the person aside and say: "FYI, some EMT's and Paramedic might be offended if you call them an Ambulance Driver. There more to the job than driving the ambulance. I thought I should let you know before you embarrass yourself"