Wanted some info on Pacific Ambulance

[mdwatkins13]

Hello, I have a job interview with Pacific ambulance or rural metro for a EMT hospital transporter position out of Fountain Valley Regional Hospital. I wanted to know some information from current or past employees about the company. How was the company? How much did they pay? What was your experience like? What should i expect for the interview? How does the interview work? I currently work at a hospital as a transporter and did not want to leave my safe square for a job that was not a safe bet. Thank you for your time.

 

[teekay]

did you get the job?

 

[mdwatkins13]

Had the job interview...

The interview went very good and was pretty informal. They asked me to go back online a couple of days after the interview to fill out a disclosure form and application. I have called and emailed them but have not gotten a return response in a week. They pay $10.10 an hour, for the first 3 months you are a transporter for the hospital and then they let you ride on an ambulance. I have 2 kids and a wife, so i cannot live on 10 dollars an hour. Don't think i would take the job even if they offered it to me.

 

[Rano Pano]

Seems like the average pay to me...

 

[CodeBru1984]

The pay, despite being what it is, does add up when things like shift pickups, overtime, and double time is factored into the equation. I currently only make $.10 more than what is being offered for the position listed above but with an extra shift a week (I work three on four off/four on three off) I can easily clear over $1,000 after taxes and standard deductions (employee portion of medical insurance, etc) every two weeks.

 

[JPINFV]

The pay, despite being what it is, does add up when things like shift pickups, overtime, and double time is factored into the equation. I currently only make $.10 more than what is being offered for the position listed above but with an extra shift a week (I work three on four off/four on three off) I can easily clear over $1,000 after taxes and standard deductions (employee portion of medical insurance, etc) every two weeks.

$26k/year isn't exactly a lot of money for a family of 4.

 

[mdwatkins13]

I am currently a hospital transporter...

And i make 13.63 an hour, working monday through friday, 730am to 4pm. Weekends off. The requirements for a hospital transporter is a high school diploma and they give you a CPR card within 30 days. Why do EMT's make less than fast food workers? I don't know but i have to keep refusing jobs and taking certification classes to increase my knowledge though no one wants a EMT with PALS or ACLS or EKG. Hospitals want a young 20 something with 6 months to a year of EMT experience for their emergency rooms. After going through all these interviews and seeing what kind of experience an EMT gets with 6 months to a year I now understand that hospital Hiring staff don't know what an EMT is nor what experience they gain. $10 an hour with 24 hr shifts is an indentured servant. Hell $8 an hour with 12 hour shifts is wage slavery. I have 2 kids and my rent is $1065 a month. I need time to see them and pay bills. Being an EMT seems like a bad profession for me the older i get. Low pay with 60 - 72 hour weeks. If anyone knows a Company that pays $12 an hour for a EMT please tell me. Thanks for all the comments. :unsure:

 

[terrible one]

Why exactly should they pay more? What incentive is there when you can get an EMT card in less than a month and companies have people banging on their door left and right looking for jobs. You are in an oversaturated market with a low skill set. Either increase your skill set or relocate.
How about phlebotomy?

 

[mdwatkins13]

You can get an EMT card in less than a month?

I went through ROP EMT class that was 6 months or a semester. All EMT's i know go through an ROP program or community college. This is news to me that you can pass an EMT class and then pass the NREMT exam in less than a month. Please show some proof. Second, i have been increasing my education like I said before and to be honest with you at all the interviews i have been at they are simply looking for a EMT basic. Not anyone with any other skill sets. I would love to increase or allow the scope of practice for an EMT to increase but there is no political push to do so. Being an EMT with a license is a risk with consequences, malpractice and jail time being some of the rewards for making a mistake while working obscene hours every week. Being a transporter for a hospital, for gods sake the dish washers at my hospital make $14 an hour after working there for 2 years. There are so many jobs at a hospital that require a high school diploma and that's it and they make more money, yet an EMT has WAAAAAY more responsibility and yet is not fully compensated for his time, risk, and patient care.

 

[exodus]

I went through ROP EMT class that was 6 months or a semester. All EMT's i know go through an ROP program or community college. This is news to me that you can pass an EMT class and then pass the NREMT exam in less than a month. Please show some proof. Second, i have been increasing my education like I said before and to be honest with you at all the interviews i have been at they are simply looking for a EMT basic. Not anyone with any other skill sets. I would love to increase or allow the scope of practice for an EMT to increase but there is no political push to do so. Being an EMT with a license is a risk with consequences, malpractice and jail time being some of the rewards for making a mistake while working obscene hours every week. Being a transporter for a hospital, for gods sake the dish washers at my hospital make $14 an hour after working there for 2 years. There are so many jobs at a hospital that require a high school diploma and that's it and they make more money, yet an EMT has WAAAAAY more responsibility and yet is not fully compensated for his time, risk, and patient care.

I finished my EMT class, took the test the next week, had the card in my hand a week after. A job offer a few days after that... It's not unheard of...

 

[terrible one]

UCLA has a program that is 2 weeks long. And the jobs you speak of (washing dishes/transporting patients, etc.) are not in demand.
Everyone wants to be an EMT (most to get on with a fire dept.) and these applicants will do it for minimum wage. Private companies take advantage of this high demand and offer low wages because they know someone will do it.
Sad but true.

 

[JPINFV]

I went through ROP EMT class that was 6 months or a semester.

...and how many hours? It's not like the 6 month ROP courses are even doing full time college level hours (not to mention that an EMT course doesn't compare to a college level science course anyways).

There are so many jobs at a hospital that require a high school diploma and that's it and they make more money, yet an EMT has WAAAAAY more responsibility and yet is not fully compensated for his time, risk, and patient care.

1. Supply v demand.
2. Poor sanitation and scalding hot water with chemicals presents more risk to the general public than 2 dudes driving a van with a patient in it through a parking lot.

 

[mdwatkins13]

UCLA has a program that is 2 weeks long. And the jobs you speak of (washing dishes/transporting patients, etc.) are not in demand.
Everyone wants to be an EMT (most to get on with a fire dept.) and these applicants will do it for minimum wage. Private companies take advantage of this high demand and offer low wages because they know someone will do it.
Sad but true.

Everyone wants to be an EMT for healthcare experience and private companies take advantage of this is exactly what i have been witnessing. There is a huge supply of EMT's vs the demand.

 

[mike1390]

Why would a hospital or private BLS company pay you more because you have ACLS and PALS as an EMT.... you cant do anything with those classes besides get CE for them. You could have saved that money and spent it on your kids... or medic school.

 

[JPINFV]

The only thing a hospital is going to care about a tech doing in regards to EKGs is hooking them up.

 

[Amberlamps916]

The only thing a hospital is going to care about a tech doing in regards to EKGs is hooking them up.

Hahaha true

 

[mdwatkins13]

Why would a hospital or private BLS company pay you more because you have ACLS and PALS as an EMT.... you cant do anything with those classes besides get CE for them. You could have saved that money and spent it on your kids... or medic school.

My hospital that I work for offers all Flex Ed classes for free. So I can get pretty much any CE hours or Certifications for free. I don't even have to buy the book because they have a loaner program for free. Its the main reason I have PALS and ACLS.

 

[mdwatkins13]

Addressing certain comments...

There were certain questions and comments posted that I wanted to address.
1. EMT's are worth more money and have many responsibilities due to the inherent risk of the profession. Such as becoming infected and being regulated by: a) National agency's such as the NREMT. b) State agencies that distribute licenses. c) County and city agencies which require specific education and licenses. d) DMV which requires a good driving record and special certification. If at any point there is a mistake on the job, all these licenses and certifications are at risk. Not to mention that all of these licenses and certifications cost LOTS of time and money to obtain and maintain.
If being an EMT is such a low skill set, why are there so many government agencies regulating our profession? Being an EMT is NOT a low skill set.

2. Many job posters and wanted ads have been very specific on the need for EMT's with EKG certification or ACLS/ PALS preferred. I have seen these ads specifically in CHOC and Western Medical Center.

3. The ROP program is around 160 hours of classroom, skills, and ride alongs. So yes, "ROP courses are even doing full time college level hours". And yes they do equal to college level science because you have to know anatomy and physiology to understand how interventions will effect people and how to name the site of injury. You can't tell a nurse, "the leg bone is broken".

4. I have been reading a lot of posts recently that state with an attitude that EMTs are disposable, low skill set, and lazy because all they do is drive patients through parking lots. Stating questions like, why should EMT's be paid to do nothing? or Why should EMT's be paid more for no education? Having to re certify every 2 years and take an exam with a skills test every time I go for a job interview seems like a lot of education to me. No other health care provider must re certify their license every 2 years nor be tested at a job interview the way an EMT must. Nor do they have to pay so many agencies a fee to participate in their scope of practice.

 

[JPINFV]

There were certain questions and comments posted that I wanted to address.
1. EMT's are worth more money and have many responsibilities due to the inherent risk of the profession. Such as becoming infected and being regulated by: a) National agency's such as the NREMT. b) State agencies that distribute licenses. c) County and city agencies which require specific education and licenses. d) DMV which requires a good driving record and special certification. If at any point there is a mistake on the job, all these licenses and certifications are at risk. Not to mention that all of these licenses and certifications cost LOTS of time and money to obtain and maintain.

There are plenty of trades, jobs, and careers that require national certification.

Same with B.

In regards to C, a couple hour system orientation course is hardly something to complain about.

D. The DMV doesn't require a good record. Private insurance companies require a good record.

In regards to your last sentence, it does not "cost lots of time" to obtain and maintain EMT (or paramedic for that matter) certification. One can be obtained in lest than a month, the other in less than a year. That hardly compares to RNs, where the minimum is essentially an associates degree, and quickly rising to a bachelors degree.

Finally, none of that significantly pushes the supply and demand curve towards the demand side, and none of that changes the focus of EMS away from being a fancy taxi ride (which plenty of EMTs and paramedics are more than happy with).

If being an EMT is such a low skill set, why are there so many government agencies regulating our profession? Being an EMT is NOT a low skill set.

In most cases there's 1, maybe 2 levels of government regulation. State and region/county regulation. That's hardly "so many." Furthermore, the vast majority of EMT interventions either aren't used, or are so simple that it's pretty much requires criminal negligence to truly screw up. You aren't going to kill anyone by giving too much oxygen and aspirin (the only other frequently used EMT level medication) pretty much requires criminal intent to cause an OD with. [/quote]

2. Many job posters and wanted ads have been very specific on the need for EMT's with EKG certification or ACLS/ PALS preferred. I have seen these ads specifically in CHOC and Western Medical Center.

1. When you have a bajillion and a half applications, you need some way to cut it down.
2. It's really not like the tech is interpreting the EKG (every place I've been it's been handed directly to a treating physician) or running codes.

3. The ROP program is around 160 hours of classroom, skills, and ride alongs. So yes, "ROP courses are even doing full time college level hours". And yes they do equal to college level science because you have to know anatomy and physiology to understand how interventions will effect people and how to name the site of injury. You can't tell a nurse, "the leg bone is broken".

Oh, please. I'll trade you EMT level A&P and you can take the anatomy course and the physiology course at UCI. Want to compare those two (because... ya know... I can).

Oh, wait... I had 90 hours of organic chemistry (60%, give or take, time wise). Since the EMT course is longer, it must be harder, right? I'm sure you can ace o-chem because... ya know... hours is the only thing that matters and the EMT course is at a college level.

4. I have been reading a lot of posts recently that state with an attitude that EMTs are disposable, low skill set, and lazy because all they do is drive patients through parking lots.

1. No one is calling EMTs "lazy" simply for being an EMT. There does come a point, however, when it's time to move up. The sooner... the better.

2. Being a "hospital transporter" at places like FV Regional Hospital (which, considering I grew up in FV, I know the hospital's layout) is disposable and is a very low skill set. It's literally taking a patient, putting them in an ambulance, and driving across a parking lot. There really isn't more to it.

3. Compared to just about anything else in medicine and health care, EMTs are a low skill set. If it was such a great skill set, why do so many EMTs glorify the "diesel bolus" for patient's that they're supposed to be trained to help. It's like a cardiologist punting heart patients to another field.

Stating questions like, why should EMT's be paid to do nothing? or Why should EMT's be paid more for no education? Having to re certify every 2 years and take an exam with a skills test every time I go for a job interview seems like a lot of education to me. No other health care provider must re certify their license every 2 years nor be tested at a job interview the way an EMT must. Nor do they have to pay so many agencies a fee to participate in their scope of practice.

1. You must not be familiar with hospital credentialing and privilege setting. It's not a skills test, but they'll scour over your education to ensure that you can properly perform any procedure you want to be allowed to do.

2. The last time I recerted my EMT, I did it though recert by exam. It took me 15 minutes.

 

[Uclabruin103]

27k!?!? Someone plans on doing a lot of overtime.