danderson900
Forum Ride Along
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What do you like most and least about your job?
What do you like most and least
- Thread starter danderson900
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VCEMT
Forum Captain
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Like my pay, my hours, my rig, my company, the calls, and how dynamic it is.
I do not like the fact that I am limited to what I can do and peds calls.
I do not like the fact that I am limited to what I can do and peds calls.
danderson900
Forum Ride Along
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I assume "peds calls" are pediatric calls ???
medichopeful
Flight RN/Paramedic
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Honestly, there's not much that I don't like.
Though seeing people in trouble can be a bit bad.
Though seeing people in trouble can be a bit bad.
firecoins
IFT Puppet
- 3,880
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I hate being in a rig all day.
judoka5446
Forum Crew Member
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I hate the smell of convalescent homes. I like everything else (to a point)
Summit
Critical Crazy
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I don't like that, for some reason, even though patient is allowed to poop their pants, I'm not allowed to poop my pants! 
timmy84
Forum Crew Member
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I love not being stuck in the hospital all day! I also enjoy most everything about the actual job.
I do not like the lack of understanding of the job to lay people, and even some people within the medical community (seems outside the ER and critical care areas we are considered taxi cab drivers). I also do not like the pay, but working EMS and a few shifts a week as a nurses aide makes enough for me to live, and I could live on EMS alone if not for my student loan. I also it was not so intermingled with other services.
Over all I love the job. I love the learning most of all. Everyday I learn something new at school or at work, and there seems to be enough material to keep me learning for, oh I don't know, a few lifetimes.
I do not like the lack of understanding of the job to lay people, and even some people within the medical community (seems outside the ER and critical care areas we are considered taxi cab drivers). I also do not like the pay, but working EMS and a few shifts a week as a nurses aide makes enough for me to live, and I could live on EMS alone if not for my student loan. I also it was not so intermingled with other services.
Over all I love the job. I love the learning most of all. Everyday I learn something new at school or at work, and there seems to be enough material to keep me learning for, oh I don't know, a few lifetimes.
Velosprocket
Forum Probie
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This is a good thread. As a current EMT-B student, I enjoy reading the positive side of things. Hopefully more people will post!
about class? most everything about class the practicals and the students its fun what u can learn from some one else it feels like ur on the same track n noone is lost , least the 4 hour lectures and one of my professors hes cool but hes like strick and dosent take crap from anyone he says whats on his mind and dosent care if he offends anyone but other than that hes cool lol
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
- 11,322
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As I remember it and as it is now.
When I worked ambulance: disliked seeing the conditions in "convo" "homes" (two lies in one name) and patiens combating C collars etc.
USAF Fire/EMS-Rescue:disliked hospital medics' superiority complex. They were slow to respond, had the tools but not the knowledge or spirit to use them. Liked my "little" P-6 rescue truck (1970 suped-up four speed manual Dodge Powerwagon with utility body and ladder rack on top) very similar to this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3437878521_a1636107e1.jpg
NOW (jail nurse): Like autonomy and extremely variable workday.
HATE coworkers' resistance to training and unprofessional responses, and rapidly encroaching adminsitrative strangulation.
Oh, yeah, also abusive lying threatening patients.
When I worked ambulance: disliked seeing the conditions in "convo" "homes" (two lies in one name) and patiens combating C collars etc.
USAF Fire/EMS-Rescue:disliked hospital medics' superiority complex. They were slow to respond, had the tools but not the knowledge or spirit to use them. Liked my "little" P-6 rescue truck (1970 suped-up four speed manual Dodge Powerwagon with utility body and ladder rack on top) very similar to this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3437878521_a1636107e1.jpg
NOW (jail nurse): Like autonomy and extremely variable workday.
HATE coworkers' resistance to training and unprofessional responses, and rapidly encroaching adminsitrative strangulation.
Oh, yeah, also abusive lying threatening patients.
Last edited by a moderator:
firetender
Community Leader Emeritus
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I don't like that, for some reason, even though patient is allowed to poop their pants, I'm not allowed to poop my pants!
You ARE allowed to poop your pants, you just have to keep doing the work!
firetender
Community Leader Emeritus
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And now for something completely different:
From the beginning (1973) I was fascinated by the incredibly broad and varied experiences that bring people to death. I was astounded by actually being present AT the transition. I was moved by seeing "the Great Leveler" in action, suddenly transforming hard-butts into real human beings. To be able to intervene and go head-to-head with death, in some cases feeling in a Tug-o-War with God, and then actually winning makes heroin feel like aspirin. To look in to someone's eyes and see that, indeed, I was their last hope and actually feeling that sacred trust as if it were my own life I was saving stripped away any idea of superiority, and taught me that the ONE thing we all have in common is "we only wish to live."
It's a "Don't get me started!" sort of thing, because the twelve years I spent as Medic defined just about every part of my life since in an exploration of the healing arts. You are sitting on a Gold Mine of humanity, both theirs, and yours.
I'd love to hear more about what human beings who happen to be medics experience in the back of an ambulance. The Flesh Mechanic side of the (truly!) Business is accurately provided here and doing a great service for everyone because that's the part of being human that gets the job done. But I'd like to see us broaden our sense of ourselves in an incredibly demanding AND rewarding profession.
Thank you for this and so many other threads that speak to these experiences!
From the beginning (1973) I was fascinated by the incredibly broad and varied experiences that bring people to death. I was astounded by actually being present AT the transition. I was moved by seeing "the Great Leveler" in action, suddenly transforming hard-butts into real human beings. To be able to intervene and go head-to-head with death, in some cases feeling in a Tug-o-War with God, and then actually winning makes heroin feel like aspirin. To look in to someone's eyes and see that, indeed, I was their last hope and actually feeling that sacred trust as if it were my own life I was saving stripped away any idea of superiority, and taught me that the ONE thing we all have in common is "we only wish to live."
It's a "Don't get me started!" sort of thing, because the twelve years I spent as Medic defined just about every part of my life since in an exploration of the healing arts. You are sitting on a Gold Mine of humanity, both theirs, and yours.
I'd love to hear more about what human beings who happen to be medics experience in the back of an ambulance. The Flesh Mechanic side of the (truly!) Business is accurately provided here and doing a great service for everyone because that's the part of being human that gets the job done. But I'd like to see us broaden our sense of ourselves in an incredibly demanding AND rewarding profession.
Thank you for this and so many other threads that speak to these experiences!
BossyCow
Forum Deputy Chief
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I love the human interaction. I've met some amazing people in the back of my rig. Holding some little old lady's hand all the way to the hospital because she's scared and alone.
I dislike the frequent flier, annoyance calls, like the ones who know what they have to say in order to get you to transport them. Even had a gal who called us with UTI symptoms whenever her boyfriend missed the bus into town for work. First time he road up front to the hospital and didn't even go in to the ER with her. Walked off down the road saying he was late for work. We never let him ride with us again. They tried it three more times before finding another mode of transportation.
I dislike the frequent flier, annoyance calls, like the ones who know what they have to say in order to get you to transport them. Even had a gal who called us with UTI symptoms whenever her boyfriend missed the bus into town for work. First time he road up front to the hospital and didn't even go in to the ER with her. Walked off down the road saying he was late for work. We never let him ride with us again. They tried it three more times before finding another mode of transportation.
CollegeBoy
Forum Lieutenant
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I love the learning experience, and helping people. I also love getting to know the many different people I work with.
I hate nursing homes and the fact that I do not get paid.
I hate nursing homes and the fact that I do not get paid.
JonTullos
Forum Captain
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What I love: Learning more with each shift, getting to be in the ER some (we're hospital-based) and learning more from that interaction, the pay (not bad at all), having a role in patient care and when people really appreciate what we do.
What I don't like: Lack of respect/understanding of what we do, abuse of the system, nursing "homes" (don't get me started - if I'm that bad off when I'm old just shoot me), meeting fellow EMS people who think they're God's gift.
Overall, I love what I do and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I'm looking forward to medic school next year!
What I don't like: Lack of respect/understanding of what we do, abuse of the system, nursing "homes" (don't get me started - if I'm that bad off when I'm old just shoot me), meeting fellow EMS people who think they're God's gift.
Overall, I love what I do and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I'm looking forward to medic school next year!