One other thing, as far as non ambulance jobs in the agency, I'd get hooked up with hospital based EMS if I didn't plan to be a field provider for life, but planned to stay in the medical field. It's much easier to move into a different position in a hospital system than to apply to different employers as an outsider.
What do you look for when selecting an EMS job?
- Thread starter DrParasite
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DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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For me, I would only work 12 hours shifts. 24s would be nice if we were given a station, sleeping quarters, and if it's slow enough to get sleep.
911 is my preference, IFTs bore me to death. unstable CCT is ok, but taking people from one hospital to another hospital with a prescheduled procedure is as boring as IFTs.
Good pay is definitely a big thing, as without good pay, I can't pay my bills. Pension and benefits are more important (if you get a job with a pension), because it means you don't need to work till you die, you can retire from the job. I also would love a job where I would only need to work 40 hrs at one job to live comfortabl
OT (especially OT that isn't only given last minute) is always a plus. If I'm working 3 days a week, or 24s, picking up an extra shift can help with the paychecks. Forced overtime is definitely a negative, especially if it's due to poor scheduling (sick outs happen, complain yes, but they can't be avoided).
Non-ambulance jobs is a big one for me. Very few people can do this job for 30+ years. your body just can't handle it. and often when you start a new job, you start at the bottom of the pay scale. being able to transfer within the agency means you keep your pay, your seniority, and you don't have to start over.
Quality of equipment is important, but I will use what ever my agency gives me. so if they give me subpar equipment and subpar protocols, I will be forced to provide subpar care. But I am still doing the best I can.
And I love urban EMS. been doing it as my FT job for the bulk of my paid career. yes it's busy, yes it's a lot of taxi driving, but the people tend to back each other up. More comradeship in urban EMS than in the suburbs. And you have a lot of patient contacts, and the urban cities tend to have a lot of really sick people. I work in the suburbs part time, but there is nothing like a busy city truck with a great partner.
But the four most important things for me would be salary and benefits, non-ambulance jobs, service type and coverage area. If I were to relocated, I would need those four things to be in my favor before I even considered accepting a position there.
911 is my preference, IFTs bore me to death. unstable CCT is ok, but taking people from one hospital to another hospital with a prescheduled procedure is as boring as IFTs.
Good pay is definitely a big thing, as without good pay, I can't pay my bills. Pension and benefits are more important (if you get a job with a pension), because it means you don't need to work till you die, you can retire from the job. I also would love a job where I would only need to work 40 hrs at one job to live comfortabl
OT (especially OT that isn't only given last minute) is always a plus. If I'm working 3 days a week, or 24s, picking up an extra shift can help with the paychecks. Forced overtime is definitely a negative, especially if it's due to poor scheduling (sick outs happen, complain yes, but they can't be avoided).
Non-ambulance jobs is a big one for me. Very few people can do this job for 30+ years. your body just can't handle it. and often when you start a new job, you start at the bottom of the pay scale. being able to transfer within the agency means you keep your pay, your seniority, and you don't have to start over.
Quality of equipment is important, but I will use what ever my agency gives me. so if they give me subpar equipment and subpar protocols, I will be forced to provide subpar care. But I am still doing the best I can.
And I love urban EMS. been doing it as my FT job for the bulk of my paid career. yes it's busy, yes it's a lot of taxi driving, but the people tend to back each other up. More comradeship in urban EMS than in the suburbs. And you have a lot of patient contacts, and the urban cities tend to have a lot of really sick people. I work in the suburbs part time, but there is nothing like a busy city truck with a great partner.
But the four most important things for me would be salary and benefits, non-ambulance jobs, service type and coverage area. If I were to relocated, I would need those four things to be in my favor before I even considered accepting a position there.
+1 on both accounts.
Woodtownemt
Forum Lieutenant
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Well said. Wish ca offered those benefits outside of fire:glare:
medic417
The Truth Provider
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Pay checks that don't bounce.:rofl:
Control of work schedule. Quality staff . No protocols.
Control of work schedule. Quality staff . No protocols.