When Can you tell you are not cut out to be a Medic?

[firemedic0227]

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[planetmike]

It's a good question.

 

[dutemplar]

When you want to kill more patients than you want to take care of... Ya might be burned out.
When your personal coffee consumption is more than Juan Valdez can carry... you might be burned out.
When your personal alcohol consumption is enough to even intoxicate Hasslehof,... you might be burned out.
When your recreational pharmaceuticals exists at all... you might be burned out.
If you don't find this amusing... you're either burned out, or actually haven't become jaded yet.

And:

http://uniformstories.com/ems/lists/5-signs-you-re-a-burnout-paramedic

 

[planetmike]

Isn’t burnout different from not being cut out to be a medic in the first place?

 

[dutemplar]

Kind of both. But that's an indicator you shouldn't be one anymore... at least not for a while.

Since the original question was redacted, seriously, I thought it was Hillary Clinton posting... it was hard to read the intent.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I believe there were some very basic things that would make an individual not suitable for life as a medic. For instance, if they are a true introvert and don't like speaking with people, probably not the best job. If they get extremely motion sick, riding around in an ambulance as a paramedic is probably not the best job. If they are terrified that they'll catch every disease they're exposed to, might not be the best job for them. If they have difficulty with critical thinking and moving from point a to point B in a linear fashion, perhaps paramedicine isn't the career.

I think it's the same with just about any job. If the core job duties are ones that you're not comfortable with, you probably aren't cut out for that job. For example, I don't particularly like heights, which would mean I am not cut out to be a tower crane operator.

Burn out is a little different. That comes after you've decided to work as a paramedic, and after a period of time, all of the excitement, joy and pleasure that you would take from doing your job well, vanishes… And you become a bitter, jaded shell of a medic. Not taking care of your patients and not really taking care of yourself.

 

[truetiger]

Also...it is important to recognize if you're burned out from EMS or your employer...I get far more stressed out about the stupid sh*t at work and poor leadership than I do about the actual work.

 

[SandpitMedic]

There are a lot of people who are paramedics and EMTs who are not cut out for it. My first preceptor said you could fake it for years, but eventually it will show. I've been in EMS almost 8 years paid... I've definitely seen it.

Burnout is a real problem. The comments on the article posted by Dutemplar are pretty spot on. We have had this go 'round before in many threads, but to have a job with the amount of stress as EMS and to still not get paid enough to live comfortably is a travesty. It only adds to the stress. Of course, there is much more to it and many more factors to burnout. We all have those guys at our agencies that hobble around with a bad back/knees/shoulders/etc and mumbles to himself that they should have quit 20 years ago.

 

[ParamedicStudent]

I believe there were some very basic things that would make an individual not suitable for life as a medic. For instance, if they are a true introvert and don't like speaking with people, probably not the best job. If they get extremely motion sick, riding around in an ambulance as a paramedic is probably not the best job. If they are terrified that they'll catch every disease they're exposed to, might not be the best job for them. If they have difficulty with critical thinking and moving from point a to point B in a linear fashion, perhaps paramedicine isn't the career.

I think it's the same with just about any job. If the core job duties are ones that you're not comfortable with, you probably aren't cut out for that job. For example, I don't particularly like heights, which would mean I am not cut out to be a tower crane operator.

Burn out is a little different. That comes after you've decided to work as a paramedic, and after a period of time, all of the excitement, joy and pleasure that you would take from doing your job well, vanishes… And you become a bitter, jaded shell of a medic. Not taking care of your patients and not really taking care of yourself.

Do you know if Zofran would help with that motion sickness? Or anything OTC?

 

[NomadicMedic]

Zofran doesn't really work for motion sickness. There have been a few studies that show its not effective. (Feel free to google and get the cites if you're so inclined) An anticholinergic or antihistamine would be better, but could dramatically impair your patient care due to the sedative effect.

 

[TransportJockey]

Meclizine works well. I used it when i flew

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[Handsome Robb]

Meclizine works well. I used it when i flew

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My partner takes meclizine. Works well for her.


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[Stephen Matthew]

Also...it is important to recognize if you're burned out from EMS or your employer...I get far more stressed out about the stupid sh*t at work and poor leadership than I do about the actual work.

Touche, friend.. touche. . .