When it gets to you

I have been in EMS for 3 Years now and I must say that this Job has taken its toll on me. I currently work at a Private EMS company in NYC and I HATE MY JOB. At first I liked the Job and was very excited when I first got my Tech Card. Now I'm over the Low Paying Salary Scale, The MANDATES, back to back calls, working with partners you can't stand, Stupid Dispatchers, and going lights and sirens for ******** calls because a dispatchers screw up. So now I don't even want to go to medic school. I have made my decision to become a Dialysis Technician and eventually Become a Registered Nurse In Dialysis. I have a passion for Nephrology. I will still keep my EMT B card because it's always a hustle to make some money but I don't plan on ever using it again once I get into Dialysis. If you love EMS do it. But if it's not your passion or desire then the Job will eat you alive.
 
@Mondale Lucas

I feel you on the partners issue. I'm to the point I dread going to work some days. Always working with someone new, and having them ignore, dismiss, and disrespect me because I'm a woman...I'm sick of it. It makes for a long day in the squad and it's just another straw on the camel when I'm having a rough time.

Sucking it up all the time, trying not to be the constantly complaining trouble employee, then being dismissed by my supes when I finally break down and come to them with a legitimate issue. I think I just need a new company, if only I can hold out through medic school.
 
Rin said:
@Mondale Lucas

I feel you on the partners issue. I'm to the point I dread going to work some days. Always working with someone new, and having them ignore, dismiss, and disrespect me because I'm a woman...I'm sick of it. It makes for a long day in the squad and it's just another straw on the camel when I'm having a rough time.

Sucking it up all the time, trying not to be the constantly complaining trouble employee, then being dismissed by my supes when I finally break down and come to them with a legitimate issue. I think I just need a new company, if only I can hold out through medic school.
Click to expand...
Hold out Rin. Get ur Medic (NRP). That will open more doors. You can do it. So many of us want good, competent parnters and coworkers. You will find your fit.
 
Rin said:
@Mondale Lucas

I feel you on the partners issue. I'm to the point I dread going to work some days. Always working with someone new, and having them ignore, dismiss, and disrespect me because I'm a woman...I'm sick of it. It makes for a long day in the squad and it's just another straw on the camel when I'm having a rough time.

Sucking it up all the time, trying not to be the constantly complaining trouble employee, then being dismissed by my supes when I finally break down and come to them with a legitimate issue. I think I just need a new company, if only I can hold out through medic school.
Click to expand...

I guess it's it's really tough for girls in the industry.
personally i know some amazing ladies who keep their feminine side but can kick your ***
at the job if they need to.
It's all about your attitude and how you deal with it.
You can't afford to take things personally or you'll get swallowed up.
Keep your head up and find your own unique way of getting it done
 
I'll never find fault with a recommendation to talk to coworkers or other providers you know. It's nice to go over stuff with someone who has been there, even if it's not to critique a call. But don't discount talking to non-medical people. I've been working for a few years but I am far from a veteran and I certainly have not come close to seeing it all. All my coworkers have pretty much seen it all however.

They're rarely surprised on calls when I'm thinking in the back of my mind "Oh man I have never seen anything like this, and this is not good." There is no getting around it, eventually you'll see stuff at work that's not for the faint of heart and emotionally trying. I find that my coworkers downplay everything, which makes me second guess myself for not doing the same. Sometimes I need someone detached from the work world to remind me that occasionally we are forced to deal with some horrific things, and that it's not a big deal to be affected by that. 99% of the world would be affected by some of the calls we run, don't think you have to be different and block it all out, all the time.
 
During the warmer months, I find getting out on my sailboat is the best coping mechanism I have at my disposal. During the colder months...if any hunting season is open, I get out and do that. It gets me outdoors and when I am out there, my mind is free to absorb all that nature has to offer.
During the snowy months, I either ice fish or snowboard.
Snowboard is a recently new activity for me. I am 43... kinda late in the game to be starting this, but I get to get out and spend time on the slopes with my son.

As a last resort, I have a neighbor who is an ER nurse. When either of us gets a really bad one... we agreed to talk to the other if needed. Our spouses don't understand what we have seen or done while working....but the two of us do, and it helps to have someone who can relate, and let you talk, cry, scream or whatever helps.
 
Shooting and blowing things up. Seriously lol. Either photography or firearms
 
Rin said:
It's still so fresh. My relative's death was unexpected. It was slow and she suffered. I still don't understand what happened and I'm angry about it. I wish I could've taken time off to deal with it, but I had to stuff it down and go back to work. Watching a patient gasp out her last breaths really brought it back. I'm hoping it just fades with time.
Click to expand...

I can sit here and say it will fade but it's different for everyone. I toke care of my mother while she was on hospice and watched her suffer. I also saw her take her last breath. I have been on a couple of calls since then where I sit with the family as they watch there loved one take their last breath. It was hard to see this and makes me always think of my mother. The first time I saw this after her death I had a very hard time with it, a good thing for me is My father has been in ems for 30+ years and 24 of them as a medic so it really helped to be able to talk to him. Now when I am on those calls I feel like I am the best one to be there because I have went through what the family is going through & I can relate to it and hopefully bring as much comfort to them as possible. You will never forget about it but you will learn how to deal with it, hopefully in a positive way.

So all I can say is talk to you who you feel most comfortable with, it helps believe me. If it helps try to look at it like I do now. You can always pm me if you want I am more than happy to listen and talk with you. Just keep in mind what everyone else has said and remember it will be hard at first to deal with but know that you can. I hope your doing good and just let me know if you want to talk.
 
Having someone to talk to helps. Like others have said, it can help to have an understanding person outside of EMS that you can talk to, it can sometimes remove the need to keep up appearances with coworkers.

I find that exercise helps me a great deal, too. It's one of the reasons I love bike commuting to work- I always get 30 minutes of exercise after work, no matter what and it really helps to clear my mind.

Don't be afraid to get professional help, too. If your employer has an employee assistance plan make use of it! I had a call early in my career that was awful and completely overwhelming. Eventually some good friends convinced me to see a counselor and I'm very glad I did. Looking back, I don't think I would have been able to continue in EMS had I not done that and I wish I would have done it sooner.
 
It's different for everyone, when I was a new EMT I worked with a paramedic who was really good. We got a call to her uncle's house and he was in cardiac arrest. She worked him as hard as anyone could and he didn't make it. I at the time couldn't fathom how she was able to keep her composure through that. She tucked her emotions away for the moment did her job and after the call was done she let her emotions. We talked about it after awhile and she used the company's EAP and said having a "stranger" to talk to made it better for her. She said she didn't feel like she was being judged or looked at as weak. She was worried that showing any emotion would get her labeled as weak with the guys around the company. Hang in there and keep your head up. Seek out what you need to help you cope, just don't keep it all bottled up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top