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Why, with the advanced skill level, are paramedics paid so little?
Because the barrier to entry is so low that Tyrion Lannister can use it for pull-ups.
I just finished my EMT (actually waiting on the results - it's been 4 weeks!). I know i passed, just waiting for confirmation.
Anyway, I am planning to go to nursing school. Which will actually be a 3 year program, since I need some pre-requisites...so, pre-nursing into nursing.
Well, my company has just offered me, after some interest by myself, to pay for me to go to paramedic school. This program is a 1 year school. I would sign a contract to stay with my company for 3 years after completion of the course. In that time I plan to do the pre-nursing>nursing.
I'm not thinking about doing the paramedic for the money ( we are a volunteer dept), but i feel the field trauma experience will be good for me. My ultimate goal is to do travel nursing and eventually do national/international aide, so i thought the paramedic would help.
any thoughts?
Bravo! Every time I hear a paramedic complain about their wage (or EMT for that matter) I have a good laugh.Who said Paramedics were paid so little?
Pay is commensurate with education, experience, and responsibility.
This is the problem, anyone, and I mean ANYONE can do my job. When all it takes to become a paramedic is an EMT card (aka. First-Aid for firefighters) and 4-6 months of your time, then employers are going to have serious reservations about paying you reasonable wages.If it takes 1500 hours to become a Paramedic (this includes EMT-B time) the barrier to entry is pretty low.
I totally agree! I am not sure what it is that makes most EMS providers feel they are entitled to a higher wage simply because we have large responsibilities (relatively). Almost every worker on this planet thinks they deserve a higher wage, but few are willing to work hard to earn it.Given that hair dressers and HVAC technicians (4,000 hours of experience prior to licensure*) spend more time in school and apprenticeship than your average Paramedic, your question should be: "Why are Paramedics** so poorly educated?"
Many in EMS like to point fingers at nurses and say "Hey, I do all the same stuff they do, I should get paid as much!". If that is they case then it should be a simple task to get through nursing school... except that it isn't, most nursing programs require a year of A+P, chem, pathophys, basic english composition. Each class is one more filter so that only those with the drive to do well make it. In many places (there are always exceptions) there is absolutely no filter before paramedic school other than your EMT card.
And now cue the "I work on the streets, I don't need to take all of those college classes!" So few in EMS seem to understand that the point of taking these classes is to have a solid basis for trying to understand the human body. With this knowledge you can treat so many more patients efficiently and correctly. Just because you can practice as a paramedic without that knowledge does not mean you should, what happens when a patient fall between two pages of the protocol book?
I throw up a little in my mouth every time I see that meme.
There are LVN programs that teach a minimum of A&P and the like for the scientific background for their program and those "classes" may not be acceptable by other colleges for their programs. This is not too much unlike some Paramedic programs that teach the minimum scientific stuff also. It's the "teach only what they need to pass" mentality. RN (thankfully) generally requires a much more rigorous set of coursework for entry to that program. So far, I have found that my education has been quite sufficient for understanding the nursing theory without having to crack the books much for that.Many in EMS like to point fingers at nurses and say "Hey, I do all the same stuff they do, I should get paid as much!". If that is they case then it should be a simple task to get through nursing school... except that it isn't, most nursing programs require a year of A+P, chem, pathophys, basic English composition. Each class is one more filter so that only those with the drive to do well make it. In many places (there are always exceptions) there is absolutely no filter before paramedic school other than your EMT card.
Too true. I would completely support the AAS requirement, even if it was a general science AS degree with specific coursework for entry to a Paramedic program, though a ADP (Associate Degree in Paramedicine) would be more ideal, with similar prerequisites so that an ADP grad could transition to an ADN program or BSN program (or any other healthcare program) and meet most of the typical entry science requirements for those without too much difficulty.If the minimum for Paramedic certification was an AAS you would see and increase in wages as the number of people able to obtain an AAS would decrease the supply of Paramedics. This will never happen so long as EMS agencies are happy with the status quo and EMS providers remain too lazy to change it.
If paramedics weren't allowed to leave EMS I'm sure this career would be much better. As it stands the best paramedics we have go to nursing school or PA school or leave health care entirely, which leaves EMS in a sad state of talent-deprivation.
When the patient doesn't fit a given protocol, many would just say "call OLMC" and go from there... Of course, I prefer to call OLMC, advise what I've got and what I'd like to do. But that's just me... unfortunately...And now cue the "I work on the streets, I don't need to take all of those college classes!" So few in EMS seem to understand that the point of taking these classes is to have a solid basis for trying to understand the human body. With this knowledge you can treat so many more patients efficiently and correctly. Just because you can practice as a paramedic without that knowledge does not mean you should, what happens when a patient fall between two pages of the protocol book?
I can't speak for anyone else, but in my EMT class (in New York State and New Jersey, I took them both), there were people who didn't pass. I know people who were in the paramedic program (in both NJ and NY), who didn't pass. You know what? not everyone can do this job, not everyone can pass the classes. Yes, maybe our entrance prerequisites are too low (or non-existent), but like other educational programs, people who enroll do not always pass.
Just because people do not pass EMT/Medic school does not mean that the course is difficult. There are a large number of reasons people do not do well in school; personal problems, lack of time to study, lack of drive to study, et cetera will cause someone to fail a course, this does not mean that the course is good at weeding out people that are incapable of doing the job.I can't speak for anyone else, but in my EMT class (in New York State and New Jersey, I took them both), there were people who didn't pass. I know people who were in the paramedic program (in both NJ and NY), who didn't pass. You know what? not everyone can do this job, not everyone can pass the classes. Yes, maybe our entrance prerequisites are too low (or non-existent), but like other educational programs, people who enroll do not always pass.
Actually your last paragraph highlights why wages are low... there is always someone else to do your job.And then there is the big one. no, it's not supply and demand (although that does play a large role in many areas). Paramedics are WILLING to work for those low wages. EMTs are WILLING to work for lower wages. if a paramedic will work for $12 an hour, why should any company pay more? if an EMT will work for $9 an hour, why should any company pay more?
Education does come into play, but it all boils down to the simple fact that people are willing to work for those sucky wages. and if they won't, employers will find some new hires who will.
This is a poor argument for wages. We know that physicians command a very high wage, yet less than 2% of students in medical school drop out for academic reasons. If we use the argument that high attrition should = high wages then we would expect to see attrition in medical school at a much higher rate.What is the standard attrition rate for nursing school?
source for medical school graduation rates: https://www.aamc.org/download/102346/data/aibvol7no2.pdf