Why are we often looked down upon as a profession?

[NomadicMedic]

Be the change you want to see.

Don't be the guy that talks smack about the ED nurses.
Treat your patients ethically and morally.
Be an example for the other medics.
Read and learn about EBM.

Be nice. Be kind. Be honest with yourself. Be the kind of medic you want to see when you look in the mirror. Be the kind of medic that the others strive to be.

The only person that can make that change is you.

It can be done, but it's a battle. It's easy to become negative, lazy and complacent.

Fight the good fight.

The rest of us who are doing the same appreciate it.

 

[TransportJockey]

Be the change you want to see.

Don't be the guy that talks smack about the ED nurses.
Treat your patients ethically and morally.
Be an example for the other medics.
Read and learn about EBM.

Be nice. Be kind. Be honest with yourself. Be the kind of medic you want to see when you look in the mirror. Be the kind of medic that the others strive to be.

The only person that can make that change is you.

It can be done, but it's a battle. It's easy to become negative, lazy and complacent.

Fight the good fight.

The rest of us who are doing the same appreciate it.

I'm doing that at my service and I was getting discouraged... but I've noticed a few of our younger and newer medics are emulating my example vs the salty burnt out medics. It gives me a little hope. But honestly, I see the EMT-B level as the main reason we are looked down on as a profession. Look at facebook posts in public groups by that particular EMS demographic as an example.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I'm doing that at my service and I was getting discouraged... but I've noticed a few of our younger and newer medics are emulating my example vs the salty burnt out medics. It gives me a little hope. But honestly, I see the EMT-B level as the main reason we are looked down on as a profession. Look at facebook posts in public groups by that particular EMS demographic as an example.

The amount of sht I take at my job because I want the jump bag, monitor and stretcher to the house for every call is amazing. A simple thing like bringing my tools to the job gets me branded "super medic" and my partner called the "pack mule". Or worse. Much worse.

Ya know what? I don't care. I'm not the guy that walks up to the house with nothing and I won't be jammed up with I walk into a code with nothing but a pair of gloves.

The culture in my place is starting to change. Slowly. Some of the new guys are bringing their stuff to the house for every call. That's a positive change.

It's a small example, but it's the stuff you need to do.

You know how to eat an elephant, right?
You just take one bite at a time.

 

[DesertMedic66]

I have yet to meet a medic in my system (aside from fire) who does not bring all their gear in on every call. We keep it all on they gurney so we just take everything in as one piece of equipment then just make fire carry out the stuff we don't need.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I have yet to meet a medic in my system (aside from fire) who does not bring all their gear in on every call. We keep it all on they gurney so we just take everything in as one piece of equipment then just make fire carry out the stuff we don't need.

Nobody does at my place. NO-BOD-EEEEEEE.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Nobody does at my place. NO-BOD-EEEEEEE.

I didn't even know that was a thing people did. During my medic internship we didn't bring the gurney in on calls and I thought that was weird enough

 

[NomadicMedic]

It's a thing. We also don't track chute time, there's no QI feedback unless you're a total butt head and trucks often self dispatch to jump "good calls". LOL It's a cluster.

 

[DesertMedic66]

We track chute times/wheels turning time. Our QI is about the same as yours.

 

[NomadicMedic]

When I say we don't track it, I mean there is zero accountability to make the crews get out to the truck to go to the call.

I saw a chart the other day that had a 6 minute time from alert to en route.

 

[VentMonkey]

I try to stay resilient but part of me really thinks that I am going to fall into that category of medics that leave after less than 5 years for that reason.

If you think it hard enough it can, and will happen, but honestly it's all about your overall perspective and general outlook on life, not your career, life. I really like what @NomadicMedic said about being, and setting the example; I can't, and won't replicate it.

What I will say is strong leaders lead with actions, those that talk the most work the least (they're too busy talking). For me, being a social pariah or "cool" in the eyes of my co-workers means so much less to me than being a knowledgeable, and respected provider.

Maybe ask yourself where you want to be as a paramedic in 5 or 10 years instead of weeding yourself out of the equation altogether.

 

[WyMedic]

If you think it hard enough it can, and will happen, but honestly it's all about your overall perspective and general outlook on life, not your career, life. I really like what @NomadicMedic said about being, and setting the example; I can't, and won't replicate it.

What I will say is strong leaders lead with actions, those that talk the most work the least (they're too busy talking). For me, being a social pariah or "cool" in the eyes of my co-workers means so much less to me than being a knowledgeable, and respected provider.

Maybe ask yourself where you want to be as a paramedic in 5 or 10 years instead of weeding yourself out of the equation altogether.

This is great advice. Thank you.

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[TransportJockey]

Here's a perfect example of why.

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[Summit]

EMS isn't the only healthcare profession to utilize an IV bag... the others just don't do while at work and sure as hell don't post it to facebook with idiotic comments like that.

I remember a medic coming in hungover one 911 shift and demanding I start an IV on him "and if you miss I'm going to practice a 14 on you."

 

[TransportJockey]

That was the point I was trying to make lol

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[VentMonkey]

That is exactly why I'm glad to have never known what it is to own a Facebook account. It is also the same reason I don't follow the news or SM "religiously".

These are typically the folks that A) don't deserve to even possess an EMT card (let alone paramedic license), B) have the mental capacity of a tween, and C) will most likely never get respect from the respectable.

But hey, it's part of a culture change, and us older "salts" need to embrace that, right?...

 

[cruiseforever]

That is exactly why I'm glad to have never known what it is to own a Facebook account. It is also the same reason I don't follow the news or SM "religiously".

These are typically the folks that A) don't deserve to even possess an EMT card (let alone paramedic license), B) have the mental capacity of a tween, and C) will most likely never get respect from the respectable.

But hey, it's part of a culture change, and us older "salts" need to embrace that, right?...

No.

 

[VentMonkey]

No.

 

[Albert Reyes]

yes we are the dump trucks!! be the best dump truck you can be!!!

 

[VentMonkey]

yes we are the dump trucks!! be the best dump truck you can be!!!

You're posts definitely don't help, random overzealous poster.

Also, when people come on here wanting folks to randomly share their "stories" in a thread for a supposed book, well yeah, it's absolutely deplorable in my opinion.

It just shows a huge gap in what some want to call a profession and career, others view as nothing more than a novelty.

 

[MackTheKnife]

I have noticed from time to time that MDs, Nurses, PAs, ER Techs, etc. often look down on us EMTs/ Medics, and view us as the absolute "bottom" of the healthcare totem pole. Yes, we don't go to school for eight years, but we sure do possess advanced skills/ interventions as well as dealing with very difficult situations and patients.

I can't give you a good answer, but I'll try. When I was a full-time medic, nurses were generally supportive but some were jealous at the skills we performed. Intubation, crics, needle taps, central lines, etc. They couldn't perform these. We were/are autonomous. However, ER techs now are generally medics working in the ER. Now, as a floor nurse, I have seen that there is a general lack of knowledge as to what a paramedic is and what a paramedic can do. I am moving to the ER soon and I believe that I won't experience the same thing.