I always cringe when I hear people talk about how it's so easy to get burned out and depressed in EMS because it is such a stressful, hard, under-appreciated job.
Well, I call BS on all that. Sure, EMS can be a difficult job (or it can be one of the easiest jobs in the world, depending on where you work), but lots of jobs are stressful and difficult, and I don't see nearly as many construction workers or chemical operators or surgical technicians or long-haul truck drivers, for example, complaining about how stressed they are and undervalued and underpaid they are, despite the importance of what they do. Yes, there are things that are uniquely stressful or difficult about EMS, but have you ever seen what surgical techs (again, just an example) deal with from surgeons on a daily basis, or what floor nurses do to take care of 6 or 8 or more patients at once?
I think what gets many people into trouble in EMS is simply that their expectations of their role and it's rewards are far greater than they should be. First, I think there is something about the personality types that are attracted to EMS that requires extrinsic sources of satisfaction. You know, the whole "I became an EMT because I always wanted to help people" really means "I became an EMT because I always wanted people to appreciate me" in a lot of cases. Then you start school and the training is pretty interesting, and just challenging enough to make you feel like you are really learning and accomplishing something, but not nearly challenging enough to really weed out anyone who is motivated for the wrong reasons. And the whole time you are told how special and important and valuable EMT's are. We all know the reaper-racers who "do everything the ED does at 90 mph". If we're honest, most of us have a fair amount of that going on early in our career, even if we don't show it. Then, we get out into the field and reality sets in quickly. It's tough to feel heroic and highly appreciated when most days are full of back-to-back dialysis transfers in the 100 degree July heat, and if you do deal with sick patients, you quickly realize how little you know and how little you can really do for most patients. To complicate all of this, many people get into EMS at a young age and are dealing with this at the same time as they are starting to deal with many of the other challenges of adult life. And the conclusion that they come away with is that EMS is somehow a uniquely difficult career.
When in reality, the surgical tech and the floor nurse and the OTR trucker all work long hours and have plenty of stress and difficulties, too. But because they didn't got into their line of work with unrealistic expectations that it would always be awesome and exciting and fulfilling, they correctly see the challenges of their work as just part of life.
I think this dovetails with the issues of depression and drug abuse and suicide in EMS, but that's another topic.
The point is this: EMS is a job. Nothing more, nothing less. Hopefully you enjoy it and find it fulfilling, but if you do that's really just a bonus - it isn't the reason why you go to work. Look for meaning and fulfillment in your relationships and your hobbies and yourself, not in your work.
