Leaderboard

You'll get it back. It takes a while to get your chops back when you've had an absence from something. They're still in there, just a little rusty. Give yourself some time- don't expect to be 100% on top of everything when you've been out of the groove for a while. Gotta let your brain re-learn the work patterns. Are you feeling off about it because you expected to be totally on your game, or are you finding it just hard to find the same joy in what you were doing before? Not a bad question to ponder with a counselor- may be time to find new motivations to love the job you're doing. I used to love my job because I loved some of my coworkers and one of my nurses. They have all since moved on. So now, I take joy in making the mental connections between why certain things are happening with certain residents and their overall plan of care, disease pathophys, etc. In other words, I'm looking at the "nursing picture" that I'm learning in school and applying it at work, even though my job description doesn't require me to do that. In any case, it's very soon that you're back after a fairly significant absence... just be patient with yourself! Hang in there! Wendy CO EMT-B

Im a 27 year old guy living in Chicago and have been a CNA in a hospital for a little over 2 years. I thought I wanted to be a nurse but I have learned bedside care is incredibly boring and the doctors for the most part are dicks. That and seeing the same patient every day for weeks at a time really wears me out. Whenever I get floated down to the ER I really have a good time, the time flies by and its new patients all the time. Lately I have really been thinking about Paramedics. But currently im making 13.50/hour as a lowly CNA. I hear the EMtTs make like 9-11$ and the paramedics make 13ish......which hardly seems worth it for the year and a half of schooling I would need to just end up making less than im making now. PS. my job would pay for any EMT/Paramedic schooling I wanted to go to. I hear the critical care medics make WAY more as do the flight medics (hourly and call bonus wise) but does anyone know what those job prospects are like? Are they in demand? Is it stable? And what do critical care paramedics and flight medics do when there arent and critical/flight calls? Do they just go out on regular calls? Does their pay go down if its a regular call? I really like the idea of being able to intubate, push meds without having to call a MD first, and just the general bat shit craziness of code calls, PLUS I like the fact that I could be out in the van riding around or working in an ER. I know the majority of the time its not that crazy at all but I really cant see myself as a nurse or not till im older anyways. So yah anyone have opinions or thoughts on the critical care/flight medic route? Im also not a fan of becoming a firefighter but it kinda seems like I may just have to go that route to actually make decent money. And when I say decent money I mean 45-50g/year I dont need alot of money to be happy but from what im seeing a regular paramedic making 13/hour = 24g/year = no bueno. Also suggestions for Chicago based Ambulance services? I feel like people dont like to name names but honestly its just asking opinions! So yah guys any input would be GREATLY appreciated! -D