kurigerb21

Hey, All! I"m a paramedic student in Pittsburgh, Pa, and I graduate in June. When I graduate, I'd like to move to either North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, or Florida. I was just curious if anyone had any suggestions on decent places to work. I'm okay with busy (I've been an EMT for four-years, so I don't say that without experience), and I"m okay with not having the latest, and greatest of equipment. My primary concern is just being able to make a livable wage, where I would likely have a second part time job, and where the company treats employees well. I don't think I'm listing unreasonable goals, but we'll see! Thanks in advance!

I don't know what everyone's problem is, but thanks to you few, I've had just about enough of this site, and I sure as Hades will never turn to this site again for help. I said this in another post, it was a yes or no question. Instead, I've gotten nothing but condescending remarks, (implied) to be irresponsible when you don't even know me. I've always tried to not go into EMS with that A$$hole mentality, but clearly, that's the only one that works. You try to go in, and be polite, and learn, and people just push you aside, and make you feel like an idiot. I always thought the, "I know everything" mentality killed patients, but, apparently, it's the only way to go in EMS. Thanks for the revelation. "so when I go in for the class, I have a more firm idea of what I know vs what I think I know vs what I don't know" I could have been more clear, yes. You, however could ask for clarification without being rude.

I found the pre-test online, much like I found the ACLS, and PHTLS online, but I found those answer keys online, also, quite easily on google. Before we run around implying irresponsibility of people, maybe we should read the entire post, and see my intentions, which, are quite responsible. But never mind. Are they? I don't know. I found the ACLS, and PHTLS online pretty easily. But the way this thread is going, I can't help but hear that in a sarcastic, and condescending manner. I was right. Condescending, and rude. This thread is why people are uncomfortable going to their peers for help. Instead of a simple answer, you guys have to be condescending. Coming to you all for an easy Yes or No question was clearly a huge mistake. I'll note that in the future when I need help, or when others need help, or advice from their peers, and colleagues. There's so much room here for your experience to be valuable. Instead, you have to be rude. That's bloody grand.

Per Mr. Webster, a medic is, " one engaged in medical work or study; especially " So while colloquially, a medic is a paramedic, the reality is, there's nothing actually written to specify that, and if someone wants to get all bent out of shape about it, then they probably need to worry more about patient care than their title. Unless the guy is saying he is a "Paramedic", or heaven forbid, practicing above his scope of practice, it's not an issue. And in all reality, EMT-B, I, or P, 95% of your patients don't understand our colloquial language, and don't know that typically a medic is a "paramedic". There's a similar (but slightly different) argument with some MD's. Their PAs, and CRNP's who have PhD's introducing themselves as Dr. so and so, they really aren't wrong, as long as it's made clear that they aren't an MD. The point is, stick within your scope of practice, don't call yourself an official title that you aren't. When I was an Army Medic, they called me, and most other medics "Doc". They all knew I wasn't a physician, and I never acted as one, so there was no problem, even when the physicians heard it, they didn't have a problem with it, because I conducted myself with a proper scope of practice.

Hey, All. I'm posting this in hopes that someone can help me find an answer key for the AMLS PRE test. The reason why I'm looking for the answers are so I can go through, see what I got wrong, and what I got right, so when I go in for the class, I have a more firm idea of what I know vs what I think I know vs what I don't know. My issue, a lot of the questions and answers on the version 1.11 (is there an updated version?) don't really seem to make sense with each other. I even went through it with one of the physicians I work with who is respected, knows her stuff, and on the same ones, her and I both agreed that something isn't right. So, if I can go through the answers, it can give me a good jump off point to start researching stuff, and sort of see which direction the class will be going. If your first inclination is to respond with something that's rude, or smart.....just do us all a favor, and don't.

Let me phrase this more appropriately, how there are SOME***, the way I phrased it, accidentally discredited the industry...my apologies!

It's quite a shame how there are EMS/FF/Rescue folks out there who make decisions based on what they want to do, and not what needs done. I've safely pulled people out of damaged cars, with more serious injuries, and I personally have been seriously injured and pulled out of a vehicle. This, from the information we've received in the news report, shows a very serious lack of professional discretion.

In reality, it's not an impossibility, but, like someone else said, without EMS management experience, it'll be tough....also, this isn't really the climate for new services to come out of. The established ones are fighting hard enough as it is for reimbursement.

I couldn't possibly agree more. Maybe when you look at the administration which can get money hungry, but in general, most ER's I know would actually be okay with the idea of having a few patients not come in. Granted, this may be different for the contracted physicians, I'm not sure if I've worked with any or not, I've never asked, and most of the time when test are being over done, it's because they come from, say, a Level 1 trauma center, and are adjusting to a less acute facility, it's not been about the money. This is why I love Emergency Medicine (for the most part), volume isn't a huge crisis (stupidity makes sure we have job security!), and it's VERY rare that I hear a physician say, "Well, I'd like to do this test, but I'm not sure if insurance will cover it". Terrific topic to initiate a conversation about! All, and all....if we could come up with a way that we, as EMS could safely determine if patient's need transported (though, let's get real, 9 times out of 10, our guess is pretty accurate, even if we can't voice it), I think it would actually benefit Emergency Departments. Like, on Christmas Day, when a tonsillitis occupied an ALS crew, and took a room in an ER who's numbers broke an all-time record that day...that's a situation where if EMS could refer instead of transport, it would just make everything better (The crew ended up having to call mutual-aid for a chest pain, which ended up coming to the hospital as a cardiac arrest, because they had to transport a tonsillitis.)