What is Professional EMS?

[JakeEMTP]

Professional as described by Oxford Dictionary..

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/professional?view=uk

[spenac]

Professional as described by Oxford Dictionary..

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/professional?view=uk

Thanks for backing me up.

Here is the definition in case his link does not work.

professional

• adjective 1 relating to or belonging to a profession. 2 engaged in an activity as a paid occupation rather than as an amateur. 3 worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent.

• noun 1 a professional person. 2 a person having impressive competence in a particular activity.

[RuralEMT-I]

Yep, that sure is the definition of professional, I will not disagree with that.

I will have to disagree that all volly agencies have to go, period. The emphasis on education, both initial and continuing, needs to be standardized. This in itself will weed out many in EMS that are just getting by. I am amazed how little hands on CE people actually do within their agencies, volly or paid. Sure, folks with lots of call volume get field experience. Not all agencies, volly or paid have that kind of volume, especially in rural areas.

I am willing to agree to disagree.

[Scaramedic]

3 worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent.

• noun 1 a professional person. 2 a person having impressive competence in a particular activity.

Funny you didn't highlight this part of the definition. :wink:

[spenac]

Funny you didn't highlight this part of the definition. :wink:

No need to. We already agree that many paid EMS people do not meet those standards and thus none of us can call them professional, just as we can not call a volunteer a professional.

[Scaramedic]

Are you trying to say a volunteer isn't "a person having impressive competence in a particular activity." I think volleys can be very professional. Whether or not there should be volunteer services does not weight on the fact that they can be professionals.

If I am volunteering for the Red Cross as a First Aid instructor I am still a professional. If I volunteer for Northwest Medical Teams as a Paramedic I am still a professional. Being paid is just one definition of professional, what I was pointing out was the other definitions.

[spenac]

A volunteer may act in a professional manner but is not a professional. Sorry, you need all the definition to be professional, so volunteers are automatically out. Most paid are out for failing to meet the other parts of the definition.

[zippyRN]

A volunteer may act in a professional manner but is not a professional. Sorry, you need all the definition to be professional, so volunteers are automatically out. Most paid are out for failing to meet the other parts of the definition.

male bovine excrement!

you do not need all parts of the description to be a professional

each part is a definition as it stands

[Asysin2leads]

Sorry, I have to disagree. Its not so much the fact that getting paid makes you a professional, but a professional, in my definition, is one who makes their living and pays their bills doing x skill and knowledge sets.

Believe me, it makes a major difference in attitude when you are doing EMS because its a neato calling thing that you want to give back to your community, and when its what you do because you need to pay your rent. And landline. And cellphone. AND ELECTRIC MY GOD CON ED IS A BUNCH OF CROOKS! I'M NOT EVEN HERE MOST OF THE DAY! GOD!!!

Sorry. Got side tracked.

[RuralEMT-I]

Sorry, I have to disagree. Its not so much the fact that getting paid makes you a professional, but a professional, in my definition, is one who makes their living and pays their bills doing x skill and knowledge sets.

Believe me, it makes a major difference in attitude when you are doing EMS because its a neato calling thing that you want to give back to your community, and when its what you do because you need to pay your rent. And landline. And cellphone. AND ELECTRIC MY GOD CON ED IS A BUNCH OF CROOKS! I'M NOT EVEN HERE MOST OF THE DAY! GOD!!!

Sorry. Got side tracked.

I am a paid for one agency and a volly for another..... my attitude is the same no matter whos ambulance I am in the back of.