Are you really part of EMS???

[mobey]

I used to take a 80 y/o male from long term care for accupuncture once a week for about 2 mos. He was in long term because he had a leg amputated 1.5 yrs ago and refused to use a wheelchair saying thier "too uncomfortable". Therefore he had a catheter and a colostomy, and wanted transfered on a stretcher.

Believe me those trips were NOT EMS trips.

I know if that is what I did for a full time job I would not list my occupation as EMS, more like "Non-emergency medical transfer service".

[spenac]

Those of us even in 911 EMS are not much more than taxi drivers but these guys really were just taxi drivers.

[courageheartx]

If your running a cardiac pt from one hospital to another and suddenly he has an arrest or goes into asystole,would you consider that and emergency? medical? are you providing service? this is deemed as a interfacility transport/hospitals having their own transfer services

[akflightmedic]

Ruff, if all you needed was a FL patch, I could send you one of my dozens laying aroud.

I will even rip one off my sleeve as the used ones are best.

[JPINFV]

If your running a cardiac pt from one hospital to another and suddenly he has an arrest or goes into asystole,would you consider that and emergency? medical? are you providing service? this is deemed as a interfacility transport/hospitals having their own transfer services

I don't think that it's fair to compare CCTs (hospital to hospital or hospital to sub acute [vent dependent patients]) with SNF to doctors office or SNF to dialysis clinic.

That said, I find it rather odd for an ambulance company to have absolutely zero emergency calls [even if it's SNF->ER, non-911 "emergency" calls]. Sure, if you're looking for trauma and car crashes, then sure, you won't run any "emergency" calls. Sure, most of these type of "emergency" calls are not really emergent, but you will run into either weird [so, Mr. Jones, your arm has been cold, numb, and pale since you woke up this morning and you had surgery last week?] or truly emergent [Hey, Phil, mind trying to get a BP for me just to make sure? Yea, I was getting something around 60/30 too].

[AnthonyM83]

Yes, they might come across emergent situations, so they have emergency training, but they're not really EMS. The security guards at the hospital are all trained in CPR because they might come across cardiac arrest emergencies in their line of work, but they're security not EMS...even if they're dispatched to all code blues on hospital grounds.

[Niftymedi911]

Ruff, where these crew members from Ambitrans Transport Service??? Sounds a lot like them. We hold the only CON for 9-1-1 and Ambitrans runs all of the NET's to MD's office and nursing home vists. I have never seen them run code in the 3 years I've been round EMS. Most of them fill postions there because they cannot pass our new hire testing or credentialing. We really don't think down on them. Most of the time we strik up good conversations about things on the road etc. But I just couldn't imagine never lighting up in 3 yrs. I would do everything it would take to find a job where my skills could be used in more of a manner that they're intended.

[JPINFV]

But I just couldn't imagine never lighting up in 3 yrs. I would do everything it would take to find a job where my skills could be used in more of a manner that they're intended.

There's more to EMS than lighting up. I couldn't imagine doing only non-emergent calls for any amount of time, even if the only emergency calls were SNF -> ER calls.

[Dustdevil]

There's more to EMS than lighting up.

I haven't "lit up" in a year now, and my skills are being used quite regularly and appropriately. If that's the most important "skill" you have, that's pretty sad.

[spenac]

I haven't "lit up" in a year now, and my skills are being used quite regularly and appropriately. If that's the most important "skill" you have, that's pretty sad.

OUCH!!!!!