Teenage EMTs - YouTube Video

[Scaramedic]

I was going to write something about cellulitis, infection and sepsis. But, then I thought about it a little and to a 16 y/o, at 47, I could be "the old lady".

:sign5:

[Timmy]

I agree, tougher history no matter how small it may seem. Even for a headache I don’t just hand out pararcetamol. How do I know if they don’t have a brain tumor, subdural hematoma, head injury or something like that? I always ask a few questions, do a set of obs, get a history and go from there. 9 times out of 10 its just a normal headache. Even something as small as a minor lac to a knee, don’t just hand out a bandaid. Did they hit there head as well? grab a hx ect… Sometime people get pretty pissed when you take 5 minutes of their time when you could just give them a bandaid, but your covering your ass.

[AnthonyM83]

You can’t get your full license until you 21 so I’m still not allowed to drive the ambulance or fire truck

Wow, bet teens have a lower mortality rate from MVA's over there....

Sorry Anthony, I just have to ask if a 16 y/o is mature enough to handle working in this field? I mean, speaking from experience, I know what I was doing when I was 16, and it wasn't learning about anything medical, that's for sure!

But see you weren't learning about anything medical because it didn't interest you at the time...but it does interest those kids. They're probably better at the medical aspect then a lot of EMTs out here, because they have such a strong interest and to them it's a privilege to do that work. Passion if channeled properly can go a long long way. To kids like the boy interviewed, it's not just a hobby, it's the start of their medical career.

The impression they have on patient is a valid concern, though. Not only because they're young, but the patient knows they're all rookies for sure, unless they were EMT'ing at the age of 8. I also listed some other concerns in my posts above.

[vs-eh?]

I have a crazy requirement that might perhaps eliminate this problem before it even begins...

A high school diploma and perhaps (gasp!) required courses that average Joe Highschool doesn't necessarily have to take!

EDIT - See this is a reason why EMS is general is such "nicety" to people.

"Oh don't worry, this nice young (wo)man will take you down to the hospital."

"Oh, fluid on the lungs? Ya, that's what I thought too."

"See, I told you it was nothing, you shoulda (sic) just stayed home."

This is what destroys EMS as a profession, shit like this. This is why you see people that think they can do EMS, and be a medical "professional". People (in this thread) say stuff like "what we see", gimme a fooking break. You see nothing, small town EMS throwing out shit likes this bothers me. Start treating and diagnosis a complex medical call without 18 of your buddies around (at least 4 per car according to this vid). People see trauma and cardiac arrest = EMS. People see this stuff on TV, on youtube, in People magazine (on that post53.org or whatever), and in the New York Times (also mentioned).

I am tired of it.

All of this brings down my profession. And people just shrug their shoulders. I didn't spend 3 years in college, and neither did hundreds of other professionals and (dare I say) thousands of others across North America, to see this shit.

I'm getting really tired of it.

[medic7944]

this is a good idea it keeps some kids out of trouble. the local high school here has started a first responder class for some of the students. they get to do ride alongs with the ambulance service here and deal with real pts but there is always someone with them making sure that they are not screwing up. it gives them a look at how the real world really is.

[Asysin2leads]

I guess we should rest assured that the last time anything bad happened in Darien, CT, it involved the Minutemen and some redcoats. Somehow I don't see Ms. Whitepants and patches directing units during an MCI, and the thought of some 16 year old preppie trying to tell a beligerant drunk that they have to go to the hospital is positively LAUGHABLE. So is the thought of some kid who isn't even old enough to smoke telling a family that their loved one isn't coming back. So let them treat their bee stings and hold head stabilization for the photos, I know full well that if you dropped them in the middle of a real EMS situation, they would shit their khakis and be on their iPhones to mom and dad before the person even went into v-fib. Oh, and if any of you little 16 year old mature adults ever show up to my house when I have the need for an ambulance, feel free to wait outside until the real guys show up. On the curb though, no trampling my begonias.

[JPINFV]

All of this brings down my profession. And people just shrug their shoulders. I didn't spend 3 years in college, and neither did hundreds of other professionals and (dare I say) thousands of others across North America, to see this shit.

I'm getting really tired of it.

So, why don't you come over here, get into a leadership position, and do something about it? Fostering change is so much better than bitching about it from the other side of the border.

[Just Plain Ruff]

ok, I've waited a while to chime in but I have to.

for each person saying that they were 16 when they started and it hasn't phased them, I beg to differ. You have seen what most if not every 16 year old should never have to see.

You may not think you have been affected but you have. Saying that you have not been affected is just a smokescreen and just masks the symptoms and problems. Later on in life it will come back to affect you.

I've seen things I would not want my 16 year old neighbor seeing and I have been affected by it. You think that you can handle it but eventually it will catch up with you.

I applaud you (16 year olds and younger even) that you think you are mature enough to handle this but there is a reason we have some of the following rules set in place

1. you cannot volunteer for military service at 16 - (maybe with a parents permission but I don't know about that)

2. You cannot get into movies that show what we see daily until you are 17 or with a parents permission (this has been mentioned before)

3. You can't vote till 18 (it's a maturity thing)

4. You cannot sign a contract until you are 18 (yet another maturity thing)

5. You can't get married until 18 unless you have a parents permission(another maturity thing)

6. You can get insurance but your rates are higher (again a maturity thing)

7. and finally, you cannot drink until you are 21 years old (very obviously a maturity thing)

so - there is a whole laundry list of things that you cannot due based on maturity and age.

Of course, there are many other things that a 16 year old can do and apparantly one of them is having someone's life in their hands, put them in a ambulance and drive over to the local hospital and hand her off to the nurses in the hospital.

It's not rocket science why many states have age requirements for emt's and paramedics.

It appears that this community has opted for underage EMS care, that I am sure is competent to provide medical care but to put the responsibility of a life in a 16 year olds hand is just plain irresponsible if you ask me. Allowing them to drive L&S to a scene and then L&S to the hospital is just plain criminal.

I'm sure that the drivers think they are the best drivers in the world but there is documented proof out there regarding fatality rates of drivers 16-21. It's proven that teenage drivers suffer more accidents and fatal accidents than almost any other age group.

[vs-eh?]

So, why don't you come over here, get into a leadership position, and do something about it? Fostering change is so much better than bitching about it from the other side of the border.

Gladly,

I'll come down there to explain that to do a (what on many many many levels) appears to be an EMT-B's job, but requires 2 years full time post secondary education and one that (I'll provincially generalize) is a 10% chance to get into school.

Most schools also have a fairly high attrition rate.

Then I'll tell them that provided they make it thorugh 2 years they have a low (again, provincially generalizing 33%) chance to get a job.

But once you get a job (which requires a 6 hour exam that upwards of 50% fail) and get accepted into a service (which requires more testing that you have too pass).

Don't worry you'll be making $27/hour easy.

[kyle308]

wow....I guess i shouldn't have posted. Well upon my BS call statement, Upon arrival I was very professional and treated it as an emergency. I obtained vitals checked the spot where it stung her went through my SAMPLE history and then found that all that was left was that the stinger was still in there. The lady promptly removed I applied neospuren and a band-aid. She was happy refused transport and I left. I considered this BS because of all that I'm sorry everyone i should have posted in more detail.

And if you all think im working like the kids in Darien thats just not true, I'm nothing but an assistant on the ambulance if they don't want me involved with a call i just sit their or if need be ride up front. But, most of the time i am in the back helping because i have proven myself competent and they consider me part of the team. So far, no one in the area has been worried about me coming out of the ambulance to help them. I've actually had several patients say how happy they were i was doing something with my life instead of running about and doing drugs.