For the female EMS'ers out there

[firedoc5]

All in all, man or woman, if they can do the job adequately or better, who cares if they are man or woman?

[Don1977]

All in all, man or woman, if they can do the job adequately or better, who cares if they are man or woman?

AMEN!!!!!!!!

[Kiwiology]

AMEN!!!!!!!!

<BENNY HINN> PRAISE THE LORD </BENNY HINN>

[emtashelyb]

In my experience it seems to be that I look young and some of the pt's I've encountered seem to think the younger you look the less you know. I look 16 on a good day (I've gotten as young as 12 come on now Im almost 21!!!). I have actually had a pt request the paramedic I was riding with redo the blood pressure because I couldn't possibly be correct being as young as I was. (In the end I was right) I can understand the fear of oh gosh they are so young they are going to screw up but it does seem that when I worked with my ems partner back home the pt's were more inclined to do what he said or talk to him rather than me. Sex doesn't make a difference in how good you are in ems in my opinion. I've worked with some of the worst between both sexes. Yes women can tend to be more.... pms-y and IC an understand where some people can assume we cant hold our own but I've seen it where female emts can lift more than some men. I've had it at my old volly house where our assistant chief had a case of the arse against women and thought we were inferior to him and he picked on us (not in a nice way) ever single chance he got.

It could also be that the female pt's just want to talk to the cute firefighter or emt on scene instead of you. Just like with any profession there are "tag chasers". I wouldn't chalk this up to every female pt but it does have some truth to it. Prejudice will happen it may be because you look young, your small, or whatever other reason. All in all it should have nothing to do with your sex it should have to do with your skill you will get people everywhere who will doubt you for some reason

[DwayneEMTP]

I wonder too how much of the gender bias is geography based?

When I worked in the Springs (CO) I doubt many would argue if you said that the majority of the strongest medics were women. And of course I don't mean in physical terms.

I think that often women hurt themselves in this area though. In Afghanistan it's terribly hard to make it as a medic if you're a woman. And we could use a bunch of good female medics here. Why? Because from a political point of view it’s too dangerous to work with them. There are too many examples of women playing the sexual harassment card when it's not justified. And the larger employers here, as they have to bid on future contracts, don't dare have that attached to their name when bidding time comes. And not only are women rarely held accountable for false claims, as it's political suicide to dare question any such claims, but those accused are not allowed to defend themselves, for the very same reason.

I abhor judging anyone on anything besides their individual merits, and would not allow that to happen in my presence if I had the power to change it, but..having a family to feed, I will also do the best I'm can not to be alone with a female medic in this country unless I know her very, very well.

And before you have to ask, I now work with a female nurse, who also happens to be my superior. Do I have issues with her? None at all. But those I trust have known her before, and I’ve come to know her well myself and am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with, and learn from her. Would I have hired her, sight unseen, if it was my responsibility to do so? Very little chance that I would have if there was a qualified male applicant. It’s simply to big a risk and possible disruption to our mission here.

That's unfair, I know, but I'm thinking that many here know that it's not an issue of my making. It's a female issue that has put me at risk.

I see these types of issues as a giant pendulum. We've treated women like property, which is obviously wrong. Now as we try to make adjustments, the pendulum swings far to the other hemisphere, where women are right, and must be protected at all cost, and those that victimize as well as those that fail to protect according to the current standard are consider evil and morally bankrupt. Hopefully in time it will settle down to the middle, where finally women will have equal rights, yet also be equally responsible for their behavior, and the playing field will be much more level.

Dwayne

[Eydawn]

I think women who falsely report sexual harassment should be shot for the sake of women who have been harmed everywhere. I also agree that a contracting agency could definitely see potential for problems especially sending women to remote areas where they will be in the minority. But I will say this; if it ever comes out that they're not hiring women solely as a gender based fear, they need to be ready to run for the hills. It sucks either way.

I think anyone heading to a remote area like that should have a psych screening as a mandate... to reduce the possibility of anyone being a predator or a victim-waiting-for-an-opportunity (different kind of predator, I think!)

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Dustdevil]

I think anyone heading to a remote area like that should have a psych screening as a mandate...

LOL! Well, as much as I would love to agree with you, here's the problem with that. Here are the fields that utilise remote medics:

• * Construction

* Oil and gas production

* Maritime

* War

• If you eliminate mentally unstable people from those fields, they will grind to a halt, because honestly, who else would do them?

[firedoc5]

I think women who falsely report sexual harassment should be shot for the sake of women who have been harmed everywhere. I also agree that a contracting agency could definitely see potential for problems especially sending women to remote areas where they will be in the minority. But I will say this; if it ever comes out that they're not hiring women solely as a gender based fear, they need to be ready to run for the hills. It sucks either way.

I think anyone heading to a remote area like that should have a psych screening as a mandate... to reduce the possibility of anyone being a predator or a victim-waiting-for-an-opportunity (different kind of predator, I think!)

Wendy

CO EMT-B

I got fired from a factory job for sexual harassment. I touched someone on the shoulder. But the job blew. We made car horns.

[iMac]

I think generally speaking, because this is a male directed profession and you tend to see more males in authoritative positions than females, people will automatically go to that regardless of the position you are in. Patients who are truly ill don't think like adults anymore they are like children so they automatically go to power position they have been brought up to follow.

but then maybe you're really ugly and they just don't want to talk to you I'm kidding..kidding

[emtannie]

I think generally speaking, because this is a male directed profession and you tend to see more males in authoritative positions than females, ....

I think the reason you see more males in authoritative positions in this field is that 20 - 25 years ago, it was a male dominated career... there were no women.... and those men who have lasted 20 - 25 years are now the senior employees, and get the administrative or supervisory positions...

Give it another 10 years.... I think you will see a lot more women in senior positions because there are more women in EMS.