Well..New guy...from europe!

[krumel]

Hello everyone,

I've been to the forum a while ago but lost contact while moving during europe.

My names Philipp,

I'm a 22 year old hald german hald swiss paramedic.

I'm working currently near zurich and part time in Munich..

Yeah.... Dunno what to add...

Thats is..

[fiznat]

Welcome Philipp!

Tell us what its like working as a medic in Switzerland.

[krumel]

Much better than working in Germany;)

(For Germans Medics Switzerland is something like the "holy land of EMS"... )

Well...I will try to compare from an US view and describe switzerland a bit....

Switzerland is organized in so called "Katone", a thing between a county and a state... Some "Kantone" are very small with approximatly 30.000 citiziens, some are as big as an regular US State.

Every Kanton is very "self-governed" so the EMS looks different everywhere you look, not only because there are 4 official swiss languages;)

The emergency Nr. for medical help is (in most "Kantone") 144... FF and LE have their own numbers...

Normally the ambulances are Mercedes Benz or Volkswagen based. The term of "ALS" or "BLS" Unit are not common in the german speaking countries, you just differ between "Rettungswagen" (ALS Ambulances) and "Krankentransportwagen" or "Einsatzambulanzen"(Both Patient transport ambulances with more or less equipment).

On every "emergency call" dispatch will send an "Rettungswagen"....

Swiss health care providers normally are very well trained and so are most EMS Personel. On every "Rettungswagen" you find at least one diplomated "Rettungssanitäter", a training very similar to the Paramedic.

In addition in most regions you are able to get medical backup by bringing an emergency physican or an especially trained Critical an anaesthesia care nurse to the scene.

Swiss "Rettungssanitäter" are trained (an in most regions allowed) to start an I.V., an I.O., defibrillate and pace manually(as well as we normally don't do and use the AED.., give a big amount of drugs and start an narcosis.(but this will normally performed by the "backup" as described above)

Will write more later, got a call

[firedoc5]

Welcome, Phil. We need more people from Europe.

[Riblett]

Very nice to have someone from another European country. We have some from Germany and the Netherlands. I think you are the only one from Switzerland. So could you tell us what roles the Notartzen play within the Swiss system? Also, please tell us more about the Krankenpfleger specialization. What can they do, what is their training, etc?

http://www.emtcity.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12370 These are some questions I posted about the German EMS system on another section.

[krumel]

Thanks;)

But I have to admit that I've been trained in Germany (Munich, Bavaria).

The role of the "emergency physican" differs from every Kanton to Kanton..In some of them on every (more or less) emergency they will dispatch an M.D...In some regions they won't dispatch doctors generally.

Normally in most regions they will only be on scene when there this a serious MVA, an pediatric emergency, an cardiac arrest, etc.

One important point in Switzerland and Germany is that you normally don't use "algorhythms", "standing orders" or "textbooks" that much...Normally we decide what to do by our training but more on an individual approach to every situation than a textbook.

[firedoc5]

Thanks;)

But I have to admit that I've been trained in Germany (Munich, Bavaria).

The role of the "emergency physican" differs from every Kanton to Kanton..In some of them on every (more or less) emergency they will dispatch an M.D...In some regions they won't dispatch doctors generally.

Normally in most regions they will only be on scene when there this a serious MVA, an pediatric emergency, an cardiac arrest, etc.

One important point in Switzerland and Germany is that you normally don't use "algorhythms", "standing orders" or "textbooks" that much...Normally we decide what to do by our training but more on an individual approach to every situation than a textbook.

How big of a difference is there in your training Kanton to Kanton, or does the training standardized by the country? What are you trained in more, trauma or medical, and which do you prefer?

I'm sorry for all the questions, but you got my interest up.

[krumel]

No problem.

The training is standardized for the hole nation;)

I would say theres no focus in our training althought in Europe some kind of trauma you don't see some kind of trauma's only very ocassional.

I prefer the trauma calls;)

[firedoc5]

No problem.

The training is standardized for the hole nation;)

I would say theres no focus in our training althought in Europe some kind of trauma you don't see some kind of trauma's only very ocassional.

I prefer the trauma calls;)

You'll fit right in here.

[krumel]

I guess most medics do:D