Need advice

[Richard B the EMT]

38 years on the job, only one female partner could not or would not lift. Her previous experience was on a college-based service, and she openly said that the "jocks" who worked with her did the lifting. I actually encouraged her to go into a different aspect of the medical field, as she caused several of the guys back pain, trying to compensate for her lack of lift, myself included. Pity. She was excellent, technically, as an EMT. (Before anyone asks, that was circa 1980-1985, and I don't recall if she was "hott" or not!)

I also have had some female partners who bragged about what gym weights they could lift, and in what type of lift. Some of them, while not looking like "gym rats", could outlift me, and a few who did look like "gym rats" could not. Same for male partners.

[island emt]

Dwayne - I look forward to building a lot of friendships with fellow EMS and next time I visit my family I will definitely let your know. Texas isn't so bad...it's better than say, Siberia.

Welcome to the business cowgirl. Don't let one bad experience sour your outlook on prehospital medicine.

Actually right now Dwayne has been banished to Mongolia for sleeping with a rocky mountain sheep. :-{

Who knew they had high speed internet in Mongolia ????

[DFIB]

Welcome to the business cowgirl. Don't let one bad experience sour your outlook on prehospital medicine.

Actually right now Dwayne has been banished to Mongolia for sleeping with a rocky mountain sheep. :-{

Who knew they had high speed internet in Mongolia ????

The mongolians sent him back! Must have turned on the lights!

[Just Plain Ruff]

no Dwayne just Kept saying "Just sayin" to the Mongols and they felt that he was repeating himself so they sent him home to the mountains of colorado to recuperate and reboot.

[hatelilpeepees]

Typical male answers, as you ignore the blatent discrimination by so many employers. These lifting test are nothing but a way to keep women out of EMS. I will bet anyone 1000 dollars that if we went to this employer and dragged employees from the field that have been there 10 years (male or female), half of them could not pass this test, and I guarantee you 100% of the male managers could not pass it.

[akflightmedic]

They pass the test everyday at work when they lift the stretcher with patients on it multiple times during the shift. You are getting crazier and crazier sock puppet....

It is a fair and reasonable test/assessment. Same as the CPAT for fire departments...it is pass/fail, no reduced times or weights based on gender, size, color, anything. A straight forward test which replicates realistic scenarios that occur repeatedly throughout a normal shift. If you cannot lift once, what makes me think you can lift multiple times without injuring yourself or your partner?

Puff puff pass cause thats how you are sounding.

[tniuqs]

Typical male answers, as you ignore the blatent discrimination by so many employers. These lifting test are nothing but a way to keep women out of EMS. I will bet anyone 1000 dollars that if we went to this employer and dragged employees from the field that have been there 10 years (male or female), half of them could not pass this test, and I guarantee you 100% of the male managers could not pass it.

Good Grief just I see a glow of the light bulb turn on .... this lets all skip down the blanket statement path ?

Seriously HLPP your so easy to slam its hard for me to restrain myself !

How does your sexiest commentary have any thing to with doing the job ? Should we hire midgets because they are being persecuted against as well .. sheesh get a grip on EMS reality PLEASE.

The JOB in EMT = Ed's Moving and Transportation whether it be EMT A/B/I/P ... being able to lift (without injuring yourself or your partner safely) In passing ... I was trained by a <gasp> women how to lift properly .. again a blatant stereotypical back woods response.

Yo do make a very valid point in about continued fitness and re-evaluation it is abysmal, we are and well documented observing an alarming number of hose monkeys and band-aids dropping dead on scenes, could it be the lifestyle we lead or societal changes and lack of fitness testing ..

Quite disappointingly the OP is asking for assistance on how to make herself a better caregiver, qualifying for a position with higher than normal expectations and how to improve .. but here we go down the hire based on affirmative action hiring in the workplace .. so you can't lift .. well get off MY TRUCK your a safety hazard !

cheers

Edited November 29, 2011 by tniuqs

[systemet]

Thanks for the advice AC....I will start with the leg press tomorrow. Appreciate the encouragement.

What would be even better, is to get a decent trainer to teach you how to deadlift, or teach yourself very carefully. There's a not so great image here: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html

I'm sure if you look around, you'll find better examples.

The deadlift is much more functional, it's a very similar movement to lifting the stretcher, it builds great grip strength and requires you to stabilise the upper body with the core, engage the entire posterior chain, and move at the hips, knees, lower back, and to a lesser extent ankles. As opposed to a leg press machine, or a smith rack, where you're not engaing the stabilisers much, and practicing a movement pattern that doesn't really occur in real life very often.

The leg press is an ok start, but you'd get much better strength development and transfer from a deadlift.

[Kaisu]

When I started in the job, I was offended that lifting was deemed so important by the men, and actually went on a tirade on this very site about discrimination. I figured that as a trained clinician, my brain should outweigh my brawn. After 3,500 calls or so, I was as dismayed as the rest of them to be partnered up with one of the smaller women - not because of discrimination, but because I knew that I would be stuck pulling my own weight and hers, exposing myself, my partner and my patient to possible injury.

I work out with a personal trainer twice a week. It's an investment not only in career longevity but in the quality of my life. I find that she not only keeps me motivated, but gets me results that I could not get on my own. Currently, I can outlift all of the other women and most of the men. This is more of a commentary on the sad shape of a lot of my colleagues than a comment on my fitness.

I take pride in how I do the job, and am motivated to do it as well as I can. I commend the OP, and urge her to do whatever is required to meet the same benchmark as everyone else in the field.

It is the fat, lazy and cleavage dependent that scream discrimination when the question of lifting comes up.

[Richard B the EMT]

What would be even better, is to get a decent trainer to teach you how to deadlift, or teach yourself very carefully.

Finally, someone responded to the original question asked, IMHO!