What is life of a paramedic like?

[island emt]

I don't think high school student is an occupation.

[Arctickat]

Look at what he has listed as his occupation bud.

[island emt]

future EMT student???

That would lead me to believe living in mommy's basement and going to high school.

[ambodriver]

Life as a paramedic is what you make of it. Just like the life of anyone working any kind of job.

There are a lot of services that pay shit. Non-emergency and for profit ambulance services.

A snapshot of my life as a medic. I work 24 hours and then im off for 72. I make a good wage and will retire with a pension.

ymmv

[systemet]

Just to add my .02;

Shift cycles vary greatly by location, and typically by how busy the service is.

If you're working in an urban environment, you're typically on some combination of 10's, 14's, 12's or 8's, or whatever, where you get paid for the time you're there, and typically 1.5X or 2X if you end up running calls before or after your shift. Sleep at night is theoretically possible, but unlikely.

In a more rural environment, you may be on 24's. Depending on your employer you may basically come into work for a few hours, then be free to go home (if you live near enough). They usually provide some sort of accomodation for out-of-towners, but this might involve sleeping on a couch, or a dorm. Some employers may provide workout equipment, television, etc. I've worked some places where you can come in for 24 hours, do nothing, have four hours where they want you in uniform, and otherwise go to sleep, work out, or watch tv for the rest of the time. On other occasions you may work 21 of 24 hours, and finish the end of shift needing to sleep for a couple of hours before heading home. Usually you're compensating for any hours beyond a certain amount as OT.

The more common shift schedule I've seen is 4 days on / 4 days off. I have worked 6 on / 3 off, but this is very rare in my region now.

Pay is much better in most of Canada than in the US. The other challenges with EMS, e.g. family life, critical stress, shift work, remain universal. You have to decide whether they're worth it. It's not typically a 9-5 job, unless you can find a teaching position, or some higher administrative position.

Waking up at 2 am from a dead sleep to a critical call, or (sometimes worse), someone who is going to be behaviourally difficult with no obvious acute complaint, is pretty much a universal. You can do this in the city, off a five minute nap in the passenger seat of the ambulance, or you do it from home, drive to the station, get in the ambulance, etc., but it's there. And it will be a constant issue -- you choose how you deal with it.

[MariB]

Ya but getting woken up at 2 am from a dead sleep to come in to work does not sound that great.

happens to me all the time. I am a student right now but have completed all my drivers training. I am on call a lot. I sleep in something that will pass as dressed and have my coat and shoes by the door. Usually when that pager goes off, I am wide awake.

[cprted]

Ya but getting woken up at 2 am from a dead sleep to come in to work does not sound that great.

That is the reality of our jobs. People don't just call 911 Monday-Friday 9-5.

[Kiwiology]

I know the work cycles are a problem for some people; there are all sorts of combinations of rosters depending on who and where you are, I've seen 24 on, 48 off, 4 on, 4 off, 3 on 2 off, 2 on, 3 off, Monday to Friday, days only, nights only, days and nights, coloured shifts, numbered shifts and everything in between.

Locally in New Zed it's predominantly 2 days on, 2 nights on then 4 days off although that does vary in some of the smaller towns it can be days only with 100% on call nights, days only with 50% on call nights or some combination inbetween.

[jsd67]

Well I found out that in my area they can only schedule EMT's to work for a maximum of 16 hours and can't be allowed to work
over 18 hours in a 24 hour period, for safety reasons.

[BushyFromOz]

One day im going to write a list of the things i wish people had told me before i cam a paramedic, included would be all those nasty little "hidden costs" of being an ambo, and a shift worker, that they dont tell you about.