Hello. So where are you a EMT or medic?

[DwayneEMTP]

Grin...all is well.

[Arctickat]

Actually, Not Sorry to Dwayne, he's a pain in the ass, Sorry to the OP though. Dwayne has a valid point...I was trying to be funny, but I wasn't. I shoulda tacked "in Sask, Canada." onto the end of my post.

[DwayneEMTP]

Yeah, but if you'd done that Kat then I'd have had to spend half of my day looking for something else to bitch about. You did me a favor!

Sometimes I think we get a little bit off track, me at least as much as anyone else....just trying to help us remember that being a new member in a group of really smart established members can be really intimidating. I know it was for me, and continues to be sometimes. We need to keep admin fed if we're going to continue to enjoy this place full of amazing people...we need to keep that in the front of our minds I think...

[Band Aid]

Glad I found this site.

I have been a volunteer EMT since 1964, I don't think we were called EMTs though. We were called "Rescue Squad" members.

Over the years there have been a lot of changes a lot of good a few bad.

I think it is great the way the profession has evolved. Down side is a lot of people look at us as primary care givers. Puts a burden on the service. Woudl be great if the general public would learn what "emergency" means.

[DFIB]

Glad I found this site.

I have been a volunteer EMT since 1964, I don't think we were called EMTs though. We were called "Rescue Squad" members.

Over the years there have been a lot of changes a lot of good a few bad.

I think it is great the way the profession has evolved. Down side is a lot of people look at us as primary care givers. Puts a burden on the service. Woudl be great if the general public would learn what "emergency" means.

Then again the logical evolution of EMS as a profession would be for us to become primary care givers, wouldn't you think?

[Band Aid]

Then again the logical evolution of EMS as a profession would be for us to become primary care givers, wouldn't you think?

Well, not for me. Sorry but for me, toothaches, skin rashes, "ran out of pain meds" should not be the focus of EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. Before you say it, I know a toothache can be a possible sign of a MI. But our patients have them all day and about 2am they can't stand it anymore and they think a trip to the emergency department in an ambulance is the best course of action.

If I wanted to be a primary care tech I could have become a nurse, an nurse practitioner or a physicians assistant.

[paramedicmike]

If I wanted to be a primary care tech I could have become a nurse, an nurse practitioner or a physicians assistant.

If you're referring to more than one the plural is physician assistants. A physician's assistant is a tech. Physician assistants are more than techs.

It's not semantics. I'm sure it's simply a misunderstanding.

[scubanurse]

Well, not for me. Sorry but for me, toothaches, skin rashes, "ran out of pain meds" should not be the focus of EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. Before you say it, I know a toothache can be a possible sign of a MI. But our patients have them all day and about 2am they can't stand it anymore and they think a trip to the emergency department in an ambulance is the best course of action.

If I wanted to be a primary care tech I could have become a nurse, an nurse practitioner or a physicians assistant.

Have you ever been awake at 3 am with retractable pain? I have and sometimes the only thing you can do is go to the ER. I have so much metal in my shoulders that sometimes I am crying and screaming in pain in the middle of the night. And yes, I have called 911 for this. I was in no state to drive, and I am very thankful you did not show up. Instead I got extremely compassionate providers who gave me IN fentanyl and transported me to the hospital. EMS is a lot of primary care. You are on the front lines for treating patients and educating them. That's what a primary care provider does. EMS isn't just about the blood and gore, running Cor's, and saving lives. It's about being there for patients when they are in their worst moments. You are going into someones home and they are trusting you to make their situation better.

Having that attitude is not helpful to this profession or your patients.

[Kaisu]

.

If I wanted to be a primary care tech I could have become a nurse, an nurse practitioner or a physicians assistant.

Yeah, but then you would have had to go to school and shit....

[scubanurse]

Yeah, but then you would have had to go to school and shit....

And probably learn proper grammer... why mess around with that stuff!