Paramedic working as an EMT

[mickeyg913]

The hospital I work for is going to "get rid of" all Medic position and just hire EMT's. (In hospital, not on the Critical Care Transport Team)

Can a Medic who works inside the hospital work as an EMT? How would this affect their certification?

(This is in Pennsylvania. We have Medics who are Nationally Registered and Medics who let their NREMT lapse but are still State compliant.)

[island emt]

I think the best answer is for you to call the PA state EMS office and discuss this with them for legal clarification as they are your licensing agency.

It would seem to me that common sense would say you can work at a lower license level as long as you only work to the EMTB level scope of practice.

Are they going to lower your current pay level to that of a ER tech at the basic level?

[ERDoc]

I'm not sure what your concern is here. You are working within the scope allowed by the hospital (the license you are working under).

[Just Plain Ruff]

yeah, you aren't working as a medic anymore. You are working to their job description. As long as you follow their job description and don't deviate from it then there should be no problem.

But what I can see is this, medics who were working there are going to have a huge learning curve to NOT provide medic level services.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I also forgot to add this

Your medics will also need to reign in their desire to do the medic level procedure. just because they can outside the hospital doesn't mean they can inside. Many medics are going to be very resistent to being told today they are medics but starting tomorrow you are at the emt level. I suspect numerous resignations and maybe a few terminations for practicing outside of their job descriptions.

it's going to be difficult.

[ERDoc]

Would that be considered a case of...BLS before ALS?

[island emt]

pretty good one Doc

[Just Plain Ruff]

Would that be considered a case of...BLS before ALS?

But I am a paragod, I will not stoop to doing bls skills only. I must drop a ET tube and start an IV on everyone. To hell with my employers requirements, I'm not a emt I'm a damn paragod Jim!!!!

[MCSOU]

I'm more curious about peoples thoughts on paramedics working as EMTs on a BLS truck.

[triemal04]

I'm more curious about peoples thoughts on paramedics working as EMTs on a BLS truck.

What about it? There's really nothing to say other than to dispel some myths; no, you won't lose your certification, no, you won't be held responsible for not performing a paramedic-level intervention if your job description is that of an EMT, no, it is not illegal in ANY state (I dare anyone to try and prove me wrong on that one ), yes, there are places that require this for various reasons, yes, a company can hire someone with a paramedic cert to work as an EMT.

Depending on why a particular department does this and how it is set up it can certainly be a good thing, a bad thing, or an indifferent thing. Kind of just depends on specifics.