Critical Care Paramedic yes or no?

[MedicMotherRunner]

I'm currently enrolled in a Critical Care Paramedic course. I have no end goal with it I just had the money and the time and figured why not? I mean is furthering my education and skill set ever a bad thing? I will not receive higher pay at my current job but it will set me up to not only become certified as a Critical Care Paramedic but also as a Flight Paramedic if I should choose to go that route. Anyways, I hear my co-workers discussing MY decision to pursue this some saying its unnecessary B/c I can't use the new skills on the truck (911 service). Not that I care what they think but I am curious to know what other EMS professionals think. 

[rock_shoes]

The value of the program is entirely dependent on the content of the program. If it helps further your career in the desired direction by all means pursue it.

[paramedicmike]

The value of the program is entirely dependent on the content of the program. If it helps further your career in the desired direction by all means pursue it.

This +1.

[ERDoc]

Even if it does nothing for your career, but it is something you want to do just because you can, go for it.  I would love to have enough free time to take some college courses that I avoided back in the day.

[Arctickat]

It is a tough call. On one hand you have the added education and understanding that will allow you to enhance patient care, even at your current scope. However, you also leave yourself at risk for PTSD because you will inevitably encounter that patient you could have saved because you knew how to save them. Afterall, you will be trained, but you will either lack the equipment or worse, the conviction to exceed your scope to save a life. I say worse because you cannot win, either you risk an end to your career and deprive any future patient of your expertise; or you live with the guilt of knowing what you could have done, but didn't.

It's your heart. We can't tell you how to follow it.

 

 

 

 

 

[rock_shoes]

I can share my own decision regarding CCP education (the rather lengthy Canadian version of said education). I decided to go for it. The reading has already begun with the main portion of the course starting in January and running over the following 2 years.

 

In the end it came down to desire for responsibility. My desire to take on that role and the education that goes with it exceeded my nervousness about whether or not it was the right decision. The decision to work in a targeted ALS response capacity was similar. Furthering ones education should be a humbling experience. It certainly has been for me. The more knowledge I acquire the more I feel as though I'm lacking in education.

[MedicMotherRunner]

Thanks to all for your responses I'm definitely going to continue with the program regardless of what my co-workers think. 

It is a tough call. On one hand you have the added education and understanding that will allow you to enhance patient care, even at your current scope. However, you also leave yourself at risk for PTSD because you will inevitably encounter that patient you could have saved because you knew how to save them. Afterall, you will be trained, but you will either lack the equipment or worse, the conviction to exceed your scope to save a life. I say worse because you cannot win, either you risk an end to your career and deprive any future patient of your expertise; or you live with the guilt of knowing what you could have done, but didn't.

It's your heart. We can't tell you how to follow it.

 

 

 

 

 

This is something I hadn't even considered but will definitely be keeping it in mind and deciding whether or not I want to stay where I am or go somewhere where my CCP certification will be useful. 

[Off Label]

I'm currently enrolled in a Critical Care Paramedic course. I have no end goal with it I just had the money and the time and figured why not? I mean is furthering my education and skill set ever a bad thing? I will not receive higher pay at my current job but it will set me up to not only become certified as a Critical Care Paramedic but also as a Flight Paramedic if I should choose to go that route. Anyways, I hear my co-workers discussing MY decision to pursue this some saying its unnecessary B/c I can't use the new skills on the truck (911 service). Not that I care what they think but I am curious to know what other EMS professionals think. 

Who says you won't be able to use your new found skills and knowledge in a 911 setting? And how would they know if they didn't hold that certification? Clearly there are skills that are limited to a critical care setting, but the knowledge involved in the care of those patients crosses over in many places. As patients live in the community with more and more complex diseases, how can advanced training not be practically applied in your setting? Right off the bat, I can say that the number of patients in the community with implantable LVADs is increasing meteorically.

Some folks can't see beyond their own narrow horizons...don't listen to 'em.