Choosing an employer

[Guest]

Perhaps this goes along with those previous threads of 'interview tips', but I'm curious what everyone thinks are important factors for your employer to have.

My question arises because I do live in Ontario, and here, each municipality (similar to a county for our American friends) runs it's own EMS system. There are a few exceptional circumstances, but the vast majority are municipal. Because of this, local protocols can vary widely, and some services have cooler toys over others.

What's important to you? Staff morale? Equipment? Uniforms? Protocols? ... please explain, help a brother out!

Zach

[medic429]

Something I have been paying attention to is staff retention....while we all may move on to bigger and better things, the service I'm at now has people (some part time or volunteers) that have been there for YEARS. The volunteers are scheduled and they even show up! The last service I was at, I was there for one year and was second in seniority....hmmmm.......

The trucks are new and the equipment is well maintained and in excellent condition. They offer some CEU's from time to time at the station, they pay for the must-haves (ACLS,PALS) etc. The shifts aren't bad either. I'd like to have more aggressive protocols, but I guess you can't have everything you want-a girl can dream!

While no one will be happy all the time, the fact that people stick around as long as they do I think says something.....

just my .02.

[vs-eh?]

Which services aren't municipal? Must be way north or something, anyway...

1) Staff Morale - Everyone will always bitch about something. I think morale would be generally low wherever you go. My service may take the cake, just because of size, call volume, union issues, etc...

2) Equipment - I'd say average within the province, nothing special. I'd like to have 12 leads (rumored we're getting them, again...). Vehicle's are great, zero issue with that. Thankfully, I came on nearing the end of where we still used type II's...they blow. I would not work in a service that used type II's with any kind of regularity. We are apparently getting this new computerized ACR thing soon. I would rather that money be put into getting 12 lead capable monitors and greater pharm intervention options (i.e. fentanyl, calcium channel blocker, etc...).

3) Uniforms - Again, no issues. We have a pretty wide range of uniforms available - standard, jumpsuits, golf shirts, t-shirts, etc...People are relatively lax at really enforcing a standardized uniform policy (I don't know if that is due to lack of trying though). I would wager at any given time there would be 10+ different types of uniforms being worn in the city.

4) Protocols - With the advent of standardized provincial orders, the majority of "core" scope of practice is pretty universal throughout the province. But of course there are variations. Our PCP scope is woefully inadequate compared to the rest of the province, and indeed the better part of the country. PCP cannot even start IV's here, which is a standard of practice in the better part of the province and for PCP's across the country. If it weren't for my ACP status I would serious look into another service for this very reason.

5) Schedules - I like our schedule compared to others.

6) Size - You a big city or rural person? Like to have everything at your finger tips or don't care? Like to be busy and people watch all day or do you like to know you will have downtime or shifts where you may do nothing?

Another thing to keep in mind is that as the size of the municipality/city increases, so likely does the influence of seniority, your unions likely bargaining power, etc...Working in a larger city may give you options within the city (not only in EMS) should you get injured or want to do something different. Other stuff to think about.

I believe that the hiring blitz is nearing its end, so you may not have as many options as you may have had 2-3 years ago. The market is starting to become saturated in my opinion.

[Guest]

I believe you are right vs with the end of the PCP jobs in Ont. Not looking forward to job hunting next year- at least with services in the GTA.

[FarNorthMedic]

Which services aren't municipal? Must be way north or something, anyway...

Only a few that I know of

Muskoka is private (family run for a very long time now)

DSSAB areas like:

Sudbury-Manitoulin

Algoma

Superior North

Nipising (who recently started ACPs)

etc...

Many county services:

Hastings

Peel

Leeds Grenville

Essex-windsor

etc...

and some under hospitals:

West Parry Sound Ambulance Service

James Bay Abulance Service

Niagara I believe is still Hotel Due (spelling??)

etc...

James Bay Ambulance is the only service left with 100% funding from the provincial government.

Sorry just some late night FYI typing

Cheers

[AnthonyM83]

I'm not writing as someone who's been employed in the field in EMS (b/c I haven't), but in the jobs/agencies I work for, I always look at the social aspect of the job. Does it seem like I'd really like my co-workers or the people/clients I'll be working for? I need to have people I like surrounding me...even if the employer is crappy, we can still b**ch about how crappy our supplies are or about the boss. The people I'm around seem to decide (long-term) what my overall attitude about my job is. The other is feeling like I'm really DOING something...be it helping people or getting important tasks done.

[Dustdevil]

I start my employer evaluation process in the parking lot. What are their employees driving? A bunch of ten year old pieces of $hit, indicating they are paid poorly? Nicer and newer cars indicating they are paid comfortably? Are there a bunch wankermobiles with red lights and stickers and antennae all over them, signifying a young, inexperienced, unprofessional workforce? Are the management's vehicles (the ones parked under the covered, reserved parking near the front door, of course) Mercedes and Porches? Is the owner's yacht parked out back?

You can tell a lot from the parking lot of an EMS agency.

[Nate]

I start my employer evaluation process in the parking lot. What are their employees driving? A bunch of ten year old pieces of $hit, indicating they are paid poorly? Nicer and newer cars indicating they are paid comfortably? Are there a bunch wankermobiles with red lights and stickers and antennae all over them, signifying a young, inexperienced, unprofessional workforce? Are the management's vehicles (the ones parked under the covered, reserved parking near the front door, of course) Mercedes and Porches? Is the owner's yacht parked out back?

You can tell a lot from the parking lot of an EMS agency.

We have 8 brand new trucks at one station...makes me wonder if the entire shift decided to go buy the same make, model, and color. :shock:

[JakeEMTP]

We have 8 brand new trucks at one station...makes me wonder if the entire shift decided to go buy the same make, model, and color. :shock:

They must have got a fleet discount Wait, they're not wankermobiles, are they?

[FarNorthMedic]

I believe you are right vs with the end of the PCP jobs in Ont. Not looking forward to job hunting next year- at least with services in the GTA.

Get yourself any courses you can....take PALS, NALS, ACLS, ATLS, programs put on by base hospitals...anything. I took a 12 & 16 lead ECG and thrombolytic course while I was still in PCP classes. It was actually mentioned once or twice with employers.....even if I'll never do a 16 lead ecg or push a thrombolytic with land services it still shows motivation and iniative. It's becoming dog eat dog in Ontario for PCPs.

Also in Ontario you no longer need PCP experience to take the ACP program. Now saying that you probably won't be received very well with senior medics if you haven't done a single day as a PCP before going ACP.

My opinion is very mixed on this. Some PCPs have it from day one and probably could do very well as an ACP right off the get go. On the other hand I've worked with some very very bad medics who should never even say the words "advanced care".