Do you work with an EMT or a driver?

[Dustdevil]

Sorry, I was in a hurry to get back to looking at porn.

[chazmedic]

Ridryder 911...I love you, man! Your the sh*t! Take my wife (please, she's very demanding).

I think I started this thread because I am very tired today. Of everything right now. My former regular partner (EMT) was great. Self-starter, loved to work, knew his sh*t. But, he moved to a bigger, better paying service.

So, for the past 2 months I've been getting floaters. And yes, that could mean several things. In the past 2 weeks, I've had 4 critical calls where my partner was nothing more than a driver to me. The last call was a 15 month old that had been ran over. I had two of these EMT's there and I still felt like I was totally by myself until the supervisor showed up. Neither one could even find the IV supplies in the pedi trauma kit. Fortunately, she is fine today. But still, with my old partner it would have been a lot smoother.

The guy I'm working with today I noticed wasn't even pushing the cot down the hallway. The patient was a 300 pounder on his way to an open MRI (I wonder why) and I was up front pulling. I noticed it was getting really hard and I thought "wow, this guy must be over 300." That's when I noticed. He didn't know to push the cot!!

I get a new partner next month. Great guy. Things should be better. He's a little younger than me, but he has worked for a living. Used to be a ranch hand, house builder, currently a firefighter (we're both on a peak time truck, which means we're considered part-time by management. Kinda like working at Wal-I'llstoprightthere). I've worked with him on the ambulance before and I can tell he's more motivated. Self-starting. Does the job.

I was just wondering if anyone else had seen a pattern with the younger generation in this field?

Okay, okay. I'm finished ranting. 1 hour to end of shift and a nice cold beer.

[Ridryder 911]

Sorry, I was in a hurry to get back to looking at porn.

Okay, here take my Viagra .......LOL

R/$ 911

[tattoomama]

I must be an exception...I am an EMT-I (just found out I passed the NREMT) and EVERYTHING is exciting and cool and new

for ME. The medics I worked with on all of my ride-alongs kept apologizing that we didn't get any "good" calls..

I had to say to them,"EVERY call is good for me, I am here to learn."

I WANT to push the damn cot! I WANT to do the simple, mundane things like CLEAN out the rig

and RE-SHEET the cot. I haven't been hired yet, have a pending interview this week, but I am

afraid when I am hired, I will be made fun of for my exuberance. It's all cool and new and

I realize it's all my job.

So far, my jobs have been to take VS and glucose sticks (there were other things, like taking SAMPLE, applying leads, holding PT's hand,

doing chest compressions for 30 min. on asystole PT, etc.), had a couple of psych pts. (one that required seven

police officers), but no truama...

I just wanted to let you know, there are those of us out there that will do ALL and ANY tasks because

it's our job. Maybe it's my age, I just turned 37 and am starting this late in life. I don't know.

But I am raring to go!

[Nate]

If they don't want to be here, I'm more then happy to show them to the parking lot.

[northernmedic]

Well to be honest I haven't totally lost faith yet. Since I started in EMS 8 years ago, the education requirements have been slowly increasing every year and I think we are getting some really good young people into our service. They are green and definitely need mentorship and experience but they're gung ho. I don't care how dumb you are, with a good attitude you will eventually become a good EMS provider.

[Rescue0ne]

Well, this is a good one.

I've been in EMS for 15 years now...took the EMT class when it was called EMT-A (Ambulance). In 1990, Virginia's EMT cirriculum was rated to be 2nd-year College Level. I was 16 then. Passed on the first try. Three years later, the cirriculum changed. EMT's no longer had to understand WHY that person was diaphoretic, or seizing...they were only required to know how to treat the signs/symptoms. To me, it seemed that EMT's became robots...or worse, like trained Monkeys. Hey monkey...do "such and such" when you see "such and such." You don't need to know why the person is doing that, only what to do when they're doing it.

Am I missing something, or is that a reduction of medical knowlledge...equaling reduced quality patient care?

Anyway, the cirriculum was changed again after a while, and EMT's were again required to know WHY, in addition to HOW.

If the person is in it for only a job...well, McDonalds is almost alwys hiring. If you're just excited by the lights & sirens...be sure to email me your home address today before you log off...I'll send DustDevil over for an "attitude adjustment" session.

I've met some people in the profession, ALS as well as BLS...but mostly BLS...that honestly don't GAF about pt care. They sure do like the patches, uniforms, blousing their trousers (lmao)...which is required sometimes for certain divisions in my agency, as well as the Batman Utility Belts with enough equipment onboard to perform most major surgical operations, in addition to finding the cure for cancer.

TONES...bbl 2 finish

[Ace844]

If they don't want to be here, I'm more then happy to show them to the parking lot.

I'm also more than happy to induce multiple skull pounding migranes, then send them home crying..... 8)

[Ace844]

Well, this is a good one.

I've been in EMS for 15 years now...took the EMT class when it was called EMT-A (Ambulance). In 1990, Virginia's EMT cirriculum was rated to be 2nd-year College Level. I was 16 then. Passed on the first try. Three years later, the cirriculum changed. EMT's no longer had to understand WHY that person was diaphoretic, or seizing...they were only required to know how to treat the signs/symptoms. To me, it seemed that EMT's became robots...or worse, like trained Monkeys. Hey monkey...do "such and such" when you see "such and such." You don't need to know why the person is doing that, only what to do when they're doing it.

Am I missing something, or is that a reduction of medical knowlledge...equaling reduced quality patient care?

Anyway, the cirriculum was changed again after a while, and EMT's were again required to know WHY, in addition to HOW.

If the person is in it for only a job...well, McDonalds is almost alwys hiring. If you're just excited by the lights & sirens...be sure to email me your home address today before you log off...I'll send DustDevil over for an "attitude adjustment" session.

I've met some people in the profession, ALS as well as BLS...but mostly BLS...that honestly don't GAF about pt care. They sure do like the patches, uniforms, blousing their trousers (lmao)...which is required sometimes for certain divisions in my agency, as well as the Batman Utility Belts with enough equipment onboard to perform most major surgical operations, in addition to finding the cure for cancer.

TONES...bbl 2 finish

Sadly this seems to be the current state of US based EMS..God help us all...IT Needs afixin..!!!

[weasel 108]

I have had several problems with new EMT's where I work. They come in on their 1st day and either go to the bunk room and sleep or watch TV. I've walked up to a few over the years and asked them if they checked out their unit and if they know where everything is and how to use the equipment. I usually get the look like I have 2 heads.The dept that I work for will usually start new EMTs on routine transports and not on 911 medic units due to the newbies having no 911 experience. Drives me nuts ,when I hear them say that they should be on 911 units instead of the routine units. I worked on routine trucks for several years before working on the 911 unit.Must be me,but it seems like the new EMTs that are coming out of the classes think that the world owes them. :roll: