Difficulties with Paramedics as EMT's

[hfdff422]

If you have truly mastered the "skill" then it is time to find a better way to serve your patients. I cannot see how anyone could be satisfied with not being able to give every available field intervention or have every tool available to them. This is not a profession where it is OK to only provide the minimum level of service. I suppose I left one alternative of why you would not want to advance yourself in my previous post- fear. Fear of the responsibility, fear of failure, etc. So mabye it isn't laziness or lack of intelligence, mabye it is fear of trying to excel and failing to do so.

As for being an RN, well why not. It is not necessarily apples and oranges, but there are limited opportunities for prehospital providers who operate at anything above EMT-P. The additional knowledge gained would be beneficial, and would only likely require core classes plus some math. I am just a dumb ol' B and it is very frustrating what I don't know and even more frustrating is what I do know but cannot do. I will further myself by taking the next step, and while it is not right for everyone, if you are good at what you do it is unlikely you are satisfied with BLS level interventions and knowledge unless you fall into one of the categories I have mentioned.

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

If you have truly mastered the "skill" then it is time to find a better way to serve your patients. I cannot see how anyone could be satisfied with not being able to give every available field intervention or have every tool available to them. This is not a profession where it is OK to only provide the minimum level of service. I suppose I left one alternative of why you would not want to advance yourself in my previous post- fear. Fear of the responsibility, fear of failure, etc. So mabye it isn't laziness or lack of intelligence, mabye it is fear of trying to excel and failing to do so.

As for being an RN, well why not. It is not necessarily apples and oranges, but there are limited opportunities for prehospital providers who operate at anything above EMT-P. The additional knowledge gained would be beneficial, and would only likely require core classes plus some math. I am just a dumb ol' B and it is very frustrating what I don't know and even more frustrating is what I do know but cannot do. I will further myself by taking the next step, and while it is not right for everyone, if you are good at what you do it is unlikely you are satisfied with BLS level interventions and knowledge unless you fall into one of the categories I have mentioned.

To advance yourself within your scope is still acceptable, and admirable. Not lazy, stupid, or fearful. Do like where you are operating? Advance. They are two seperate scopes of practice for a reason. Educate yourself to the maximum allowable within your scope makes you none of the things you mentioned.

You may not understand it, for whatever reason. Doesnt make it stupid. Make it that your uncontent at your level.

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

Grammars spanking me today. Read last post loosely and youll get the idea.

[Nate]

Grammars spanking me today. Read last post loosely and youll get the idea.

Shut you paragod.

<~~~Runs away.

[nsmedic393]

I would like to add a side note to my previous post.

In one word accountability. It is a great responsability to be an ALS provider. You take on a leadership role and you have to be willing to take responsability for your actions. I take responsability for what happens during the course of patient care and its not something to be taken lightly. You have to be heald accountable at all times for everything. if heaven forbid something goes wrong, they look at the education and experience differences between medics and can say "you should have known better". Literally you should know more than your BLS partner.

I am accountable to my BLS partner if I screw up also. If I lead them down the wrong path its on my shoulders.

One of my big sayings is "Always try to do right by your patients and keep their best interests at heart".This applies weather you are ALS or BLS. If I am doing something wrong and my BLS partner points it out to me than I will be gratefull that they were able to pick up on it.

Anyways, its not like I go around thumping my chest and telling everyone "I'm the boss" all the time. I just want to try and give an understanding of the responsabilities placed on an ALS provider that some BLS providers may not understand.

I myself didn't really understand it until I got my cert saying that I was now the highest level provider and the responsability was now on my shoulders.

[cosgrojo]

I can see that this discussion went right where I thought it was destined to go.... right in the piss-pot.

What if you are a darn good basic who enjoys his job and is working to better himself through school and experience in OTHER fields? Trying to do the job as best as you can while you are there but trying to further yourself in another area. See PRPG starting up his own ambulance service... Does he need to be a Paragod to do that? We have such tunnel vision in this industry. Open up your eyes, your minds, and your hearts. Respect someone for what they are because you cannot know their intentions or their focus. To pigeonhole all EMS people as ONLY EMS people and only respectable if they continue up the EMS educational tree is assinine.

There are good providers and bad providers, just like in every industry. With all due respect to the life-long EMS people, and quality providers in this forum... give it a break.

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

Amen brother. =D>

You, being the higher level of provider, is the boss, yes. Your reasoning behind this was incredibly flawed however. It is not liability that causes this, its higher education and scope. EVERYONE IS LIABLE IN EMS. Period. Ask any slezebag lawyer and he'll be happy to tell you im sure.

PRPG

[Beagle189]

I am a Paramedic. I work in an ALS service that runs 1 Paramedic / 1 EMT per ambulance. I have been in EMS since 1984, a Paramedic since 1988. I have worked w/ countless EMTs since. Some good and some bad, and work w/ a lot of Part - Time EMT's. They are Part-time because they have full-time jobs doing something else other than healthcare. These part-timers are some of the best EMT's around. WHy? Because they learned their stuff and continue to learn and improve. Does this make them a bad healthcare provider because they are not medics? NO. They work at occupations that pay more to provide for their families. They don't care to spend 2 more years of constant education to become ALS. They are happy were they are at and they do a good job.

There is nothing wrong w/ staying an EMT if that is what you are good at.

On a side note - not all of my part-timers are good EMTs, Several I have had to threaten to kill and feed to the pigs.

[Eveninghorse]

From a rookie's point of view I am blessed to work with some very professional people. The medics I ride with put their own neck on the line whenever they let an "underclassman" take part in patient care and interventions. I'm amazed at the patience most medics have for a newbie (though it must be quite amusing to see what you must have looked like way back when!)

Nothin' on my nose here, just givin' credit where credit is due.

[Dustdevil]

To advance yourself within your scope is still acceptable, and admirable. Not lazy, stupid, or fearful. Do like where you are operating? Advance. They are two seperate scopes of practice for a reason. Educate yourself to the maximum allowable within your scope makes you none of the things you mentioned.

Hmmm... Keep talking. You almost have me coming around to your way of thinking on this one now. :-k

But I must warn you, if I agree with you that the two scopes truly exist as separate career paths, then it probably only strengthens my conviction in the belief that the EMT scope and career should be eliminated from transporting EMS.

I have worked w/ countless EMTs since. Some good and some bad, and work w/ a lot of Part - Time EMT's. They are Part-time because they have full-time jobs doing something else other than healthcare. These part-timers are some of the best EMT's around. WHy? Because they learned their stuff and continue to learn and improve. Does this make them a bad healthcare provider because they are not medics? NO. They work at occupations that pay more to provide for their families. They don't care to spend 2 more years of constant education to become ALS. They are happy were they are at and they do a good job.

There is nothing wrong w/ staying an EMT if that is what you are good at.

Comparing part-time thrill seekers who aren't devoted to the profession to those who choose EMS as a professional career isn't particularly valid in this discussion. It is obviously not the same thing, and not really a career path at all. And I'd like to know exactly how these part timers have advanced themselves? There is a difference between becoming a great ambulance driver, vitals taker, and stretcher fetcher and actually improving yourself.