Paramedic Shortages......Paying For It?

[akflightmedic]

Connie,

Just look at VS's avatar and you will find your answer.

We know return to our topic at hand....

[JPINFV]

I can tell you what good ole Kansas decided to do to help out the shortage. Someone in their infinite wisdom decided "We have a Paramedic Shortage, I know how to solve that! We will increase the length of their schooling and make them obtain their associate degrees while their at it!"

Still doesn't make any sense to me, but hey. I"m all for educated Paramedics, however what Kansas did further complicated the Paramedic Shortage. So I find it funny when I hear people in Kansas who are on the board of EMS or other high up positions complain about a Paramedic shortage, when they caused it. Like I said, I like the idea of Associate Degree Paramedics, you can never have to much education, however it doesn't compute when their is a supposed shortage.

Ways a higher education helps.

1.

It is not that we have a shortage of Paramedics, in fact quite the opposite. But, rather no one wants to hire the Paramedic applicants.. we keep cranking them out.. and no one wants them due to poor knowledge and poor work ethics. So all the older pre-existing gets the jobs and they rather hire part time instead of full time.

R/r 911

2. Degree=higher social standing=smarter people considering being paramedics=see point 1.

3. Degree=better ability to negotiate for a higher wage=more people considering becoming a paramedic.

4. Degree should=more toys=more people considering being a paramedic which used to = wackers, but college filters them out.

finally

5. Degree = where EMS needs to go, even if it's a painful road to get there.

[ks_emt]

I can tell you what good ole Kansas decided to do to help out the shortage. Someone in their infinite wisdom decided "We have a Paramedic Shortage, I know how to solve that! We will increase the length of their schooling and make them obtain their associate degrees while their at it!"

Still doesn't make any sense to me, but hey. I"m all for educated Paramedics, however what Kansas did further complicated the Paramedic Shortage. So I find it funny when I hear people in Kansas who are on the board of EMS or other high up positions complain about a Paramedic shortage, when they caused it. Like I said, I like the idea of Associate Degree Paramedics, you can never have to much education, however it doesn't compute when their is a supposed shortage.

well i know if you look at the number of paramedics and the number of emt-b's in the state it's amazing to know how few paramedics there are. I know where I live there a shortage of paramedics. when the service goes to hire new personnel there was only two medics apply for three positions. I agree on longer schooling is better. I am currently getting all of my stuff out of the way for medic school. but I know for a fact sedgwick county is hiring 16 new medics and its always hard for them to keep medics. so it depends on the area and the service.

[Ridryder 911]

KSEMT122 I understand your frustration, but in reality wil this really cause a shortage? I am sure the nursing division heard the same complaints of diploma nurses vesus ADN, and even preferred BSN. In less than a year or two, no one will even notice it.

Really, come to think of it is only about an additional semester, if one was really required to have an anatomy and physiology class. ...

R/r 911

[traumaman5150]

KSEMT122 I understand your frustration, but in reality wil this really cause a shortage? I am sure the nursing division heard the same complaints of diploma nurses vesus ADN, and even preferred BSN. In less than a year or two, no one will even notice it.

Really, come to think of it is only about an additional semester, if one was really required to have an anatomy and physiology class. ...

R/r 911

Well I am trying to help Just passed the written test for A.M.R. I am an E.M.T. Now took basic Arrhythmia taking anatomy next semester. Come to california or Vegas. I hear they are training E.M.T's for free and guarentee employment.

[akflightmedic]

Come to california or Vegas. I hear they are training E.M.T's for free and guarentee employment.

"Go west young man, havent you been told, CA is full of whiskey, women and gold"..Toby Keith

We all hear a lot of things...

[paraloco]

I visit a nurses' listserv on occasion. From the tone of a lot of the postings, you'd think you were here, lotsa the same issues. One message indicated that the physical therapists pushed for more education in their ranks, did it, and priced themselves out of jobs. Techs were hired in many instances. Think about how many calls an intermediate could handle just fine, with a short transport time. Education is good, I agree, but be careful what else you wish for....

[RaceMedic]

Thats a good point about the I's handling calls if you like the person pushing firstline meds not knowing much more than what color the box is, not to mention not being able to monitor or defib if needed.

What KS did with the Medic cert and requiring a AAS degree before testing is a good thing. However i didnt see a rush of increases in starting wages for the degree. So the price war is not a valid arguement at this time. It also blocked all the caned unregulated 600 hr runem' through and collect the money cert. programs out there that kicked out medics by the dozens that had no clue what they were doing from coming in to KS when they were not hired in there states. My service did the field internship for one such class one time. hte student were not prepared, Ill leave it at that.

I fought the degree requirement at first but now that it is over with and i have it i realize that it has accually opened many more doors than i ever really imagined. Not only in just putting me ahead of many others in the application pool but also in being able to instruct if i so choose as well as moving on to a higher degree ( many classes out of the way helps when deciding to go back to school)

[KSEMT122]

I agree with everyone on the education thing like I said. It just doesn't jive with helping out a Paramedic shortage. It will produce better quality Paramedics in the long run though. Rid you're right, about another semester, only I'd venture to say give it 2 semesters since it's an additional 17-18 credit hours in Kansas for an Associates on top of the Paramedic school. The only correction I would make to Racemedic is that the AAS has probably slowed down some people from coming to KS without AAS just by the conotation that KS wants AAS. However KS still accepts National Registry Paramedics and does not require an AAS. What the board passed was legislation that stated any Paramedic school in KS had to produce AAS Paramedics. So if any Paramedics are out there wanting to come to Kansas, (I wouldn't know why) you can still come as long as you have your National Registry.

[Ridryder 911]

I visit a nurses' listserv on occasion. From the tone of a lot of the postings, you'd think you were here, lotsa the same issues. One message indicated that the physical therapists pushed for more education in their ranks, did it, and priced themselves out of jobs. Techs were hired in many instances. Think about how many calls an intermediate could handle just fine, with a short transport time. Education is good, I agree, but be careful what else you wish for....

The problem was not so much the education rather the system on how they were allowed to bill and establish their own practice(s). They made large amounts of money for home health consults, and then would send a tech./aide in for treatments. I had hired therapist for consults when I managed home care companies and they were making equal to most physicians at the time.

Again, I would love to see a minimum of associate level for Paramedic, I'll worry about over education, when we have an abundance of master degree prepared medics... and we leave high school level books or should I say text book behind....

R/r 911