EMT with a Phelbotomy certification

[vcfd35s]

I am currently working as an EMT with a 911 response company in Southern California. I am enjoying working as an EMT and running with Fire. I am at the point where after doing this for about a year, I would like to get started on the road to becoming a paramedic. I read the thread about becoming a medic in SoCal and got some good information. I plan to work with a Private Ambulance company that has the sole 911 contract for the county and has full medical authority.

My question is this: Before going to medic school, would it be fulfilling to work as an ER Tech with a phelbotomy cert as well as continuing to work as an EMT with my ambulance company? Are my chances getting a jobin the ER very good, or is it a challenge? I plan on taking my class at the UCLA Prehospital School; they offer a six- week course along with clinical time. Thanks guys for the advice and I look forward to the responses!

[Dustdevil]

Plus 5 for doing the research and reading previous threads for a good overview. That's a big leap ahead of most people who do no research and have no plan at all. But there are a couple of things that are confusing me.

I am enjoying working as an EMT and running with Fire.

Fire EMS, fire first responders, or just plain fire? Volunteer or professional?

I am at the point where after doing this for about a year, I would like to get started on the road to becoming a paramedic.

Excellent move. There is no reason to wait any longer.

I plan to work with a Private Ambulance company that has the sole 911 contract for the county and has full medical authority.

But your profile says you are an apiring firefighter. Did you change your mind, or are you confused, or what?

Before going to medic school, would it be fulfilling to work as an ER Tech with a phelbotomy cert as well as continuing to work as an EMT with my ambulance company?

Not sure what you mean by fulfilling. If, by fulfilling, you mean satisfying, probably not. If you are eat up by lights and sirens and badges and smoke and all the cool things that come with "running with fire," then you are not going to enjoy being a nurses bitch at all. It's frustrating, limiting, degrading, and hard work that really has very little "cool" factor to it at all. I don't know how much phlebotomy you have done since obtaining certification, but it's just not that big a deal either. A lot of ERs won't even allow their ER techs to do it, leaving it for the lab workers and nurses to do. And, if you do do it, it's not that big a thrill. It's just another mundane chore for you after the newness wears off. So no, I honestly don't feel like this would be fulfilling to you.

On the other hand, ER tech jobs are MUCH better educational opportunities than working as an EMT-B on an ambulance. And the pay is usually better too. If you are all about education and making a living, as opposed to the glamour of the ambulance, then yes, an ER position can be very fulfilling for you. You're not going to get to use all those "skills" you probably think are important, but again, if it's more about education for you, then you can find a lot of satisfaction in ER teching. This will all vary from place to place, though. There are huge differences between how different facilities utilise their ER techs. In many of them, you are very literally nothing more than a nurses bitch. A glorified housekeeping aide and transporter. But in other facilities, they seriously integrate their techs into the patient care process, and put a big focus on education and letting you put your "skills" to work.

All ER tech jobs are not created equal, by any means. Do your best to find out exactly what you are getting into before you take one.

Are my chances getting a jobin the ER very good, or is it a challenge?

I'm afraid I have no insight into what they are looking for in So Cal. Some places will only hire an EMT-P. Some want you to be an EMT-B. Some places don't like you to have EMS experience because they've had bad experiences with EMTs going out of their scopes, or simply just not staying long because they want to go back to EMS. They hire just anybody and train them themselves. Some are smart and use RN students as their techs, which to me is the best way to go. But in my area, what I have seen is that a lot of ERs don't care that much about experience, since EMS work doesn't really prepare you for ER work anyhow. Consequently, students and others with little experience get hired more often than those with experience. I'd definitely say not to sell yourself short. You've probably got as good a shot as anybody. Honestly, I think I wouldn't mention anything about paramedic school or wanting to be a firemonkey in your interview. Every employer wants to think that they are your sole priority. If they think they are just a stepping stone for you, or that you have no interest in a long term future with them, they are likely to pass you over. That's not an EMS or ER thing. That's just simple human resources thinking.

I plan on taking my class at the UCLA Prehospital School; they offer a six- week course along with clinical time.

I'm almost afraid to ask, but... a six-week course for what? :?

[JohnnyHero]

You need that cert to be an ER tech there? Its always good to work in as many positions as possible to get a taste of what your co-workers are doing.

[Dustdevil]

Its always good to work in as many positions as possible to get a taste of what your co-workers are doing.

Good point. And I would agree with it to a certain extent. While a broad base of experience is good for helping you focus your career, as well as helping you to function with other professionals, it is not something that looks particularly good on your resume. A year on an ambulance, a few months as a volunteer, a couple months as an ER tech, another few months on a different ambulance... that doesn't look like experience to a Human Resources person. It looks like you're either schizophrenic, or you just can't hold a job. Be careful. Don't bounce around without giving serious thought to each and every step you take, what you will gain from it, and how it will look to future employers. Many times, the negative perception will outweigh any "cool factor" you think you are getting.

[AnthonyM83]

The six-week class he mentioned is the phlebotomy cert at the UCLA/Prehospital/Daniel-Freeman school. I've heard nothing about the qualify of phlebotomy class there, but their EMT, paramedic, and PHTLS programs seem strong and I've only heard good things from their past students.

I know most hospitals in the West/Southwest Los Angeles County area require their techs to have their phlebotomy license and from what I've heard most are hiring and most have decent to good pay, often even per diem. It'll probably be a good way to save up for medic school.

I've thought about such a job and would investigate the teaching hospitals and trauma centers first...as well as any hospital with a good reputation of course. There are some in LA County that are so overworked I don't think you'll do more than put patients on the monitor, draw blood, do lab and pharmacy runs, and CPR. It's probably hard to discuss patients with doctors, because you'll be needed elsewhere as soon as you finish whatever task you're currently doing.

[Dustdevil]

The six-week class he mentioned is the phlebotomy cert at the UCLA/Prehospital/Daniel-Freeman school.

Ah! See, this is what I meant when I said I found his post a little confusing, lol. I thought he was already a phlebotomist, and was now looking to go to paramedic school. If he was going to go to a 6 week paramedic school, I was going to mail myself to LA to personally strangle him.

I agree with Anthony, that going to the phlebotomy thing may be a good way to get a decent paying job to help you through medic school. There are many such jobs, although most of them have nothing to do with being an ER tech.

But you specifically asked if being an ER tech and an ambulance driver both, at the same time, while going to paramedic school was a good plan. I would have to give a resounding thumbs down to that idea. Apparently, all the medic schools that area are into the whole whacker thing of requiring "experience" (no matter how lame it is) before acceptance to medic school. You already have that covered, so it's not really a factor for you anymore. But once you are in school, working two jobs is seriously not a good plan at all. I don't care how smart you are, you need as much time OFF WORK to focus on your studies as possible in order to achieve the maximum educational benefit. If you plan to stay on with that ambulance provider, then I would definitely give all my professional efforts to them and not try to cram another job in there along with school. Once you are out of school (not just through with your wham-bam accelerated medic course, but the whole degree), then go crazy and take three or four jobs if you want. That's what doctors do. You don't see any of them working their way through medical school with two or three jobs though.

Good luck.

[VentMedic]

The phlebotomist cert will open several doors outside of EMS before an EMT cert. Certified Phlebotomist and EMT is a great combination for either the ER and other any other area where blood is drawn. This can include research/outpatient clinics at a medical university which many are always looking for cert phlebotomists. Occasionally these are used as a training ground for medical students to do phlebotomy. But there are always opportunities somewhere. UCLA probably has such clinics which could also get you a paid education for paramedic school. For the ER, you may improve your hire on chances since they will not have to send you for phlebotomy training which may put you one step closer than the other applicants. Inside the hospital you will get a new job description, not EMT, which the hospital will help you get the training and provide you with a scope of practice. Too often, paramedics and EMTs come to the hospital looking for jobs and actually limit themselves from many opportunities with those titles by their own perception of their scope or "entitlement".

The Phlebotomist is another healthcare worker that a need for national and state standards was in order to better protect the patients and be compliant with CLIA. State and National organizations moved quickly and California put through their cert legislation about 4 years ago. California phlebotomists can also do arterial blood puncture which nurses are not allowed to perform in a few states. It is pretty impressive that Phlebotomists now have programs providing almost 160 hours of training.

A couple years ago our ED and Lab got a CLIA note of violation from accepting Paramedic field blood draws. It didn't help matters when the nurses, knowing the regulations, were taking the credit for the draws in attempt to bypass the standards. The EMS agencies had to show some proof of the paramedics knowledge of good sampling technique. Which it is true, some of the samples have been hemolyzed giving skewed results. The date, time and labeling were other problems. In busy ERs, it is easy to mix things up and many lab samples are on a time limit. If you draw it you should label it yourself and not hand it off to the nearest person that looks like a nurse or lay it on a counter somewhere. Bag and tag it yourself. Apologies for the soapbox.

We also no longer hire paramedics as phlebotomists for the morning lab draw rush unless they have a phlebotomy certificate. This is a very nice well paying job for 4 hours of work. Extra money without taking up the whole day.

Once you get inside information about CLIA and various lab certifying agencies, you'll understand the controversies and regulations concerning prehospital blood testing such as glucometers and iSTATs. This knowledge may be of value in the future.

Good luck!

[NickD]

I posted about UCLA's Phlebotomy course here

NickD

EMT-B

[VentMedic]

Good post NickD. California has its act together more in Phlebotomy than EMS in many ways.

Phlebotomy has the national certification program which many states are now recognizing while they establish legislation similiar to California. MLT and CLIA are giving the push and they are huge and powerful as a whole. They also demand some sense of unity. I also know this from running a PFT and Blood Gas Lab. I also found out what a mess can happen when our flight team first wanted the iSTAT. As a paramedic I thought this was great. As the Respiratory Therapist who would have to maintain their compliance and competencies through our lab, this was a freaking nightmare.

EMS could still take some lessons from other professions in obtaining professionalism just by the way they have set and obtained national standards of recognition through education and professional organizations.