"Paramedic's save lives, EMT's save Paramedics"

[ERDoc]

16 hours ago, ghostmed3 said:

Sounds like an egotistical ass.Things like this are reason many folks have a bad impression of what a paramedic is. Way to help improve our profession....

 

Could you just clarify who you are referring to when you called someone an egotistical ass?  I'm not trying to start a fight, it's just not clear who that comment is about.

[Just Plain Ruff]

On 4/22/2016 at 2:04 AM, ghostmed3 said:

Sounds like an egotistical ass.Things like this are reason many folks have a bad impression of what a paramedic is. Way to help improve our profession....

 

so your comment was directed at my post in 2007?  It's the one you quoted right?  I don't see anything in it that was in any way negative.  Care to clarify your statement?

[ambodriver]

this is a retarded topic.  a paramedic is an emt with more knowledge and class room/clinical time.  Why you'd want to beat your chest for having a 1 semester basic first aid class is beyond me.  They should eliminate EMT-B and just make it paramedic, add in some more school time.

[Just Plain Ruff]

14 hours ago, ambodriver said:

this is a retarded topic.  a paramedic is an emt with more knowledge and class room/clinical time.  Why you'd want to beat your chest for having a 1 semester basic first aid class is beyond me.  They should eliminate EMT-B and just make it paramedic, add in some more school time.

I have always said to get rid of EMT,  it's not a popular stance from the schools because EMT Class is a cash cow for them.  When you can push through 4-8 emt classes a year at a grand a pop per person, you can imagine how much these classes pull in.  

 

[Off Label]

Well, devil's advocate here, wouldn't that just cause a large increase in the number of medics and drive down salaries? More medics would probably mean less quality as schools had to re-tool and turn out more medics to stay open. Less experienced would be more likely to settle for lowered wages in the circumstance of more competition for a single job.

A narrow gate isn't always a bad thing, IMO....I have no idea what the thread is about, just responding to you, Ruff...

 

[Just Plain Ruff]

11 hours ago, Off Label said:

Well, devil's advocate here, wouldn't that just cause a large increase in the number of medics and drive down salaries? More medics would probably mean less quality as schools had to re-tool and turn out more medics to stay open. Less experienced would be more likely to settle for lowered wages in the circumstance of more competition for a single job.

A narrow gate isn't always a bad thing, IMO....I have no idea what the thread is about, just responding to you, Ruff...

 

yeah, I get that thought process as well.  I totally do.  

I'm just an advocate for a single level and not two levels but I know that it will never change so my opinion is simply that, an opinion.  

Do I dislike my EMT Friends, nope not in the least, do I think to do a bad job? not in the least.

 

Have I thought it through any further than just saying we need a single tier?  Nope, why not you ask?  becuase I know the reality and the reality is that the status quo will never change.  

[ambodriver]

On 7/21/2016 at 10:36 PM, Off Label said:

Well, devil's advocate here, wouldn't that just cause a large increase in the number of medics and drive down salaries? More medics would probably mean less quality as schools had to re-tool and turn out more medics to stay open. Less experienced would be more likely to settle for lowered wages in the circumstance of more competition for a single job.

A narrow gate isn't always a bad thing, IMO....I have no idea what the thread is about, just responding to you, Ruff...

 

the reason wages are so low, is because retards in this profession don't know a damn thing about unity, sticking together or forming a union.  People actually work for 10 dollars an hour as a medic, even in private contracts in the Chicago area, a union heavy town.  Until you stop letting this private owners screw you like this, you get what you deserve.

 

They whine about it all day, but do nothing to organize or make it better.  If medics banded together they could demand more, instead I see the do nothings slaving away for near minimum wage bitch about fast food workers asking for 15 bucks an hour.  Pathetic.

 

[paramedicmike]

2 hours ago, ambodriver said:

the reason wages are so low, is because retards in this profession don't know a damn thing about unity, sticking together or forming a union.  People actually work for 10 dollars an hour as a medic, even in private contracts in the Chicago area, a union heavy town.  Until you stop letting this private owners screw you like this, you get what you deserve.

 

They whine about it all day, but do nothing to organize or make it better.  If medics banded together they could demand more, instead I see the do nothings slaving away for near minimum wage bitch about fast food workers asking for 15 bucks an hour.  Pathetic.

 

Lack of unity is only a part of the problem.  Unionization may or may not help EMS.  There are currently plenty of examples of unionized EMS providers (IAFF members as part of a larger fire-based department... another problem that I'll touch on shortly).  Are they really faring much better?  There are examples to support both the yes and no answers to that question.

EMS faces many problems.  We suffer an identity crisis in that we are health care providers stuck in a public safety mindset.  We are stuck in a public safety based delivery system.  There is an historical component that explains our current model.  We are beyond the time, however, of moving forward out of public safety and into proper health care.

As we are health care providers we need to present ourselves as such.  We need to be more completely integrated into the delivery of emergency medical care as part of the wider health care system within the US.  We need to change our education model to put us more in line with health care education producing health care providers. 

This leads into my next point; please consider the educational embarrassment that is EMS education.  In many places it is still true that it takes more training time to obtain a license to cut hair than it does to become an EMT.  National Registry is attempting to address some of the education issues by requiring credentialing of paramedic training programs.  Unfortunately, not every State requires NR either for initial certification or maintenance of certification (MOC).  So forcing a change by mandating educational program credentialing isn't going to address the entire problem. 

Continuing with the education theme we need to change the mindset among many EMS providers that "a degree won't help me start an IV any better" and similar nonsense.  People don't like to admit this but earning a degree is important.  To be taken seriously we need formal degree awarding educational programs.  Making that change to degree awarding dedicated EMS programs will help change the mindset that we're simply a bunch of yokel techs joyriding through town with lights and sirens on.

Lastly, for this post anyway, we as an industry need to stop giving away services for free.  Yes, the history of volly EMS is well entrenched in many places.  Unfortunately, when a service is provided for free there is no value placed on the delivery of that service.  EMS providers should be paid for the services they provide. 

Unity?  Yes.  We do need it.  From a union?  Perhaps not.  Examples of unionized EMSers show mixed results at best.  A better option would be a reliable national organization that effectively advocated for EMS as an industry.  An organization that could advocate and affect change in education, industry identity while promoting health care ownership.  Unfortunately, I don't think that organization exists.

 

[Off Label]

4 hours ago, ambodriver said:

the reason wages are so low, is because retards in this profession don't know a damn thing about unity, sticking together or forming a union.  

 

 

I think there might be other factors in play as well....

[Gregregore]

I harbor no illusions of "saving" someone with five years of experience over me , especially when it comes to rending someone from the jaws of death. Do your thing man, I'm hear to learn and prep.

Instead I focus on how many times I can get my partner, in any job or activity, to say, "oh, I didn't know you knew how to do that yet, thanks for seeing I'd need it ten minutes before I did."