Some thoughts...

It's been over a week since the anniversary of September 11th. I have thought about it a lot more this year than others. It has a lot to do with what my partner said before we started our shift that day.

He can be a bit of a complainer sometimes. And that’s ok. He just needs to talk about his frustration during the day so he can move on. But he's been different the past few shifts. His attitude has improved. He's going above and beyond to be kind to our patients.

We were sitting at the picnic table at the station enjoying the heat of the day. We were having a smoke (a habit we'd both like to get rid of). He looked at me and said he wasn't going to complain that day. He said he knew there were a lot of men and women who'd love to get out of their grave and run our calls that day.

I think it has changed his over all perspective. He's doing a lot less complaining. I don't know if it will be a permanent thing, but I notice he's a lot happier without all the negativity.

It has changed my perspective as well. I've been reminded not to take my days for granted. I'm so fortunate. Not only am I alive, but I have a career I love. I'm fulfilled at work for the first time in my life. I really do love my job.

The Pros and Cons of Being an EMT

Have you considered becoming an EMT? A career in emergency medicine can be a real thrill. For those of you looking to help your community, it can be rewarding. With a nationwide nursing shortage, there are lots jobs out there for EMT’s. Maybe you’re not sure about making a career out of EMS. Here are so pros and cons to help you make your decision.

Pro: Job Security. Statistics show that jobs in healthcare stay relatively stable even in a bad economy. Healthcare is one of the only sectors that has grown during the current recession. Here’s the other bonus. There are lots of other jobs you can perform as an EMT. You won’t be limited to the ambulance. You can work in the emergency room. You can work in the hospital or doctors office taking vitals or blood samples. Many states will allow you to work as a patient care tech as well.

Con: You’ll never get rich. I work with a guy who used to be an engineer. He says he feels like he has taken a vow of poverty to do what he loves. EMT ranked #1 in a Forbes Magazine article titled “Ten Underpaid Critical Jobs.” I know EMTs who make as little as $8.00 an hour. The median salary for a rookie EMT is around $29,000.

Pro: Thrills. Working on an ambulance or the emergency room can be exciting. If you were the type of child, or are the type of adult who gets excited every time a police care or fire engine runs past you, this job might be for you. How would you like to drive an emergency vehicle? How would you like to be there when someone is in need of your help? You can witness some amazing things in this field. If you are the type of person who doesn’t turn their head from what most people consider gross, and if you can keep your cool when others want to run away. This might be for you.

Con: Burnout. Days and nights start to blur together when you’re working 12 or 24 hour shifts. Depending on where you live, and how well your department or company is funded, you might run a significant amount of calls during your shift. Getting a full night’s sleep is almost impossible. There have been several occasions where I have run 16 to 18 calls in a 24 hour shift. You will have to deal with frequent fliers who call 911 all the time. You need to know as well, that most of your calls will not be emergencies. 10% or less of your calls will be true emergencies. And don’t forget, if you work crazy hours, you might not get to see your family as much as you like.

Pro: Comradery. This is the first job I’ve ever had where I felt like I fit in. My coworkers are a little twisted just like me. That makes me feel special. There is a feeling of brotherhood that comes with knowing what you and your coworkers go through in a day. Depending on where you live you will probably feel the same sense of brotherhood with the police.

Con: Mental Health calls. I will tell you that many of my coworkers like mental health calls, but I’m not a fan. You might get spit on, threatened, hit or scratched. You will frequently get yelled at on these calls as well. The back of an ambulance is small. You really need to watch yourself, or your partner if you are driving, because you won’t have much time to react in such a small space. Some of my coworkers find this exciting, interesting and even funny. I have never been comfortable with these calls. I have had two patients really try to hurt me.

I could go on and on with the pros and cons of being an EMT, but I think I’ve given you enough to think about for the time being. I have done my best to provide you with honest information so you can make your own decision. Personally speaking, This is a job I love. This job isn’t about money. It’s about doing something I’m passionate about.

We’re Fat. Are You Surprised?

I won’t be shocking most of you by telling you we as a nation are obese. I work rotating 12hr shifts. On any given day, I hear dispatch send two or three units a day to get the bariatric stretcher. When we have any emergency that involves an obese patient it eats up our resources.

We call the bariatric stretcher the fatillac. If you run three bariatric calls in one shift, we call it a fat trick (a reference to the hockey term hat trick).

I was recently involved in a call where the patient weighed over 500lbs. It took myself, my partner, and four firemen to carry this man down three flights of stairs. We had to stop at each landing and rest. I don’t even want to think about what that call would have been like if it was a cardiac arrest.

Every day I work, I transport patients whose health problems are caused by their weight. Bad knees, back pain, type II diabetes, difficulty breathing, cardiac problems, cellulitis. All of these are largely caused by obesity.

Many of you probably don’t know what cellulitis is. Cellulitis is a skin infection. It generally causes a great deal of swelling. It smells terrible. When a person is morbidly obese, they lose their ability to keep themselves clean. Combine this with the wounds and poor healing qualities associated with type II diabetes and you have a real risk of getting this infection. Let me add one more piece of the puzzle. If you are obese and suffering the effects, you will end up in the hospital. This is where you will most likely come into contact with the types of bacteria that cause cellulitis.

Many people who are morbidly obese are on disability. The irony is not lost on me. I get my salary by running calls, but I have taxes taken out of my paycheck to pay for the call that I’m running… Did that last couple of sentences make any sense?

More than ever before, we share the cost for each others health care. I’m not going to get into the politics of that here. But I do want to express my feelings. I feel we more than ever have a national responsibility to take care of ourselves. We can’t keep sticking each other with the bill.

I didn’t realize my blog was going to get so preachy. Next post will be a good EMT story. I swear!

Are you in an EMT training course? Here are some Online EMT and Paramedic Practice Tests

An EMT Story

This story is fictional. Any resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. This story didn’t happen to me, but it’s a good one.

We were dispatched non emergency to a residence to pick up two patients in need of transport to the hospital. That was all dispatch had for us. We arrived minutes later to find a very upset mother of two. She told us her two teenage children had come into contact with a raccoon that tested positive for rabies. At this point, you have my attention.

We gathered the teenage brother and sister and asked them to get in the back of the truck. After everyone was belted in safely, I took a set of vitals. Then it was story time. I asked them what happened. Here’s what they told me.

They were walking home from their after school jobs at a local greasy spoon (where their mother happened to be the manager). During the short walk home they saw a raccoon get hit by a car. It was still daylight, and if they had thought about it, that would have been their first warning sign. Raccoons are nocturnal. Raccoons you see during the day can usually be considered to be ill.

The two animal lovers stopped to give the raccoon aid. The boy had his gym clothes with him and wrapped the raccoon up in them. They began to take the raccoon home where they intended to nurse it back to health.

They were only a few houses from home when the raccoon died. The teenage brother and sister decided to take their heroics to an even higher level by performing CPR. A neighbor witnessed this and asked them as politely as she could; what the hell were they doing?

The teens relayed their story to the neighbor. She smartly called their mother, who promptly called animal control. The tests came back positive for rabies, and the mother called 911 wanting the kids to be taken to the hospital by trained personnel.

When you get a call like this, you have a choice to make. You can get angry over peoples ignorance, or you can see the humor in it and enjoy the experience. I started my career in EMS for two reasons. 1. My desire to do something worth while. 2. I love a good story.

I feel like some of my best calls come after my patient says “Hey! Watch this!!!” You just have to remember to treat everyone with respect. Treat them well even if they are ignorant, or undereducated.

Are you in an EMT training course? Here are some Online EMT and Paramedic Practice Tests

It's Not About You

Our society is more than a little egocentric. We have forgotten things like the Golden Rule. “Do unto other as you would have done to yourself.” This trend has most definitely found its way into emergency medicine. I see it in ambulance crews, emergency rooms, and nursing homes.

Many of us have forgotten why we got into the business. Others got into the business for all the wrong reasons. Some of us are just burned out. If you’re not in emergency medicine to help your fellow man, then you should probably find another way to make a living. If you are considering a job in emergency medicine and you’re not interested in helping others, please don’t waste your time.

I have stopped hanging out with the other crews at the hospital (for the most part). I’m tired of the negativity and the complaining. I work with some folks who complain every time they get a call. I work with others who complain every time it’s not a major emergency. I have news for them. 90% of our calls are not a major emergency. The simple truth is that most of our patients need a primary care physician and not an ambulance.

It’s all about attitude. You can let it get to you. You can get mad. I ran a call last year over ear wax/ear pain. Truthfully, it annoyed me a little, but I didn’t let it ruin my day. My partner and I still make ear wax jokes. We carry around a travel pack of Q-Tips now.

I’m lucky to work with someone who has a good attitude. He and I decided to spend each day running the calls we’re given, having as much fun as we can, and helping where we can. It has really changed our work experience and how we feel about our jobs. We laugh and generally have a good time. We have adopted an attitude of service. Our patients notice a difference, and so do we. We have patients who ask for us by name if we’re not the ones who arrive.

If you are studying to be an EMT or paramedic I have some advice for you. Never let go of the attitude of service. Be on the street to help your fellow man. Help them no matter what their race, creed, or situation is. Some folks will need your skills. Others will just be looking for a ride. If you go into every situation with the desire to help and be positive, you’re day will be much happier.

For those of you on the streets who have forgotten why you are there I have this advice. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Stop acting like you are carrying the cross. Remember your sense of humor, and treat every patient like you would want your loved ones treated. Keep your dignity and help them keep theirs. Don’t talk about your patients like they are not in the room with you.

It doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or practice any other major or new age religion. Remember this. You get out of the world what you put into it. If you treat people like crap, you’ll receive crap. If you look for a reason to complain, you will find one. Look for a reason to laugh. It’s the cheapest and best medicine there is.



Are you in an EMT training course? Here are some Online EMT and Paramedic Practice Tests

What Is The Difference Between An EMT And A Paramedic

I'm often asked the difference between an EMT and a Paramedic. EMT's are considered BLS or basic life support providers. Paramedics are considered ALS or advanced life support providers. I can still hear you asking what the difference is. Here is the rundown.

There are several levels of care. 1. First Responders. This is the most basic level of care. First Responders know CPR and first aid. The job of the First Responder is to provide simple but immediate care until more advanced help arrives. Many police officers and volunteer firefighters are First Responders.

2. EMT-B (When the new federal changes go through, this will be called EMT). The EMT-Basic provides a higher level of care. The EMT-B has more in depth training. The EMT-B takes courses in pharmacology that allow the basic to assist in drug administration. The EMT-B is also allowed in most states to use advanced airways such as the Combitube or King Airway. These allow the EMT-B to secure the airway when a patient isn't breathing. The EMT-B is the lowest level of care allowed to transport a patient in most states.

3. EMT-I (When the new federal changes go through, this will be called the EMT Advanced). The EMT Intermediate provides all the care listed above, but is also able to provide IV therapy. This allows the intermediate to give fluids to treat shock, dextrose to treat diabetics, and to simply provide intravenous access for use by a paramedic or nurse at the hospital.

4.EMT-P. The paramedic. The word paramedic in Latin means before the hospital. Thats what they do. They provide the top of the line pre-hospital care to patients. Paramedics have longer training than the EMT. They are able to administer medications to relieve pain, help the heart, stop seizures, and treat the lungs. The paramedic receives a longer course in cardiology and can use and interpret heart monitors. Medics can also intubate. This is the practice of inserting a tube directly into the trachea to secure the airway of a person who is not breathing.

To sum it up, paramedics have more training and the ability to administer more drugs and the most advanced airways. This takes nothing away from the role of the EMT. Many calls can be run by EMTs alone. Childbirth is considered a BLS or EMT level call. One thing to consider is that with the paramedics advanced training comes more liability, and more responsibility.

I'm an EMT myself. I like to think of myself as my medic's hands free kit. I love my job. I get to help my community, and be in the center of the action.

Are you in an EMT training course? Here are some Online EMT and Paramedic Practice Tests

Welcome to An Emt’s Blog

Welcome to An Emt’s Blog. It seems like most blogs start off the same lame way. Well, I guess I’m not that much different. I do have a few things to tell you about before I really start blogging. I have several reasons for writing this blog. Many of them you’ve heard before.

The first reason is a selfish one. I need an outlet to express some of the things I go through. I also think there is a lot of humor out there people will enjoy. I know many of you are in school or are considering EMT training. You might find the stories here helpful so you can know what to expect, or use them in a training scenario.

In the future I will provide free EMT training scenarios on this site. These will help you practice and study in your emergency medical technician classes.

Now for a disclaimer. A career in EMS provides a lot to write about, but I do need to be careful. To protect myself and my patients, I will be leaving out a lot of details. I will not be exposing my identity. I will not be giving details of the location where I work, or the company/county I work for. I will provide no details of a patient’s identity. Many of the stories I tell here will be fictionalized. I will present them as fiction or “mostly fiction” so I can protect myself and them. All stories will have a disclaimer at the top expressing this.

Why am I telling you this? There is a federal law called HIPPA. One of the purposes of HIPPA is to protect a patient’s privacy. I will tell you that I consider myself a big patient advocate. Even without HIPPA I would do my best to protect patient privacy. Click Here to learn more about HIPPA.

Now that I have all of this out of the way the rest of my posts can be fun and or educational. I hope you enjoy it.

Are you in an EMT training course? Here are some Online EMT and Paramedic Practice Tests

Do you want to be an EMT? Click Here to find an EMT training course near you.