mobey

Lose the badge, name tag, citation bars, and Class B shirt for one.

And maybe rethink the paint on the bike.....Maybe Blue?

We are not seen as healthcare professionals!

That about sums it up!!

(Oh and add, if we do bitch and whine to the public our employers ban coffee in the rigs )

The basic requirements for the PCP program (the NOCP) is not as in depth or challenging as the requirements for EMT (AOCP). Note that I said "basic". Some PCP programs go above and beyond those basic requirements. They do not have to, however, and many don't.

I would love to see an example of this statement.

If AB EMT's have just as extensive knowledge of Ilness, Injury, and A&P as the rest of Canada why would the not want to be called "Paramedics"?

I used to work with a semi-retired Paramedic from Edmonton who was blown away by my knowledge when he asked me if i knew what lasix was one night. He stated to me how happy he is that they are teaching BLS some actual Emergency medical related stuff, noting that his EMT course (Back in the day) was 2 weeks long!!

No wonder they changed the title.

I will try to hunt it down on the paramedicweb, thanks for your responce however....

In changing the EMT program to the new "Revised" program to meet or exceed the NOCP's are you not just saying you have updated an old narrow program to meet or exceed the PCP level??

I took my ACP exam with over 350 students, and I gotta say I didn't see this "superior" education there. In fact we had a Pt. with a pacemaker and I was the only one of the day to point out there were no pacemaker spikes on the NSR ECG.

Even through debates on a few of the questions on the exam the other students got totally lost while talking about fluid shift when utilizing I.V. therapy.

I agree the scope of practice is higher in AB but you cannot tell me the EMT program is superior to other provinces. That said I realize there is a difference in alot of schools in this province but that is no excuse.

A wider scope of practice does not equal superior education!!

I would be more than happy to supply you with some of my Sask PCP literature for comparison if you are not familiar with it. And I would love to see some of Alberta's.

Well I have been in Alberta now for a few months and i can't wrap my head around why we are still calling ourselves EMT's. I took Primary care paramedic the Intermediate care paramedic in Sask, yet when I mention PCP in AB I get stomped on by PCP's who wear a crest that says EMT-A. Yes Yes I realize the college still licences us as EMT's but dammit that's where it should stop.

Why are the AB EMT's happy to be put-down by having their education belittled by their peers?

This rant stems from the ALS vs BLS procedures by Dust. Dammit I worked hard to get where I am, you cannot tell me some EMT course 10 years ago covered the acid - base balance in respiratory, Sodium - Potassium exchange in cardiology, Neurotransmitters including Synapses, ganglions, and all the patho involved in Neurology, and that is only an example of 3 modules in 13 in the Medical Emergencies portion of my PCP course.

I am a PCP (ICP is not recognized in AB) and that is what I call myself, I am proud to be an advanced provider compared to what they had in this community 10 yrs ago.

Now who's with me

I have always thought things were ass-backwards. I used to work for a BLS rural service with 2+ hr transport times and many a times I found myself inadequate. My instructor for me intermediate course was a 25+ yr veteran EMT-P from a busy urban service and he wined daily about all the nonsence calls and how he never got to use his "skills".

But the problem is again in the closed minded small services who claim they have no money for ALS. The BLS service I was in only did a few hundred calls a year and claimed they had no money for ALS.

Simply put I feel we need to cram education down the publics throat about where thier money is being wasted. I know if we could have told our public what they could have out of a service compared to what they do have, they would have been pretty quick to fork over the cash. I have been in the service I am in now for just a few months and I have worked 4 codes we could have used ALS on but other than that with a 5-10 min transport I don't see any other calls they would have benefitted on. (Keep in mind BLS can do a few ALS procedures in AB).

Approximately $23 per hour for new EMTs. I can't remember exactly what the new contract was but it's around $23 I'm sure.

Wow that's not bad at all..... What is rent on an appt in a decent area nowadays?

What about fundraising in you local communities?

People are usually pretty good about forkin it over if you tell them a specific piece of equipment you are after!

"Sir if you can hear me do NOT move, my partner is going to hold your head to protect you from hurting yourself further."

(Partner grabs manual C-Spine)

My name is Mobey, I am with the ambulance is it ok for me to help you?

Okay just like school...

"I've got my BSI on...

Scene Survey - Police called? Much traffic around? Any suspicious persons or animals I need to be concerned with? How bout fluid leaks from vehicle? is it smoking from under the hood, Any concerning odors.....K enough of that

Ill wait till you answer to start Initial assesment.

I cannot tell you for sure if they will licence you or not...But they are the easiest province to get into. There is no Registration exam in Sask.

The pay is higher than Alberta by about 3-5 dollars/hr depending on where you work. The urban centers are low but if you go rural the wage increases due to demand for EMT's. (lack of vollies = well paid Professionals) Anyway staying on topic - Try contact Saskatchewan Health Emergency Services.

BTW it is WAY cheaper living there too compared to AB.

(Hmm I should send a bill to Sask health for recruiting)

So what other information and options are available to me in the medical industry that will offer better wages?

Janitor at a hospital pays well...and better benefits! LOL

If you want to get into AB, go the back way...Register in Saskatchewan (there is no entrance exam) then take your Intermediate care paramedic through SIAST part time while working full time, then alberta may look at registering you. You will make better coin in Sask anyway!

Thats what I did and it reduced some of the non-sence of getting registered.

You should probably look at just starting all over in EMT school in AB if you want into this province, it will prove to be the easiest and cheapest way anyways.

I always slice the bite with a bootknife and suck the poison out....

Maybe I'm just old' school though

there is only one "skill" in EMS that is really important. That is assessment. Focus all your energy there and everything else comes easy.

I had to pull this out and read it twice...I think this will be my new favorite saying.

Well said Dust!

(I hope I don't have to pay royalties!!)

Called to an intersection in Saskatoon

"Medic 1 respond to corner of Rusholme and avenue P"

Medic 1: "10-4 Dispatch I've been waiting for the chance to respond to Rusholme and Pee"

Starting as an EMT in AB you are looking at $16-18/hr. I have no Idea what calgary pays maybe it is more considering you could not live there with those wages.

I chose to work rural AB due to the lower cost of living.

If you are not hung up on high call volumes there are lots of full time jobs available in the rural areas.

If your voting for people even though you don't know what the topic is...Vote me for president, even though I'm only 18, a female, and pretty much bs my way through life...I promise I'll do my best to try to accomplish something!

Some might say you would make a great politician!!

I think good first responders are very important to EMS

Coming from a rural service, I have worked with alot of them.

If you make your own scenarios (although you are probably long done judging by the date on this thread) I think it is impotant to make sure they ask alot of questions. I always told our first responders to assume by the time EMS gets there the Pt. will be unconcious. So we will be relying on you for all the history. Also make sure they know 90% of thier job is phycological, bringing calmness to a scene is soooo important.

I once went to a anaphylaxis where the first responder was holding a NRB over the face of a pt who was sitting against a wall in a corner. The first thing I did was put her on a chair in the middle of the room and put the freakin NRB strap on properly, made a huge difference in the pt.

First responders are a huge part of EMS and they need to be trained that way, even if they have no scope of practice.

OK we are a little off topic,, but I have found the people who say "there is a class way and a street way" are the people who don't know $hit. That's a cop-out for not knowing your protocols, or talking your way out of a screw-up.

Thats what I like about having students come and go, they keep you on your toes asking why you are doing things differently than they just learned in school.

Actually, maybe this town would be kinda neat to live in. Apparently, they are retro 70's letting kids run the EMS and wearing total white with black belts and mega patches. Wow! I bet they still have visibars and Q-2 sirens! Maybe they still carry the old Gould monitors and use telemetry and glass IV bottles. A real living EMS museum!

I do wonder about how many responses a year they do and as well what happens when they turn 18 or graduate from high school.. do they get banned?

R/r 911

I am pretty sure I saw leaches in one of the cabinets.

Is there any website, study guide, book, class, etc. that you would recommend I look at before I apply? I really want to know my stuff for interviews and honestly for the welfare of my patients. I've been keeping up with my CEUs for the most part but I need something else. Can anyone help??

Much appreciated!!!

This site is a good start, follow the scenarios section as much as you can, it will help with assesment and critical thinking. You could also try some online tutorials to find the areas you need to work on.

You could also do some ride alongs to get the feel of dealing with patients again.

Remember you have only been "out" for 6 mos, if you feel you have lost your core knowledge you may want to retake the course.

Are there stats out on what equipment services are using? I've been prostituting myself to a number of different services and keep seeing the Zoll...

No stats I am just shooting from the hip.

The services I have been involved with are all using lifepak on first car and zoll or lifepak 10 on the other cars.

The Zoll M series is also 12 lead capable.

but in the long run, it would be a waste of money.... but that's just me

But the money is already spent. Most services are using a lifepak 12 for monitoring anyway (like the BLS service I work for). The equipment is there...just need the protocol!

So what are your thoughts??

With Lifepak 12 becoming a "standard" monitor on most rigs should BLS services be obtaining 12 leads where indicated?

Not necessarily interpreting, just printing one off for the receiving hospital?

I have a palm pilot with our protocols downloaded I used to use when I just started. It was faster than flipping through a book, and looked cooler. Plus old ladies had no idea I was second guessing myself!!