Deadly Sins of Applying to EMS

[Scaramedic]

I've always wanted to apply for a job I am totally not qualified for. You know like Account for Microsoft or something. Go to the interview in shorts, flip flops, and the most horrid Hawaiian shirt I could find. Then I could go into total Peter mode from Office Space.

So what are your qualifications?

Well Bob, I occasionally balance my checkbook and I am really good at figuring out the spread for the NFL books.

So how would you describe your work ethic?

Bob, please don't use big words like ethics, it really messes with my buzz. How do I like work? Please Bob does anybody but gay porn stars really like their jobs? I show up kill sometime, do some work, surf the net, bang a secretary, go to lunch for three hours come back punch out and go home. That's my perfect day Bob.

If you found an accounting mistake for $300,000 would you report the mistake?

Bob, if I found $300,000 mistake you can guarantee I'll call you from my sailboat while I am sailing around the Marianas and let you know about. After all Bob, I am a quality employee.

Well, thank you we'll get back to you.

Thank you Bob, oh and your wife says pick up milk on your way home. Seems like she is having trouble walking after I stopped by your house before this interview. Quite the wild little thing your wife Bob.

God that would be fun!

[Doczilla]

Scara, if that's what you consider fun, you need to get out more.

And it would be far more fun if you did it at the FBI or something.

Reasons that we've s#it canned applicants for medic positions as well as residency positions:

- Obvious adrenaline junkie

- Had no real idea of what the job was about

- Had no enthusiasm for the job

- Failed to engage during the interview (i.e., a dud in a conversation).

- Could not verbalize why they wanted to do this job in anything but the most broad and generic terms (I like to help people....I like the variety of emergency medicine....).

- Lied or exaggerated on their resume or in the interview.

- Failed to learn anything from failures (one question I like to ask is "Tell me about something you failed at". If they start going on about why this or that was someone else's fault, bye bye.)

- Failed to provide a realistic view of their own limitations.

- Lied or downplayed shortcomings in their background when asked about them. Everyone has something, whether it was a failed course or poor exam showing or getting fired from a job, that they would rather we not know about. We expect candid answers with an honest assessment of how it could have been approached differently in the future.

- Could not say anything about why they wanted to come to THIS program/agency over others.

Those are the ones that made it to the interview. Those that didn't were canned for most of what others have listed here, i.e., criminal record, adverse actions on their license, etc. Serial job hopping is also a red flag. If you haven't spent more than 3 months in any one job, prepare to explain it.

'zilla

[VentMedic]

I hate to sound judicious, but it could easily be argued that smoking is indeed a form of addiction. Medical/legal issue. I don't know honestly. I agree that smoking is a bad habit and that it definitely doesn't belong in EMS. I think a better policy would be to just ban it while working and fire the individual on the spot should they get caught.

That has already been challenged in the court system and it didn't fly for the smokers. It did however open the door for many employers in all industries including healthcare to ban smokers from employment. In healthcare, patients also have rights not to have a person stinking of cigarette smoke doing their smoking cessation counseling. That odor is hard to hide even if one doesn't smoke at work.

South Florida Hospital Will No Longer Hire Smokers

http://www.nbc6.net/health/13609384/detail...022007&ts=H

[gvandellen]

Hmmm smoking...I quit 3 years ago...As a newly hired medic I just went on a call Saturday (My first shift) and my night mentor is a smoker. 1st patient....Resp Distress...First words out of my patients mouth were (Which one of you is a smoker?, that's what got me like this.). It's sad that the people sent to help them remind him of his mistakes. I've worked in health care for 6 years half of which I was a smoker. I feel bad for every patient now that ever smelled me in my first 3 years. I wish I knew then how unprofessional it really is as a health care worker. I don't care about your long term health or insurance discount as it's your life but when we walk into a home the last thing we should do is remind someone of their history just like we don't tell people they may die. The same reason why we don't use excessive cologne because we don't want to trigger an allergy attack. It's not a legal issue for employment but management can dictate (but there has to be a WRITTEN policy against it) to not be done on shift. If there is no policy then it's up to the individual but they should know better and if not they do now. :-)

[JPINFV]

S

Reasons that we've s#it canned applicants for medic positions as well as residency positions:

/me takes down some notes.

[UMSTUDENT]

That has already been challenged in the court system and it didn't fly for the smokers. It did however open the door for many employers in all industries including healthcare to ban smokers from employment. In healthcare, patients also have rights not to have a person stinking of cigarette smoke doing their smoking cessation counseling. That odor is hard to hide even if one doesn't smoke at work.

South Florida Hospital Will No Longer Hire Smokers

http://www.nbc6.net/health/13609384/detail...022007&ts=H

I agree that it is legal to ban smokers, but I'm sure it is questionable to screen or ask if they smoke during interview. Legally, it is the right of the employee to say no. So long as he/she is not caught they're fine. If they say yes, they must quit. To categorically right that individual off, and not allow them the very rare opportunity to quit the very next day, is probably wrong.

I guess in the case of the hospital, the nicotine test acts as the "test." I also noticed that they offer smoking cessation classes. Interesting. Like I said, I'm no expert. Obviously someone else had the same idea before me.

[VentMedic]

They can screen for nicotine like any other drug if it is banned in the policy. This can be done during the hiring process. They can refuse to grant new candidates employment. Current employees may have to sign a contract and will be given every opportunity to quit.

[JPINFV]

will be given every opportunity to quit.

Smoking, the job, or both?

[captainstandup]

Rock the boat after you get hired and completely processed. Employers (good ones that is) invest significant money in making you a deployable member of their team. In most cases, you have to be a real pain in the a$$ or really stupid to get fired. Again, proceed with caution.

This is the reason I changed our probation period from 90 days to 1 year. Even an idiot can behave for the first 90 days, it's the other 275 days that usually reveal a new employee's character. Another advantage we had in NC was the fact that it's not a "right to work state" therefore provided the paper trail was created properly I could toss a ner do well employee regardless of tenure.