Strong Recruiting eases Paramedic shortage

[asrnj77 0]

Paramedic Shortage Eased

Interesting article about how the metro DC area is recruiting medics. Even in some of the more rural jurisdictions starting pay can be 57k. I especially like when they call the paramedics "field doctors". Also keep in mind that I/99's and P's are called Paramedics in DC and Northern Virginia and the term refers to both in the article.

[Dustdevil 257]

Idiots. :roll:

Do you think they are truly ignorant of the fact that their fire service stranglehold on EMS there is the one and only reason they had a shortage in the first place? Or do they just choose to conveniently ignore that fact, so as not to threaten the status quo?

Amazing.

[stcommodore 0]

I don't believe in such a thing as a paramedic shortage. I believe systems aren't set up to use the providers properly and services haven't moved into the future in the paramedics comming out of school.

[spenac 166]

Until we develope our own identity as emergency medical healthcare providers and pay a professional wage there will continue to be constant turn over. Shortage is probably the wrong term to use. For example in my county there are about 50 people with some sort of EMS certification, yet only 5 work in any form of EMS. So there are people with the paper but many have decided it's not worth being the beaten step child for low pay.

[stcommodore 0]

In a county with over 25 parmamedic providers its not uncommon to see a medic work at 2-3 squads. Is that simply because they love to work and want something to do? Or is it that they need the 2-3 jobs to make a good wage? If this county had a unified system and paid its staff the 50-70,000 much of the rest of the working population made then you would get more medics, and alot more improvements.