how tough is a paramedics job

[chbare]

I also disagree that paramedic school means not having a life and being a martyr for the cause. One of the qualities I look for in prospective students is a well rounded, mature individual that has a healthy outlet and a good support system. Not saying I would ever write others off based solely on said criteria however. With that, people who allot family and personal time and have healthy coping mechanisms such as taking time to decompress at the gym or perhaps taking a hike with the significant other are going to be a good position IMHO.

Rather than giving up your life, you are better off in having a well developed schedule and mature time management skills. Honestly, have a good plan and the ability to manage time will make your educational experience much easier. Sometimes people without a life simply do not have a good plan and quickly become overwhelmed. Of course you always have special cases such as single mothers who work full time. I've seen much sacrafice and suffering when it comes to single parents unfortunately. However, I've seen many succeed and go on to great things.

[runswithneedles]

I think NY medic was spot on though. The questions you need to ask yourself is this. Do I have the time necessary to devote on becoming a medic and not just passing the class and getting the patch? Do I have the drive to continue my education to improve, maintain old skills, and learn new skills? Do I want the responsibility of a humans life whatever be the outcome and be able to defend your actions in court and be able to have the ability to sleep at night knowing you provided the best patient care possible to a patient who might not have made it? I may not be a medic yet but from what ive already learned. Every seen you go on. The buck is going to stop at you. People will be looking at you to take the reins of a chaotic situation. You must be ready to make the tough calls no one else wants to make. And it could be the one that officially ends a code pronouncing someone dead and having to sit with the family and tell them.

But to answer your question. Is it hard to get your medic? To be a good one that doctors and nurses will respect as a health care profession, very hard.

[DFIB]

I was thinking of joining my local rescue dept

I would like to be a paramedic and would like to how tough the job is.

It will be pretty hard for someone that can't punctuate better than the before mentioned quote.

Are you planning on responding to any of the threads you start?

[HellsBells]

As for doing jail time for a mistake? Yes it can to happen. Being taken to court for misconduct or a mistake that causes a death and the family makes a civil case is a very real possibility. Does it happen often? No. But it can happen at any time and for any reason.

I suppose its a theoretical possibility, but frankly, not something I live in fear of, or consider too often. However, I do will grant that civil court is a possibility following a mistake, but unless one is grossly neglegent I'd say the risk of conviction is low. As for it can happen at any time for any reason? Really? Thats not my experience with the job

[ERDoc]

I realize the OP has probably moved on, assuming they weren't just a really good bot, but it is a good discussion to continue. I think the original question is unanswerable. It's like asking, "What does it feel like to be a person?" You will get a billion different opinions. Where I came from 911 was covered by the vollies. As such, becoming an EMT was made painfully simple. You really had to screw things up to fail the practical (non-NR state) even on the 3rd attempt that night, after having the instructor tell you what you did wrong and how to do it right two seconds before trying your second attempt. On the ALS level, things were much more difficult. Just getting into the medic program in my county was hard. Many people had to go into NYC because they couldn't get into the county program. The program director for the medic class ran it like a college level class, but there was no credit for it.

[DwayneEMTP]

You know what's funny, I've never really thought of medic school as anything other than hell on earth...but until reading doc's post I'd also never considered what it might have been like had I not had other committments.

We're a single income family, so I had a minimum of 50hrs/week committment to work on top of all that comes with medic school. At one point doing 50hrs/work, 48hrs/clinicals, 27hrs/class all at the same time per week.

Am I glad that I did it? Man, I love the life that, thanks to my friends, that I get to live as a medic. Would I do it again? Not for double the money that I make now.

If you don't have a good support system and also still have to shoulder a full schedule of real life, I wouldn't even consider spending your time in this way for the rewards/salary of becoming a medic.

If you have a good support system and don't have to shoulder all of those responsibilities...go for it...what could possibly go wrong? :-)

Dwayne

[nypamedic43]

It was hell on earth for me because, even though I am married, my husband is an over the road truck driver. He was gone, at that point, a month at a time. i was trying to work full time, go to school full time, be a full time Mom and take care of class and clinicals and the house and the bills. I was also dealing with a new diagnosis of autism for my son. Was I stressed out?? Juuuust a little bit.

On the family front, I was still trying to deal with my mother's death and THEN trying to deal with my father's new girlfriend (which still isnt going so well). My great Aunt passed away right after class started, then my cousin and then his father. But I kept it together, stayed in class and fought through the depression and grief. I dont think I did too bad. I graduated in the top third of my class, got hired at the company I work for now the night I passed my test ( which was really wierd at the time) and got totally obliterated with my class that night.

I was talking to my boss after I got a subpoena to show up for court. He said that he fields lawyers phone calls for intent of legal action by patients on a daily basis. Most of the time, his lawyers go through the tapes and the PCR's and find nothing that would warrent a civil case, let alone a criminal one.

I am not saying that I worry about being taken to court. I am just saying that the possibility is real. Does it change how I treat patients? No it doesnt. They get the best that I can give them. I make my treatment plan, follow through with it and am prepared to defend it to my boss and my medical director.

Our job isn't tough but there sure are alot of inner workings that people just do and dont think about. PR, counselor, teachable moments and peace maker are a few off the top of my head.

[Kiwiology]

It is hell on earth, I can't hear the physiologic split in S₂, damn it to the bowels of bloody hell, it's nunngered, totally nunngered bro, I'm never going to make a good stethoscope wearing person when I grow up! Ima cry in the corner and try to suppress Dwayne laughing at me, bastard ...

That Emergentology Consultant bloke probably laughing at me too, as he floats in Jones Beach with his MAST pants sipping a cool margarita; prick

Hang on I think I hear gangbangers coming, no wait it's not gangbangers, it's a variable S₁ .... oh look it's VT, hmm lets shock it, oi bro, this might hurt a bit, don't reach out or nothing ....

[EMTDenny]

All I have to say is WOW! WHEN CAN I START!! I love EMT city!

[DFIB]

Motivation is everything. If a medic is passionate about helping people then the difficulties of the job are a light weight to carry, often they are noticed but not endured.

When ESM workers are motivated by pride, self indulgence, adrenaline or the desire to show the world how tough we are then the weight of the job will soon out weigh the benefits.