Theme of EMS Week is "More than a job. A calling"

[island emt]

There are places for people who enjoy conversations with themselves. It's usually a locked unit and the staff doesn't like it when you try to leave without being discharged.

I thought an ambulance was considered a locked unit ::: At least that's what they told me 40 + years ago.

I have conversations with myself all the time. some days it's the only way to have a conversation. :-}

[paramedicmike]

... he made some to be ditch diggers...

I would like to challenge you to produce anyone who can honestly claim their calling was to be a ditch digger.

If EMS isn't your calling, have you considered that you might be wasting you time here on earth? Beside this is an "EMS Community" being a member here in and of its self makes you an EMS nerd. Embrace it

Your two thoughts here don't follow logically.

[ERDoc]

EMS-Because that's the way we've always done it.

[BEorP]

Toronto EMS is helping out with the cause! Reminding us that not only is EMS a calling, but you realize this the first time you're in an ambulance going lights and sirens.

I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit.

[paramedicmike]

Well, unless people are telepathic I imagine there is some calling involved to summon EMS.

[WestMetroMedic]

EMS - you call, we haul.

In all reality, this year is kinda lame. Is it my calling? Who knows (i always kinda wanted to be an astronaut). Have i found something that consistently satiates my ADD? Yup. Am i proud of what i do and do i want to make it better? You bet your biffy.

[JakeEMTP]

Toronto EMS is helping out with the cause! Reminding us that not only is EMS a calling, but you realize this the first time you're in an ambulance going lights and sirens.

I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit.

So, she is part whacker. When she saw the L & S in a reflection, she knew this was for her. I admit, there is a certain amount of adrenalin flowing when the L & S are on. For me though, it is mentally preparing for the call. Personally I would like to see the lights and sirens removed from ambulances. The time saved is minimal and the vast majority of pt.'s can be managed w/o running emergency traffic.

I've always had a problem with "appreciation week" regardless of which industry I was working in. Patting ourselves on the back for a job well done seems so self serving. It is our job to provide the best care possible to all pt.'s all the time. Giving ourselves, regardless of the profession an "'at a boy" just doesn't sit well with me. The best form of appreciation I like is when a pt. says "thank you". It is my job. I get paid to provide pt. care. I don't need a t-shirt, coffee mug or whatever the trinket of the day is.

[DFIB]

The meaning of "a calling" originated in Christianity refers to a Religious drawing by deity to a specific mission or office. Are they trying to say that EMS workers are called by God to be medics? The synonym in the secular world for calling is vocation.

I think it does not help our profession for them to missuse terms in their National Publicity Campaign. I do have to admit that "More than a job, a vocation" just does not have the same cool whacker ring to it.

[BEorP]

So, she is part whacker. When she saw the L & S in a reflection, she knew this was for her. I admit, there is a certain amount of adrenalin flowing when the L & S are on. For me though, it is mentally preparing for the call. Personally I would like to see the lights and sirens removed from ambulances. The time saved is minimal and the vast majority of pt.'s can be managed w/o running emergency traffic.

I agree that the lights and sirens can help to get the adrenaline flowing before a call, even if it they aren't so helpful in saving meaningful time (not that I would advocate continued use based on this!). Even though I may admit this on our own professional forum here, I don't think that it is the message we should be giving to the public. If we need to say this is a "calling" and use that to promote our profession, I wish they at least could have found someone who could have said pretty much anything other than doing it for the girls or the lights and sirens.

I've always had a problem with "appreciation week" regardless of which industry I was working in. Patting ourselves on the back for a job well done seems so self serving. It is our job to provide the best care possible to all pt.'s all the time. Giving ourselves, regardless of the profession an "'at a boy" just doesn't sit well with me. The best form of appreciation I like is when a pt. says "thank you". It is my job. I get paid to provide pt. care. I don't need a t-shirt, coffee mug or whatever the trinket of the day is.

Good point. I don't think that it should be a week to pat ourselves on the back (though this is probably what it is now), but it could still be a week when we promote our profession. We could do this in a way that shows what we do. To many members of the public, we simply drive people to the hospital in a horizontal position. It would be nice if we could promote paramedicine in a way that doesn't say "we're awesome" but instead says "we're happy to do what we do and here's some of what we can do." Maybe that isn't as good for our egos though.