Ambulance Driver, an evil term?

[AnthonyM83]

Have you, or would you use the term, "ambulance driver?"

Only after working as one and if saying it in jest to a partner/friend, otherwise it would be belittling the job and why would I do that unless I was being sarcastic or joking.

[strippel]

My friend David (the paramedic) was called an "ambulance driver" yesterday by a long retired physician. She had been improperly care for, and forgotten in the personal care area of a local ECF.

I thought his head would explode.

[Scaramedic]

The term "ambulance driver" used to bother me when I was still new to the business. Then one day I had an epiphany, and I started to think about what the public sees. They see a big vehicle, it can be white, red, yellow, blue, or any other combination of colors, it usually has the term ambulance written on it, both backwards and forwards. It has a steering wheel, behind the steering wheel sits someone, male, female, trans-gender, Basic, Intermediate, Para, etc. The public puts 2 and 2 together and comes up with the title of ambulance driver.

Let's be honest 99% of the public does not know, nor even care about the cert levels of EMS. We are not the only profession that has this problem. Do you think Mary & Joe Public know the difference between an LPN or RN, and really could care less about such things as CCRN, CRNA, CNS, CNM or even NP. So you can go to school for years and you will still be called a Nurse just like an LPN or even a CNA.

I personally don't care what I am called as long as they remember we are there to help.

Peace,

Marty

:thumbleft:

[Lithium]

Forgive me if this has already been said, but I've just skimmed over most of the answers ....

Perhaps most everyone calls us 'ambulance drivers', simply out of ease of use? The public, and probably most health care professionals don't have a clue about the difference between EMT-B, EMT-I, EMT-P, EMT-CCP etc etc ... and because they don't want to offend, they call us by what they see us do which is the most obvious?

They don't see us in the back performing those critical interventions ... most news footage is either of people loading/unloading a stretcher with a patient on it with a whole bunch of fancy equipment, and driving off with the lights flashing or rushing quickly inside the hospital ER entrance. Who's fault is that? Ours ... public education is key if we want to improve this profession for the next generation of paramedics.

peace

[Dustdevil]

Ooooh, good point! What actually goes on inside the ambulance is a complete mystery to most citizens. You're right, all they see on the news is the stretcher being loaded in and the ambo taking off. And, of course since the dozen hosemonkeys standing around in bright yellow reflective gear dominate the picture, they also assume, not surprisingly, that it is the fire department who is running the show.

[chbare]

Unfortunately, we must accept that some people will think what they think regardless of public education, high standards of professionalism, and above par health care delivery. A little off topic, but a funny story in any event. I took care of a guy who limped into the ER holding his gut and screaming like somebody put a 12 ga slug through his abd. He had a barium study done several days prior to ER arrival and failed to follow his post procedure instructions. Can we say large solid mass in the colon. Unfortunately, you can guess how I ended up clearing his little problem. Once the problem was clear I ended up having barium stained stool all over the floor, bedside commode, and my entire arm. After helping the guy clean up, mopping the floor, and washing my self up, I gave the now very much relieved patient his discharge instructions. As the guy was leaving the ER he look right into my eyes and said, "Nurse, I want you to personally thank the Doctor for taking such good care of me and making me feel so much better." :shock:

Take care everybody,

chbare.

[medik8]

:shock: ...and he's still breathing?! LMAO.

You gotta love that.... :roll:

xoxo

8

[AnthonyM83]

Forgive me if this has already been said, but I've just skimmed over most of the answers ....

Perhaps most everyone calls us 'ambulance drivers', simply out of ease of use? The public, and probably most health care professionals don't have a clue about the difference between EMT-B, EMT-I, EMT-P, EMT-CCP etc etc ... and because they don't want to offend, they call us by what they see us do which is the most obvious?

They don't see us in the back performing those critical interventions ... most news footage is either of people loading/unloading a stretcher with a patient on it with a whole bunch of fancy equipment, and driving off with the lights flashing or rushing quickly inside the hospital ER entrance. Who's fault is that? Ours ... public education is key if we want to improve this profession for the next generation of paramedics.

peace

Is ambulance driver something the public usually calls us?

I'd never heard the term used before I started my EMT class, other than to refer to the cartoon characters who run out with the white coats, load the patient onto a cloth & poles stretcher, and drive off siren screetching.

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Edited for spelling

[Lithium]

Honestly, only some people use the term ambulance driver. We're a bit more fortunate up here in the North, EVERY 9-1-1 ambulance in the Province has "PARAMEDIC" decaled on it, so the most common slang term I hear is 'medic'.

Personally, I prefer being called ambulance dude

peace

[vs-eh?]

Honestly, only some people use the term ambulance driver. We're a bit more fortunate up here in the North, EVERY 9-1-1 ambulance in the Province has "PARAMEDIC" decaled on it, so the most common slang term I hear is 'medic'.

Hell, even some private non-emergency TRANSFER service's have the word "PARAMEDIC" splashed across their ambulance...

That really has to change...