Options and Alternatives

[emtkelley]

Well, you could be an ER tech but if you are looking for a 9-5 gig, then the medical field may not be for you. Medicine is a 24/7 thing. Most of us know we will never become rich off EMS but we do it for our own personal reasons.

You could try for flightmedic but even with that, you have to be on an aggressive service with copius amounts of field experience before you ever even apply for the job. You could also maybe work for a body removal service but your skills as an I will probably never come into play. I also know some medics who have gone into the funeral home business or become deputy coroners. If you are still interested in a somewhat medical field but don't want to do the ambulance gig, maybe an asst to a coroner might be up your alley. You could also go into phlebotomy or be a blood sucker at a plasma center where people are paid for their plasma. Perhaps work for the Red Cross or a blood bank? Or become an industrial medic.

Like everyone else who has answered, I am wondering why you chose EMS if you don't care for the hours, pay or being an "ambulance jockey". That's basically what EMS is about.

[ffpm41]

I am currently working on getting my EMT-I Cert and I've been wondering what else can I do other then be a Ambulance jockey? Ambulances are fine and all but the hours and the pay both sorta suck.

#1 WE ARE NOT AMBULANCE JOCKYS!!! I hate that term. We are professionals that sometimes get treated like crap because we are seen as second rate CNA's that just drive fast and mess things up. I went through a 1,600 hour education plus an extra four month FTO program after I had my PM cert to do my job. We do a lot of things a nurse does, and some things a nurse cannot do (i.e. tubes, crics, Cx decompression, etc). Until we get rid of terminology like "ambulance jocky," we won't get the respect we deserve.

#2 Hours- find a system that has 8, 10 or 12 hour shifts if you don't like 24's.

#3 Pay- I agree, if you wanna get rich find another job. If you want better pay become a PM, RN, PA, or something else; find a system that pays better like municipal government run systems (i.e. city/county). Or better yet sit in an office trying not to get paper cuts or hurt yourself with a stapler.

And as for all the talk about the ER skills, I can understand a PM working their pushing drugs because of a better understanding of indications/contraindications but a EMT-B? What a liability, keep in mind I love EMT's because I was there once but with more training you understand some things you did before probably wasn't a good idea. If you want to push drugs, get more training to become a higher cert.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but show some respect for this great profession.

[buckeyedoc]

I currently work in the ED as a paramedic. Our hospital is a rarity in that paramedics are used as such. Other hospitals in the region (including several Level I trauma centers) use paramedics as Pt. Care Assistants (PCA, ED Techs or whatever the hell else you call them). We have PCA's in our ED that do (and only do) the following:

1. Draw blood ( NO IV's are permitted by PCA's

2. Foley Caths

3. Administer the 12-lead (and runs to the doc with it)

4. Transport patients

As a medic in the ED, I work under a set of established protocols. There have been several times that someone comes in with c/p and the 12-lead shows an MI. We give the ASA and Nitro many times before a doctor even knows they are there. Now, let me make things clear, we are not treating the monitor, we are treating the patient's symptoms and use the 12-lead as a diagnostic tool. There are times that the nurses are busy with another patient and the medics are the only ones who check in the patient. Below is a list of of our scope of practice in the ED

1. IV's and blood draws

2. Foley caths

3. 12-lead (administration and some interpretation as mentioned above)

4. Medication administration (no IV antibiotics, Natrecor [or the like] or no blood products)

5. Intubation (like we ever beat the docs to this one, but we are permitted)

We have several PCA's who are EMT's. Regardless of any certifications, the PCA's are required to be trained and tested on 12-lead administration, phlebot skills and foley caths. The medics in the ER are not there to replace the nurses, but to supplement staffing. PCA's don't even have Pixys access to obtain medications (that includes tylenol).

thbarnes,

as far as you pushing meds, interpreting 12-leads and starting IV's as an EMT-B, I have to raise the :bs: flag on this one. We, the people of EMT City, would be more than happy to view your standing orders for the ER. I have several friends who are paramedics (very seasoned ones at that) who work in a large Level I trauma center as an ER Tech who aren't permitted to push meds in the ER, with or without a physican's order.

[IanJ]

The whole point of this thread was to shine light on other applications of EMS-Certs. Yes I realize that Emergency Medical Services might involve the occasional ride in an ambulance. Unless you walk or volunteer then you will spend a lot of time in ambulances. I don't have an issue with being in the back of an ambulance.

The term "Ambulance Jockey" was meant to convey a degree of levity which apparently didn't work. Way back when, when this forum was still under the 1,000 mark people here seemed to have lighter hearts then what they seem to have now. So if you are a offended by the term, that was not the intention, sorry. Maybe you might want to lighten up a bit.

Probably the biggest issue with the way this topic has been addressed is the scarcity of any actual real response (there have been some). By asking a question I am condemned? What kind of sense does that make? This forum, from what I understand, was intended as a place for EMS people to get together, ask questions, vent, and just interact. For a simple innocuous question to be treated this way is very sad indeed.

Yeah, a lot of people get into EMS because of some sort of sense of calling and subsequently love their jobs, but a lot of people get burned out in the EMS field. I think the last statistic I heard was the current life span of an EMT is about 5 years. What happens then? Where do they all go? What other options are out there for these people and subsequently me? To go blindly into something is generally a bad idea. All I am trying to do is consider all my options. I'm getting my EMS cert for my own reasons and there are also circumstances where this would become a very difficult thing for me to apply under traditional circumstances which is why I am currently investigating different options within the EMS field that I can make use of my certification. So with that being said, does anyone provide any constructive responses to my question without condemning me in the process for my curiosity?

[emtkelley]

My apologies if I offended in some way. One of the biggest downfalls of participating in a forum is the difficulty in detecting the "tone" of one's posts.

I did think of another avenue for you to consider. How about becoming an instructor? That is something you can take with you and a way to give back to the EMS community by sharing your knowledge and experience with others. You can use it as a primary job or something on the side of running EMS. My husband taught CPR in correctional facility employees for a time and made good money from it. He aquired the job through the community outreach center at the community college.

Burnout happens. Some medics find it helpful to run EMS part time and have a side "fun job" non-EMS related. Many times it is unavoidable and you are wise to seek alternatives, just in case.

[Eyegor]

"Non-ambulance" jobs I have held as an EMT-B. Day Camp EMT, Summer Camp EMT, Alcohol Crisis Center EMT. There are others out there. Obviously, the more education and experience you can offer the better your chances.