PatrickW Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Look, under 18 year olds on the bus is just a dumb idea. If you are a working crew, you can't really pick and choose the calls you can go on with the teen in the back, and even if you could, 99.9% of the times the really bad calls never come through with the gory details until you are well enroute. There are things this world can throw us that will make the most experienced, mature, seasoned paramedic and push him or her to the emotional and mental breaking point. How would you expect the teen to react? What? The whole point of a ride-along is to see what a day/shift in EMS is like. Censoring the rider from certain calls for any reason other than safety defeats this entire purpose and would be doing the rider a disservice. The rider should already understand that they may see some uncomfortable things, and if they are on the ride-along then they must have agreed to this. It shouldn't be your job to screen calls and filter out ones you don't think the rider can handle. I've been doing ride-alongs since I was 15. Those ride-alongs resparked my interest in EMS. I'm 18 now, and in EMT-B class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsmedic393 Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Censoring the rider from certain calls for any reason other than safety defeats this entire purpose and would be doing the rider a disservice. What service exactly is a fifteen year old getting from riding in an ambulance? There is no reason they should be there to begin with. maybe its just a culture difference but I just can't understand why people think the back of an ambulance is any place for a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickW Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 What service exactly is a fifteen year old getting from riding in an ambulance? There is no reason they should be there to begin with. maybe its just a culture difference but I just can't understand why people think the back of an ambulance is any place for a kid. As I said, the point is for the rider to see what a day/shift in EMS is like. For me, the ultimate reason was to decide if I wanted to pursue training and a career in EMS, but also just because I thought it would be educational. Where I am, the county's 911 service allows anyone 16 or older to sign up for a ride-along (minors with parental consent. I got special permission from the EMS director to start at 15). The vast majority of those who sign up do so because they are EMT students, I believe, but I don't think you should have to already be committed to a training program before you can see what it's really like. And if that's true, how is a 16 year old any less capable or deserving of that experience than an 18 year old? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsmedic393 Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Where I am, the county's 911 service allows anyone 16 or older to sign up for a ride-along (minors with parental consent. I got special permission from the EMS director to start at 15). So who asked the patient for permission for them to be viewed at their sickest by a fifteen year old kid? or for that matter attended for by a sixteen year old kid? The vast majority of those who sign up do so because they are EMT students, I believe, but I don't think you should have to already be committed to a training program before you can see what it's really like. I agree with that, but I don't think that a fifteen year old should be riding to experience a job that a person should at least the age of majority to do. And if that's true, how is a 16 year old any less capable or deserving of that experience than an 18 year old? oh let me count the ways....... All have been mentioned in this posts and previous posts on the subject. Is there anyone out there that supports minors riding on an ambulance who isn't a minor themselves or hasn't rode as a minor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsmedic393 Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Sorry posted twice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickW Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 So who asked the patient for permission for them to be viewed at their sickest by a fifteen year old kid? or for that matter attended for by a sixteen year old kid? Who asked the patient for permission for them to be viewed by a 29 year old female contemplating a career in EMS? Or a 32 year-old black paramedic? Patients can come up with all kinds of features in a person that they are uncomfortable with (gender, race, age, hair color), but it doesn't mean it's a valid reason to, say, ask for a new crew. I agree with that, but I don't think that a fifteen year old should be riding to experience a job that a person should at least the age of majority to do. Why? The ride-alongs available to the general public here are observation only. Are you opposed to minors watching the show "Cops"? Hypothetically, no one under the age of 35 in the USA should be allowed to watch a documentary about the president? oh let me count the ways....... All have been mentioned in this posts and previous posts on the subject. Is there anyone out there that supports minors riding on an ambulance who isn't a minor themselves or hasn't rode as a minor? Perhaps the EMS directors to allow this in the first place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridryder 911 Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Sorry, this is a profession. Hence medical care.. your physician don't allow "shadow's" to follow him while you get a pelvic, rectal exam, or any other treatment. The same should be for EMS as well. Want to know what we do.. read the job description or hey even a read a book about it, or watch t.v, ask some experienced medics, and yes even a guidance counselor. It is just like any other medical field... why do we think we have to have someone watch to see if they are interested? Sorry, don't see too many x-ray tech or lab tech with people following to see "if they want to go to school, or if they want to do this?" ... Yes, shame on the Medical Director. He should be aware of patients rights and privacy as well. Once those doors shut on the ambulance, it has the same legal privacy as the hospital does. And NO !... I don't allow, just anyone to observe any procedure, or treatment to patients in the ER and especially in the field. No, I don't need kids observing me.. Apparently, he/she does not take your EMS serious enough as a profession, to respect that. Yet, again if I had kids running calls, I probably would not either. Again, I ask does your parents realize if you (<18 y.o.) are sued, they will be financially responsible? Sorry, minors are that.. and yes patients have the right to refuse care, especially from a minor caring for them. Most professional services will not hire anyone <21 years of age, so they have plenty of time to study or learn of the profession by the time they reach adulthood. This is an adult job with that involves critical thinking skills, that science has proven majority of those ages <18 to 21 basically do not or cannot have. Nothing personal, just facts. Again like Police or truck driving or any other industry that has age requirements, if one is really serious about this as an career, they will wait and get information about the industry as I mentioned. One does not have "shadow or ride along" to make a career decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEorP Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Want to know what we do.. read the job description or hey even a read a book about it, or watch t.v, ...like Saved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickW Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 Sorry, this is a profession. Hence medical care.. your physician don't allow "shadow's" to follow him while you get a pelvic, rectal exam, or any other treatment. The same should be for EMS as well. Want to know what we do.. read the job description or hey even a read a book about it, or watch t.v, ask some experienced medics, and yes even a guidance counselor. It is just like any other medical field... why do we think we have to have someone watch to see if they are interested? Sorry, don't see too many x-ray tech or lab tech with people following to see "if they want to go to school, or if they want to do this?" ... Yes, shame on the Medical Director. He should be aware of patients rights and privacy as well. Once those doors shut on the ambulance, it has the same legal privacy as the hospital does. And NO !... I don't allow, just anyone to observe any procedure, or treatment to patients in the ER and especially in the field. No, I don't need kids observing me.. Apparently, he/she does not take your EMS serious enough as a profession, to respect that. Yet, again if I had kids running calls, I probably would not either. Again, I ask does your parents realize if you (<18 y.o.) are sued, they will be financially responsible? Because information found within books or TV shows is generally reliable and gives you a good idea of what the job is like? :roll: Is this post addressed to me, or someone else? It's very hard to tell when you don't quote who you are responding to. Assuming it is in response to me... Are you saying that you believe allowing minors to do ride-alongs goes against patients' rights and privacy? How do you figure? I'm not saying you should allow anyone to see any procedure or treatment, what I'm saying is that minors who are simply trying to observe should not be discriminated against solely because they are minors. In other words, I don't think you should allow a 34 year old rider who's curious about EMS to see something but you wouldn't allow a 16 year old in the same circumstances (no training, signed waiver, knows what they're getting in to) to see the same thing. The rest of your post seems to be talking about minors as EMTs, which is not what I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsmedic393 Posted September 24, 2006 Share Posted September 24, 2006 who asked the patient for permission for them to be viewed by a 29 year old female contemplating a career in EMS? Or a 32 year-old black paramedic? Patients can come up with all kinds of features in a person that they are uncomfortable with (gender, race, age, hair color), but it doesn't mean it's a valid reason to, say, ask for a new crew. We do, everytime we introduce ourselves to the patient and ask if they want our help. Its called consent. The vast majority of those who sign up do so because they are EMT students, I believe, but I don't think you should have to already be committed to a training program before you can see what it's really like. If you wern't eligible to work on an ambulance until a proper age then at the age of fifteen there would be no need to commit to anything. Why? The ride-alongs available to the general public here are observation only. Are you opposed to minors watching the show "Cops"? Hypothetically, no one under the age of 35 in the USA should be allowed to watch a documentary about the president? If you are comparing what we see on the streets to what you are watching on cops then you don't have a clue about what goes on in EMS. Perhaps the EMS directors to allow this in the first place? Forgive me if I don't have alot of respect for your medical director. The fact that he allows sixteen year olds to work under his license is a testament to the quality of your system and a blow to EMS being a recognised/respected profession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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