urban to rural ems, what a difference

[spenac]

Another stress in rural ems is that there are a number of times when you know your patient, sometimes very well.... large city crews rarely have to deal with a close friend or the relative of a close friend...

And come on you guys...... you haven't learned to pee out the back door on those long trips????? (j/k)

It is difficult to ride up with a friend that you know is not going to make it.

Worst part of peeing out back door is when driver hits the breaks and you flip over. The fountain of pee tends to upset the patients. :wink:

[beccabotkin2002]

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I live in a small town, I moved here from St. Louis, MO. I really enjoy here, but there are definitely some challenges to working here. We are 2 and a half hours from the closest trauma center, so if we have a severely injured patient, we have to fly them through air evac. We are normally around 30 minutes from the closest hospital, and it's about a band-aid station. I really enjoy the fact that I already know most of my patients, and patients with major medical probs i can remember their history, and allergies. People are a lot more at ease, when someone they know is taking care of them, I wouldn't trade it for the world!

[bbbrammer]

I did my two years of street school in an urban service, and when I finally graduated and got to go to rural where I wanted to be my first thought was "Thank GOD!" When I was in the urban setting I felt like I wasn't doing anything at all, just a quick taxi with an IV. Out here in rural I not only get a chance to do more than just stick them and get a BP, but I actually get the time to do real honest to goodness treatment. Out here the term 'patient care' really takes on new meaning. Cause it isn't just procedures, it is learning about their entire life history and the life history of their kids, grandkids, cousins, and so on. Which if you pay attention can come in handy down the road when you wind up running on them too.

You do wind up running on people you know, and it can be hard. Especially the sudden death ones not the 80yr old cardiac, COPD, diabetic, CHF....pt. But the reality of it is even if someone you know died, up to that moment everyone else you know is still alive, so the odds aren't bad. Little joke. But I really do love it out here and I don't think you could talk me into urban EMS no matter what you threw at me. God bless the medics who work urban, glad someone will do it.

[mediccjh]

I was raised in a rural system, and now work full-time urban. I've worked full-time urban 3 years. Each system has its pros and cons. I'm glad that because I work in both systems, I'm a well-balanced medic.

[lifsvr25]

i personally can see your frustration, i work for a private ems service that is metropolitan based, and when time comes for run review, they always seem to highlight the fact that our transport and hospital times our longer. yet the forget to realize, that we have to travel a greater distance, not all roads are paved and the we alot of time are assisting the smaller er's and you may have just picked up your closest neighbor.

[spenac]

i personally can see your frustration, i work for a private ems service that is metropolitan based, and when time comes for run review, they always seem to highlight the fact that our transport and hospital times our longer. yet the forget to realize, that we have to travel a greater distance, not all roads are paved and the we alot of time are assisting the smaller er's and you may have just picked up your closest neighbor.

Thanks for helping make us in rural EMS look like a bunch of dumb hicks. Please prove you are a professional, not just another 3 poster for chat.