Emergency Medical Responder

Moserrr

Moserrr

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Is it just me, or does no one acknowledge this as a profession? I busted my rump to get this certification and now I cant get a job because no one seems to know what an EMR is. When I took the national registry the test givers didnt know what an EMR was, they said "you mean EMT?" no, I mean EMR. Basically an EMT, I just cant tube or traction splint, and lets be honest, theyre about to boot that anyways.
 
Yes, EMR is not as recognized anymore because EMT is so easy to obtain.

Have you thought about obtaining your EMT?
 
Where do EMTs "tube" anyone?? There's places that don't even let them get a finger stick for blood sugar.....
And they still teach KEDs, yet I've never actually used one, but I have used the traction splint a few times (funnily enough, less often than patients I've been on that have been intubated....and where I worked that was essentially almost only patients getting, or very close to getting, CPR).

EMR can be done in 40 hours....thats a single work week. In a world where EMT is generally considered the entry level provider in EMS....theres places where short of being a full Paramedic you're not allowed to respond to 911 calls.


Most of the time I've heard people talk about EMR it's "oh that's what Cops and Firefighters and Lifeguards and the first aid squad at the ski resort get" i.e. a cert to enhance related professions but not an independent career in and of it's own...heck it's hard (granted not impossible, but still not very easy) to make being an EMT a full career, even Paramedics can have a hard time making a career out of it unless they're also a firefighter or something.
 
I had tried, I passed skills and such but not national registry. In fact it was a huge accomplishment after trying so hard to get my EMT, that I got my EMR; but thank you for belittling that.
 
Moserrr said:
I had tried, I passed skills and such but not national registry. In fact it was a huge accomplishment after trying so hard to get my EMT, that I got my EMR; but thank you for belittling that.
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Stateing facts is not belittling something. EMR is absolutely nothing compared to actual medical education. To say it's basically the same thing except intubation and traction splint is absolutely ignorant and asinine. A certification you can obtain in a month is not a profession. And if you consider that "busting your rump", and couldn't pass EMT, then you should seriously take a hard look and reconsider career choices. Seriously, you are talking about a certification that a high school lifeguard gets to work at the pool for the summer.
 
I can assure you that traction splints, rescue airways, and ET tubes arent going anywhere.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
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The EMR certification is what I taught in an 80 hour class to industrial first responders and security guards. It's basic first aid with a few additional skills. Used mostly as an add in to plus up a individual's skill set, it's certainly not a career level course.

If you had trouble passing the EMT course, I'd suggest another class, study aids or a tutor. EMT is really the basic entry level to EMS work.
 
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Moserrr said:
I had tried, I passed skills and such but not national registry. In fact it was a huge accomplishment after trying so hard to get my EMT, that I got my EMR; but thank you for belittling that.
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Your education (in your profile) says EMT..... is that not correct?

and EMR is an Emergency Medical Responder.... their job is to prevent the patient from dying in the 10 minutes it takes EMS to arrive (typically EMTs and/or paramedics). These are the people who actually know what's going on, and can do a more in depth assessment and decide on a treatment plan. Would you hire someone who could only treat the patient for 10 minutes?

There is a HUGE difference between EMT and EMR. Are the skill sheets nearly identical? sure. are the tests different? absolutely. EMT is longer, requires more testing, and requires the students to have a better grasp on anatomy and the why we do interventions (and it still is lacking, and doesn't come close to what paramedics need to know).

The only place that will hire you as an EMR is one where it's not your primary job. it's an add on to something else you do (security is probably the most common, but some career fire departments and police departments will too, as well as industrial places, but even the FDs and industry are moving toward EMT as the minimum standard).

If you want to be proud of EMR, good for you. I'm proud of my EMT certification. and I teach EMR classes, as well as EMT. There is a HUGE difference in the knowledge between the participants (I give the same pre and post quizs to both classes, and yes, the FD is a mix of EMRs and EMTs)

and if you think they are booting traction splint, and EMTs are able to tube, than your initial EMT training failed you.
 
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NomadicMedic said:
The EMR certification is what I taught in an 80 hour class to industrial first responders and security guards. It's basic first aid with a few additional skills. Used mostly as an add in to plus up a individual's skill set, it's certainly not a career level course.

If you had trouble passing the EMT course, I'd suggest another class, study aids or a tutor. EMT is really the basic entry level to EMS work.
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We've got several threads on here about study aids/study habits. I suggest taking a look through them.

As everyone else stated, EMR is usually tacked on to any other profession (Fire, Police, Security) and not meant as a stand alone. That's not to belittle your accomplishment, I started as an EMR too! I got my EMR at 17, as you had to be 18 to be an EMT. (Although, I think it was called something else at that point..) The point is though, I didn't stop at EMR-- you're just dipping your feet in the medical world with it. Keep moving, keep learning! This forum is a great place to learn from if you're having trouble with EMT. However, you have to be able to put in the effort for it.
 
NomadicMedic said:
The EMR certification is what I taught in an 80 hour class to industrial first responders and security guards.
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tbh i thought it was even less. i thought it was around 40 hours
Moserrr said:
no, I mean EMR. Basically an EMT, I just cant tube or traction splint, and lets be honest, theyre about to boot that anyways.
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Not to be mean, but to be direct, this statement couldn't possibly be more wrong. EMR is a great starting place, however continuing education is required. I don't think anywhere in the United States an EMT-B (anywhere between 200-450 hrs if your generous of training) will let them intubate somebody. most places in the US won't even let EMT-B's start an IV (there are some though). traction splinting, possibly... but i've never heard of it as a lifesaving procedure, pain relieving, yes.
 
Moserrr said:
Is it just me, or does no one acknowledge this as a profession?
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It's just you. But seriously, most days I have serious doubts that all levels of prehospital providers--as a general group--will ever be a "profession", let alone professionals.

If you came here looking for empathy, with your initially articulated post, you will not find it. If you came here looking for advice, you got it, which I pretty much would be echoing at this point.

Many of the fire departments I have seen, and been around are trained at the ALS-level, and still (just barely, reluctantly) act at the (EMR) first responder-level. Perhaps this will give you some more insight as to where the actual EMR certification is in the grand scheme of prehospital things.

... I would venture to guess EMR may "get the boot" sooner than any one of the treatments you've listed; none of which are truly life saving anyhow.
 
Nobody is belittling your work, but there is a reason you aren't finding a job...
 
EMT is considered the bare bones minimum for EMS from a regulatory and practical standpoint.

EMR (formerly First Responder) is typically a 48-60 hours course aimed at giving better first aid training to those whose primary job is not patient care.

It is not the most popular certification because it isn't recognized at the state level for EMS, so those with time to take EMR usually opt for a WFR because they are in austere environments, an EMT for the opportunities it affords, or they end up with something faster like a 24 hour Advanced First Aid class.
 
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Where are you looking for a job as an EMR? If it's in the prehospital medical world, then you're not qualified for almsot any position. There are some places that hire CPR certified people to drive wheelchair vans, so that's probably where you'd end up. EMRs do not belong on an ambulance in 99% of the US
 
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DrParasite said:
I believe @NysEms2117 works on a CCT truck where they have a dedicated EMR driver
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Correct, strictly to save costs. Anytime i have worked, the EMR has minimal to no patient contact. They mainly drive and organize the paperwork in my experience. (PT CC EMT-B)
 
NysEms2117 said:
Correct, strictly to save costs. Anytime i have worked, the EMR has minimal to no patient contact. They mainly drive and organize the paperwork in my experience. (PT CC EMT-B)
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Hard to imagine paying less than what EMTs make ;)
 
Summit said:
Hard to imagine paying less than what EMTs make ;)
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work for the county, so i probably make what most paramedics make(or dam close). EMR's are minimum wage.
 
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