Advice Needed

[gotbeerz001]

I simply let my basic carry 99% of the kit. They are rewarded by being able to glimpse the soles of our patient's feet and moving them. Later, they are blessed by being trusted to apply healing stickers and oxygen tubing. That is, I feel, an appropriate use of their semester of "school" /sarcasm.

Honestly, dude, most of this job is BLS and interactions with others.

Truth.
At the end of the day, the job is about getting along with others and maybe getting a chance to run a good call as a team every now and again.

 

[Tigger]

To clarify a few things:
The service that I primarily run with is BLS with ALS endorsements. It's not that I like getting to call the shots, but rather, I am fascinated by finding a problem and having the ability to fix it. For example, administering something simple like albuterol for an asthma attack or D50 for a hypoglycemia. The main problem that I have with AMR is that for those types of things, the paramedic is completely in charge. You can't really use any of your skills- unless you run with a good/rebel medic of course.

I chose to stay with AMR, as many of you did pose good advice, despite the misunderstanding of my point.

I really do just like being able to take a patient, find what is wrong, and fix it. Obviously there are medical issues that are not in my scope to fix, and that is a different story, and obviously a paramedic needs to be involved. But it is nice to fix those that I can. I don't want the "all-star or hero" title- I just want to do a job that highly intrigues me. I have no problem with EMT and BLS skills. I do have a problem with AMR not allowing you to utilize those skills to their full potential. However, eventually I plan on being a paramedic. And you're right- it would be nice to have AMR when/if the time comes.

What is right for the patient is to receive care and assessment by a paramedic. You might have some of the same interventions that paramedics have, but you do not have the education associated with them. In the rural/frontier setting this might be acceptable given the lack of paramedics, but if they are available, they call the shots period. Also you might find that your partner has you do these things on scene once you've established rapport with him or her.

It also does not make good financial sense to have the EMT attend these calls. You provide the intervention but AMR will not get paid for it in many cases, or not at the same rate.

 

[MonkeyArrow]

As others have said, I don't think that you're understanding what your role is in the paramedic/basic relationship. If you are on a ALS unit, the paramedic techs all calls. However, since there are most likely only two of you on a call, that leaves you with the role of driving. That is simply how it works. Now, you can rectify that by getting your paramedic cert, which you stated that you intended to do, or working on a BLS only rig, if they exist. If you really want to use your skills, the only chance you have right now is to work on a basic/basic rig. Again, as others have said, once you get to know your partner more, he/she will let you do more things on scene before transport, but remember, in the grand scheme of things, there are only so many things you can do. As a basic on an ALS rig, your main duty is driving the rig, and your clinical interactions come on scene by assisting your paramedic partner.

 

[Tigger]

As others have said, I don't think that you're understanding what your role is in the paramedic/basic relationship. If you are on a ALS unit, the paramedic techs all calls. However, since there are most likely only two of you on a call, that leaves you with the role of driving. That is simply how it works. Now, you can rectify that by getting your paramedic cert, which you stated that you intended to do, or working on a BLS only rig, if they exist. If you really want to use your skills, the only chance you have right now is to work on a basic/basic rig. Again, as others have said, once you get to know your partner more, he/she will let you do more things on scene before transport, but remember, in the grand scheme of things, there are only so many things you can do. As a basic on an ALS rig, your main duty is driving the rig, and your clinical interactions come on scene by assisting your paramedic partner.

That's not how it works in many, many places. I attend patients that I can adequately treat under my own scope, up to and including administering medications. That said, every patient deserves a paramedic assessment.