EMT-B jobs at the ER

[BigDEMT]

Hi All,

This came out a little long so I appreciate you taking the time to read and any advice you could spare!

A little background about me: I'm a newly certified EMT-B in Texas (DFW area).
I already have a full time career I'm not planing on changing that but I did my EMT course because I wanted to get the skill-set and volunteer in the field.

As it turns out, all the EMS around the metroplex is fire based, all ALS services and the very (very) few services out there that actually do have volunteers require you to be a firefighter volunteer first (not interested in that).

So, I thought I'd look at private EMS companies but all there is out there are IFT jobs and it feels like all I'll be doing is be a cab driver. I was hoping for some more "hands-on" patient interaction time.

During our clinicals I really enjoyed the ER time and felt very useful there so I was hoping if you could give me advice on how can I get a PRN job as an ER tech.

Where do you guys go to search for new jobs?
Any staffing agencies you'd recommend?

Thanks in advance!

 

[COmedic17]

If your looking for patient contact as an EMT-B your better off doing an IFT transport gig. Lots of BLS calls and BLS patients.

As an EMT-B in an ER, you will mostly be making beds and cleaning up the rooms. During clinicals they allow you to shadow RNs, medics, doctors and such to get your skills, but in reality- you will do a lot of cleaning and calling to schedule transports.

 

[ArkMedic]

I worked in an ER for 2 years as an EMT-B while in Medic school. It was incredible experience and put me volumes ahead in experience than the avg paramedic student. As an ER tech you will be cleaning rooms/butts, making beds, stocking supplies/sheets etc, but you'll get the opportunity to do much much more. Where I worked (high volume ER in Fort Smith, AR) I was doing EKGs, blood draws and placing Urinary Catheters. I regularly assisted in Code blues, Rapid sequence intubations, Conscious sedations for reduction of fractures/dislocations. On one occasion we had a Pt that had an open fracture of her LT fibula and dislocation of her ankle. Her Tibia was sticking about 6 inches out of the end of her leg with her foot hanging off to her LT lateral side. After she was sedated I was permitted to scrub her exposed Tibia with an Iodine Scrub brush and then proceed to pull her foot over the end of the Tibia and reduce the Dislocation/Fracture while the Physician held traction superiorly on the leg.

I was able to staple lacerations on 2 or 3 occasions. I was even permitted to intubate multiple times in the ER after I had my surgery rotation in medic school and had been checked off.

I was extremely proactive with EKGs. I performed tons of them and then would spend my free time on google learning different arrhythmias. I would read the interpretation on the EKGs and if I was unfamiliar I would google the findings. By a year I had taught myself everything I would learn during Cardiology in Medic School and then some. I was even able to witness Emergency Cardiac Cath procedures in the Cath lab on multiple STEMI patients.

My experience may have been better than average, but if you can prove your intelligence/capabilities to your Physicians and Nurses you'll have a good experience as an ER Tech. It definitely helps to be very interested in medicine.

I'm not familiar with the Dallas area or the facilities there, but I would recommend finding a Trauma II or Trauma III center and seeing what positions are available on their websites. Trauma I centers may seem more tempting, but there will be so many residents running around that you may not even be allowed in a room with a critical patient.

 

[BigDEMT]

I worked in an ER for 2 years as an EMT-B while in Medic school. It was incredible experience and put me volumes ahead in experience than the avg paramedic student. As an ER tech you will be cleaning rooms/butts, making beds, stocking supplies/sheets etc, but you'll get the opportunity to do much much more. Where I worked (high volume ER in Fort Smith, AR) I was doing EKGs, blood draws and placing Urinary Catheters. I regularly assisted in Code blues, Rapid sequence intubations, Conscious sedations for reduction of fractures/dislocations. On one occasion we had a Pt that had an open fracture of her LT fibula and dislocation of her ankle. Her Tibia was sticking about 6 inches out of the end of her leg with her foot hanging off to her LT lateral side. After she was sedated I was permitted to scrub her exposed Tibia with an Iodine Scrub brush and then proceed to pull her foot over the end of the Tibia and reduce the Dislocation/Fracture while the Physician held traction superiorly on the leg.

I was able to staple lacerations on 2 or 3 occasions. I was even permitted to intubate multiple times in the ER after I had my surgery rotation in medic school and had been checked off.

I was extremely proactive with EKGs. I performed tons of them and then would spend my free time on google learning different arrhythmias. I would read the interpretation on the EKGs and if I was unfamiliar I would google the findings. By a year I had taught myself everything I would learn during Cardiology in Medic School and then some. I was even able to witness Emergency Cardiac Cath procedures in the Cath lab on multiple STEMI patients.

My experience may have been better than average, but if you can prove your intelligence/capabilities to your Physicians and Nurses you'll have a good experience as an ER Tech. It definitely helps to be very interested in medicine.

I'm not familiar with the Dallas area or the facilities there, but I would recommend finding a Trauma II or Trauma III center and seeing what positions are available on their websites. Trauma I centers may seem more tempting, but there will be so many residents running around that you may not even be allowed in a room with a critical patient.

This is really what I was hoping for.
How did you get that job? Where did you look?

 

[ArkMedic]

This is really what I was hoping for.
How did you get that job? Where did you look?

It was relatively simple to get the job. I applied at one hospital in town that staffs EMTs or CNAs as ER techs. I applied on their website and got an interview. During my interview they asked if I would go to Phlebotomy school on my own dime before I started. I said peace and applied online at the other hospital in town that staffs uncertified people as ER Techs. I immediately got an interview and walked right onto the job because of my EMT cert.

Just pull up different hospitals websites and look through their "Careers" sections. All their available positions will be posted with requirements.

 

[BigDEMT]

It was relatively simple to get the job. I applied at one hospital in town that staffs EMTs or CNAs as ER techs. I applied on their website and got an interview. During my interview they asked if I would go to Phlebotomy school on my own dime before I started. I said peace and applied online at the other hospital in town that staffs uncertified people as ER Techs. I immediately got an interview and walked right onto the job because of my EMT cert.

Just pull up different hospitals websites and look through their "Careers" sections. All their available positions will be posted with requirements.

Thanks. I've applied with a few places, we'll see what happens now.