Everyone is a paramedic.

NomadicMedic

NomadicMedic

I know a guy who knows a guy.
Messages
12,219
Reaction score
7,003
Points
113
Have you seen that the American Paramedic Association and the NEMSMA are pushing to change the nomenclature to call EVERYONE paramedics? In an article about COVID-19 vaccination guidelines, it states, "These guidelines are also among the first to incorporate the latest international professional nomenclature recommendations to reduce confusion and inconsistencies by using the all-inclusive title of “paramedic.”

"Using the title paramedic will help federal, state, and local officials and, more importantly, the public to better understand the role of paramedics nationwide by reducing confusion caused by the many different certifications or licensure levels across the country not meaningful to non-practitioners."

So, apparently we’re going down this road again.
 
NomadicMedic said:
[From the article:] "Using the title paramedic will help federal, state, and local officials and, more importantly, the public to better understand the role of paramedics nationwide by reducing confusion caused by the many different certifications or licensure levels across the country not meaningful to non-practitioners."
Click to expand...

I think the opposite will happen if everyone is called paramedics.
 
I used to care because I worked hard to earn the title of Paramedic.

Now........well now I have a lot more important things to worry about. What people call my profession doesn't crack the top 100.
 
At the end of the day, would this become reality, the people that needed to know the difference would know the difference. No one really knows what paramedics actually do except the people that work with them, the lay public certainly don't and never will.

Kinda like the term 'nurse'. LPN at a SNF, medical assistant at the doctors office, ICU nurse running ecmo and LVADs. It don't matter.

Dumb idea to do it on purpose tho...looks like a solution looking for a problem....
 
Why not just call everyone EMTs?

Does the EMR (emergency medical responder) get referred to as a paramedic too?

Personally, I think we should all be called ambulance drivers, even if we don't work in, on, or around an ambulance. I mean, that's all the majority of the public thinks we do anyway
 
Eh... not a fan.
 
I like it and have liked it for 20 years. I think it's going to be important part of advancing EMS and our public image.

The public has no idea what to call EMS providers. The news calls us ambulance drivers, emergency medical providers, EMS workers, etc. I always thought the term "medic" was unifying.

LPN, RN, and BSN are all nurses.

DO and MD are doctors.

We should be medics.
 
The area I served as an EMT was 95% Spanish speaking. We always found it easier to say, "Soy un medico" compared to "Soy un tenico emergencia de medico"
 
ffemt8978 said:
The area I served as an EMT was 95% Spanish speaking. We always found it easier to say, "Soy un medico" compared to "Soy un tenico emergencia de medico"
Click to expand...
Que perezoso...

I agree with @GMCmedic, it matters to me personally less and less. With that, there are still numerous people for whom it does matter, and that’s ok too.

@E tank also made a valid comment. The general public will call us whatever they’re told to, or going to.

I think it’s fair when the news just calls us emergency medical workers. If you wanted to fancy it up you could call us emergency medical specialists, or prehospital specialists.

The pendulum of provider-levels both educationally and fundamentally varies so greatly, I think we all know the title itself is relatively insignificant.
 
So you’re all EMTs. Let’s call us that.
 
I like it, but I don't think it would really change anything. I frequently get people who call me EMT instead of paramedic. I get people who don't even know what a paramedic is. I think people wouldn't change their vocabulary even if we switched it.
 
Well it was EMT-B, EMT-I, and EMT-P.
Then Paramedic was different.

In Canada everyone is a Paramedic, although a Primary Care Paramedic (their entry level) is more like an AEMT in scope but with 2 years of education.
 
Summit said:
Well it was EMT-B, EMT-I, and EMT-P.
Then Paramedic was different.

In Canada everyone is a Paramedic, although a Primary Care Paramedic (their entry level) is more like an AEMT in scope but with 2 years of education.
Click to expand...

If it turns into something like the Canadian model of nomenclature, I wouldn’t be displeased. We’d have a little more consistency, which is a win, I suppose.

That said, changing the name is more of a “nice to have” - I’d rather see, as I’m sure most folks here would, broader reform. Maybe a name change is a catalyst? Maybe turning, say, the NREMT into the National Board of Paramedicine is the way this ends up?
 
ffemt8978 said:
The area I served as an EMT was 95% Spanish speaking. We always found it easier to say, "Soy un medico" compared to "Soy un tenico emergencia de medico"
Click to expand...
"Mamita, Soy un conductor de Ambulancia" lol

I work in a similar demographic area and the elderly patients always call me "Doctor" because I'm a male with scrubs on. 🙄

During the wrath of covid,.I would always wear a black scrub cap. One day I took care of spanish speaking patient for 12 hours and at the end of the shift she asked, " when will I see my Nurse?!" She though I was the Cook!! Yes, Cooks give IV insulin and Meds. Jajajajajaja🤣
 
el EMT said:
"Mamita, Soy un conductor de Ambulancia" lol

I work in a similar demographic area and the elderly patients always call me "Doctor" because I'm a male with scrubs on. 🙄

During the wrath of covid,.I would always wear a black scrub cap. One day I took care of spanish speaking patient for 12 hours and at the end of the shift she asked, " when will I see my Nurse?!" She though I was the Cook!! Yes, Cooks give IV insulin and Meds. Jajajajajaja🤣
Click to expand...
If you ever spoke to a non-English speaking family member of mine this way we’d have problems. Don’t be a tool, be respectful.
 
VentMonkey said:
If you ever spoke to a non-English speaking family member of mine this way we’d have problems. Don’t be a tool, be respectful.
Click to expand...
What part of this was tool-like or disrespectful? Our patient population is 90% hispanic and we call mostly all the elderly female patients " mamita". Its a term of endearment/ respect. Most of our staff are Filipino or Hispanic , myself included.
 
el EMT said:
What part of this was tool-like or disrespectful? Our patient population is 90% hispanic and we call mostly all the elderly female patients " mamita". Its a term of endearment/ respect. Most of our staff are Filipino or Hispanic , myself included.
Click to expand...
Hey man, it could be. I’m JS, it does not carry over well with every Hispanic “demographic”, so be cognizant and aware.

Back on topic, yeah?
 
VentMonkey said:
The pendulum of provider-levels both educationally and fundamentally varies so greatly, I think we all know the title itself is relatively insignificant.
Click to expand...
My understanding is that things are moving in a more standardized direction. It certainly looks that way - the 2020 National EMS Assessment (somewhat of a grandiose title for a big survey) shows that we have improved over the past couple of years (versus, say 2011's assessment, but 21 states are still identifying/licensing providers at a non-national certified level between EMT and Paramedic, not to mention all of the non-standardized levels above paramedic. Standardizing that would be an achievable win which could move us along the road towards a consistent nomenclature.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top