Whether you are a brand new EMT in search of coveted 'healthcare experience', a prospective EMT/Paramedic student, or just need a new job. You might benefit from reading this post.
It has been discussed in depth about Transport EMTs, NEMT, and *sigh* 'chair taxi' drivers (moreover stretcher transporters). I want to provide my insight while working in my first 'medical' job and how it helped me.
There are a plethora of non-emergent medical transport outfits in my area (central FL) and presumably where other behemoth hospital systems like OH, FH, and HCA set foot.
Most of the time, you will be dealing with 'patients' requiring merely transport to or from appointments or from a facility to their home. In this fact, you are a taxi service. And for an aspiring EMT, it is very dull. However, for anyone new to a city or area it can be a very worthwhile learning experience in the first few months.
You learn the area extraordinarily well. You will more than likely have contracted hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities that will account for a majority of the transports. However, your dispatcher may take several new patients from practically anywhere. Psych, Dialysis, Hospitals, Homes, Dr offices.. you do it all.
You learn the system very well. You are thrown in to the back end of healthcare, quite literally. You will work with nursing/medical staff on almost every floor of the hospital and get to work with patients at their best moments (or almost) - where they are going home or to rehab. This experience is crucial for people looking for healthcare experience and EMT to Nurse/Doctor relationships are often overlooked in the EMS world, simply because of the 'experiential gap' and scope of practice.
You learn wheelchair and stretcher ops I don't know if anyone here has ever experienced the issues I have with stretchers, but this is the most important piece of equipment on the truck and one that often has the most potential issues. Whether it is a Ferno with mechanical under carriage from the ancient history or the brand new Stryker with automatic lift.. something can go wrong with the stretcher. Learning to safely use your equipment and learn to troubleshoot problems in a pinch are crucial to any job. Nonetheless, stretcher transport teaches you the essentials of lifting and moving patients, lifting technique, and loading patients in to your truck.
Insurance, billing, and other not-so-exciting things Many new people to EMS ignore this entirely, because they don't care or simply don't understand the money-driven society we live in. You will be collecting money and often putting payment for service over patient care and customer service. Sadly it is part of your job, and your boss likely won't think kindly of you for not collecting payments. What's worse, is that you are in a field where gratuities are often overlooked because of the huge system you are playing part to (insurance).. you are looked at as healthcare provider whether you like it or not and are part of the 'system'.. or simply because your patients can not afford or are not physically/mentally competent enought to tip you. (Yes, you get the occasional tip, but don't count on it.)
While I alluded to some of the cons of this job, don't get me wrong, it is a great way to add to your resume and prepare for a job within EMS or Fire Department. A gig with a stretcher transport or non-emergent medical transport company is a great way to prepare you for work as an EMT/Paramedic with a legitimate EMS system. You will learn to cope with the lull that is IFT, and the frustrations within the hospitals BEFORE you get to your 911 service (if thats your goal). You will also gain valuable patient contact experience, which is my final and most important point. Most of you should already know, EMS is mostly medical patients and few are in need of a code 3 transport to the hospital. You learn to talk to patients and likely will meet a lot of really interesting people along the way. By far the best thing you can get out of a NEMT/stretcher transport job as an aspiring EMT. It will make you a better healthcare provider and individual.
It has been discussed in depth about Transport EMTs, NEMT, and *sigh* 'chair taxi' drivers (moreover stretcher transporters). I want to provide my insight while working in my first 'medical' job and how it helped me.
There are a plethora of non-emergent medical transport outfits in my area (central FL) and presumably where other behemoth hospital systems like OH, FH, and HCA set foot.
Most of the time, you will be dealing with 'patients' requiring merely transport to or from appointments or from a facility to their home. In this fact, you are a taxi service. And for an aspiring EMT, it is very dull. However, for anyone new to a city or area it can be a very worthwhile learning experience in the first few months.
You learn the area extraordinarily well. You will more than likely have contracted hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities that will account for a majority of the transports. However, your dispatcher may take several new patients from practically anywhere. Psych, Dialysis, Hospitals, Homes, Dr offices.. you do it all.
You learn the system very well. You are thrown in to the back end of healthcare, quite literally. You will work with nursing/medical staff on almost every floor of the hospital and get to work with patients at their best moments (or almost) - where they are going home or to rehab. This experience is crucial for people looking for healthcare experience and EMT to Nurse/Doctor relationships are often overlooked in the EMS world, simply because of the 'experiential gap' and scope of practice.
You learn wheelchair and stretcher ops I don't know if anyone here has ever experienced the issues I have with stretchers, but this is the most important piece of equipment on the truck and one that often has the most potential issues. Whether it is a Ferno with mechanical under carriage from the ancient history or the brand new Stryker with automatic lift.. something can go wrong with the stretcher. Learning to safely use your equipment and learn to troubleshoot problems in a pinch are crucial to any job. Nonetheless, stretcher transport teaches you the essentials of lifting and moving patients, lifting technique, and loading patients in to your truck.
Insurance, billing, and other not-so-exciting things Many new people to EMS ignore this entirely, because they don't care or simply don't understand the money-driven society we live in. You will be collecting money and often putting payment for service over patient care and customer service. Sadly it is part of your job, and your boss likely won't think kindly of you for not collecting payments. What's worse, is that you are in a field where gratuities are often overlooked because of the huge system you are playing part to (insurance).. you are looked at as healthcare provider whether you like it or not and are part of the 'system'.. or simply because your patients can not afford or are not physically/mentally competent enought to tip you. (Yes, you get the occasional tip, but don't count on it.)
While I alluded to some of the cons of this job, don't get me wrong, it is a great way to add to your resume and prepare for a job within EMS or Fire Department. A gig with a stretcher transport or non-emergent medical transport company is a great way to prepare you for work as an EMT/Paramedic with a legitimate EMS system. You will learn to cope with the lull that is IFT, and the frustrations within the hospitals BEFORE you get to your 911 service (if thats your goal). You will also gain valuable patient contact experience, which is my final and most important point. Most of you should already know, EMS is mostly medical patients and few are in need of a code 3 transport to the hospital. You learn to talk to patients and likely will meet a lot of really interesting people along the way. By far the best thing you can get out of a NEMT/stretcher transport job as an aspiring EMT. It will make you a better healthcare provider and individual.