Paramedics in Colorado

[Shishkabob]

Like I said before, not going to argue the point because everyone has their view on the matter which cannot be changed.

 

[EMT-B2B]

As an EMT or Paramedic are we not all providing care under our Scope of Practice? Doesn't the trainingthat we receive, regardless of the state or country that we work in, determine our scope of practice?

I feel that any training that an EMT or Paramedic receives is valuable in the sense that it contributes to the scope of practice and enables us to perform our jobs better.

Education or training? (Good luck getting an ambulance full of doctors to an MVA or an attempted suicide call.) Doctor, EMT, Paramedic, regardless, a degree should not determine if the individual or the service has the capability to perform the abilities that are determined by the scope of practice for the EMT or Paramedic, or for the particular service for that matter.

 

[medic417]

As an EMT or Paramedic are we not all providing care under our Scope of Practice? Doesn't the trainingthat we receive, regardless of the state or country that we work in, determine our scope of practice?

I feel that any training that an EMT or Paramedic receives is valuable in the sense that it contributes to the scope of practice and enables us to perform our jobs better.

Education or training? (Good luck getting an ambulance full of doctors to an MVA or an attempted suicide call.) Doctor, EMT, Paramedic, regardless, a degree should not determine if the individual or the service has the capability to perform the abilities that are determined by the scope of practice for the EMT or Paramedic, or for the particular service for that matter.

Oh our new protege. We shall corrupt you some day soon. Come over to the dark side, it is much more fun. h34r:

 

[EMT-B2B]

LOL.....I'm just saying that I try to look at it as improvement. I spent the last 8 years of my life working in the prison system in California. Let me feel good about my drastic carreer change! LAMAO!!!:nosoupfortroll:

 

[BossyCow]

In most cases where an EMT-B is given training in an advanced skill, they are working directly with an EMT-P. So while we have the training; the education and the responsibility for us not screwing it up lies with the highest medical authority on the scene.. ie the paramedic.

For instance, if I start an IV, I'm merely doing the mechanics of the skill once the paramedic has determined that one is necessary and what use the IV site will be used for (fluids, medication, blood draw), when I set up a 12 lead, I'm doing it so the EMT-P will be able to interprete the strip.

In my state, EMT-Bs and EMT-Ps work as a team. I'm not trying to get ALS skills because I think they are cool and I'm too lazy to go to school. If you add up all the time I've spent in school learning about EMS I think I have at least as many hours as my paramedic husband. Much of it on my own dime. I am learning as many skills as I can, in the time allotted to me around my real day job, to be as helpful as I can to my patient and the ALS agency that assesses my critical patients.

To imply otherwise is insulting and mis-informed and probably based in anecdotal information and personal bias.

 

[EMT-B2B]

Very well said!

 

[medic417]

LOL.....I'm just saying that I try to look at it as improvement. I spent the last 8 years of my life working in the prison system in California. Let me feel good about my drastic carreer change! LAMAO!!!:nosoupfortroll:

LOL. Welcome to EMS.

 

[Aidey]

In most cases where an EMT-B is given training in an advanced skill, they are working directly with an EMT-P. So while we have the training; the education and the responsibility for us not screwing it up lies with the highest medical authority on the scene.. ie the paramedic.

For instance, if I start an IV, I'm merely doing the mechanics of the skill once the paramedic has determined that one is necessary and what use the IV site will be used for (fluids, medication, blood draw), when I set up a 12 lead, I'm doing it so the EMT-P will be able to interprete the strip.

Amen! I personally agree with this 100% and I think it is an excellent point. I mean NO offense to EMT-Bs and the various other levels, but I think that if more EMT Bs (at least that I have worked with) understood this the better the EMT/MICP relationship would be. (At least it would at the department where I got my start!)

The ability to perform a skill doesn't necessarily mean that the person has the education to treat the patient using that skill. However, that doesn't mean that the EMT shouldn't perform the skill.

One of the biggest problems I ran into at my former department was that people felt that because someone was trained in a certain set of skills, they should be able to run calls without an I-99 or MICP present. I tried to argue time and time again that just because you can stick a needle in someone doesn't mean you know how to properly do fluid rescusitation. Or just because you can give a neb does't mean you understand all the things that can go wong with the resipiratory system.

When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. A lot of the EMT I-85s I worked with called all breathing difficulty "asthma" because that is what they were trained to treat.

Does this mean I don't think they should have been able to give nebs? No, but it does mean that I would have at least liked to hook them up to a EKG first to make sure it really is asthma and not a SVT induced CHF.

I'm not trying to make this sound like EMT vs. MICP, I'm really not. I'm firm beleiver that MICPs save lives and EMTs save MICPs

 

[medic417]

. I'm firm beleiver that MICPs save lives and EMTs save MICPs

Meter maids save cops.

Nurses aids save doctors.

Janitors save teachers.

 

[BossyCow]

Meter maids save cops.

Nurses aids save doctors.

Janitors save teachers.

Hey.. don't you be dissin' meter maids!

I prefer to think that we all are in this together with each of us helping out the other. Not an us vs. them thing at all.. but the more adversarial among us might disagree

 

[medic417]

Hey.. don't you be dissin' meter maids!

I prefer to think that we all are in this together with each of us helping out the other. Not an us vs. them thing at all.. but the more adversarial among us might disagree

I just hate the saved crap. I agree though until we have a perfect system with all be Advanced that can work on an equal level, we should be a team that works together to the extent possible.