What's it like to be an EMT or Paramedic?

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Arw33

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what is an average day like?
 
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Thats an average day. You will work hard and get little respect.
 
This site is puking with answers to your question. Explore first, then get specific; you'll find all sorts of help.

Welcome!
 
My department is slow, but for my county's EMS an average week is like this:

Monday, Tuesday- Sleep
Wednesday- Old Grandma who just wants someone to talk to
Thursday-Sleep
Friday-Calls from the moment you go on till you go off
Satuday-Calls in the morning, lazy afternoon
Sunday-Sleep
 
Arw33 said:
what is an average day like?
Click to expand...

Err... unless you work for a tiny company with only a handful of patients, there is no "average" day.

When I worked for a good size company, it was kinda of like this:

Clock in, read any memos by the time clock, get ambulance assignment, check out ambulance, go in service.

Pager beeps and buzzes, mobile data terminal beeps and lights up when the dispatcher decides to give me a call. Go run call, call back into service, get sent on another call or to a posting location. Eat, sleep, relax, watch movies between calls, otherwise run calls.

End of the day get the magic page to fuel unit. Get fuel, return to base, turn unit back in and tell the service tech if we used anything.
 
Arw33 said:
what is an average day like?
Click to expand...

911 or interfacility txp, as in hosp to hosp and discharges from hospital to skilled nursing facility (nursing home) and such?

911 in an urban, suburban, or rural location? Call volume?

Private or municipal EMS?

Many different answers to your question depending on the details. One thing's for sure, it's nothing like an episode of Third Watch or Trauma, I can assure you. If you want thrills, go surf hurricane swells or enter an MMA event. The job generally pays lousy, is boring and mundane much of the time, and you'll learn to eat on the run most of the time. PT care is mostly handholding, reassuring, and general customer service (with sometimes uncooperative and abusive pts). If you're cool with that, you'll have a decent chance at doing well at EMS.
 
The company I work for we work 48 on 96 off. When I come in I get the radio and ignition keys from the emt getting off, then I check fuel and O2 (The crew getting off will always say "yea your good on fuel and O2" and not be), then I will put up the stock for my medic(so they don't have to), and run calls the next 48 hrs on min. sleep. Rest when I can, go to the bathroom when I can and eat when I can.
 
Clock in.....find your assigned squad (which usually is out of service or stolen by another crew)
Assigned a POS squad
Attempt checkout (usually interrupted by an incoming call)
Run call
Receive another call while waiting for a bed in the ER
Attempt to grab lunch (usually doesn't happen)
Run your balls off for the next 12 hours
By this time im filling out my holdover sheet
Get back 2 hours after end of shift
Wash squad
Clock out and go home, excited to do it all again tomorrow!! YAY

We are really really busy!!!!
 
RuralEMT said:
My department is slow, but for my county's EMS an average week is like this:

Monday, Tuesday- Sleep
Wednesday- Old Grandma who just wants someone to talk to
Thursday-Sleep
Friday-Calls from the moment you go on till you go off
Satuday-Calls in the morning, lazy afternoon
Sunday-Sleep
Click to expand...

Where did you get my service's schedule from. :)
 
It is periods of mind numbing boredom interrupted by moments of excitement and intense action. The proportions change depending on your service, knowledge, and experience. :rolleyes:
 
after reading all your comments i cant wait to be done school!!!!!!!^_^
 
hahahaha seriously, it's really chill. i mean, we normally will get at least one call in 24 hours, but it's normally a "sick" call. you spend a lot of time watching tv, reading, learning, training, cleaning, eating, talking, and sleeping. weekends, holidays, big events, and full moons tend to step things up more.
 
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