EMT-B - a couple questions

[ST911]

Lots of good advice in here.

Pay attention in your EMT-B class, read your book(s), and master the fundamentals. Get on the busiest service you can (volunteer or paid) and get some experience. Then move on if the job is to your liking.

There are good medics that went straight to their P. The best ones I've worked with worked their way up though. The former tend to be good at working from the book, the latter at thinking on their feet and outside the box.

[afff_667]

I think the decision on whether to go straight from EMT-B to Paramedic school depends greatly on where you're working/volunteering and what ultimate goals you have in EMS. There's no doubt that some good, solid experience following EMT-B school with arterial bleeds, traumatic incidents, CPRs, etc allows you to practice and hone those basic skills and "experience" things before you're the paramedic in charge and have total responsibility for the patient (not to mention the ambulance and your partner).

I've been a Paramedic (Licensed, too, since that certification level was implemented) in Texas for right at 20 years working in the fire service. The issue I see with EMT-Bs in a Paramedic-based system like ours and others with which I am familiar is that EMT-Bs are relegated to driving the ambulance if they're assigned to it at all. You might do some initial patient contacts and make some primary assessments, obtain vitals, get the cot and other gear, do some chest compressions, etc but your activitites will be extremely limited. Of course, the better you are at those things, the more you're trusted and get to do, but that's only up to a point. While the department I work for may hire EMT-Bs, they are either in Paramedic school or scheduled to go.

Look at the hiring requirements of the cities you might want to work for if you're considering a job in a municipal fire department that provides ACLS/paramedic-level care. If already being a paramedic isn't a hiring requirement, it may very well increase your eligibility and hirability. As such, going on to paramedic school would be a good investment in your future.

The only way you're going to become a good, competent medic is through experience. There aren't any shortcuts, and the only way you're going to get experience is to get in the field and make calls. Pay attention to the folks that have their shit together. EMS is one of those areas in which what you get out of it is directly proportional to what you put into it.

Good luck.

[dog guy]

"IMO you should wait until you've got some time on the street. You may end up hating it and then you've wasted a bunch of time. More specifically the experience gained is invaluable".

This advice is spot on. I've got a little over 30 years in the emergency service system. I've seen a lot of smart people get into the field thinking that it will make a great career, only to find that the initial appeal wears off after about 18-24 months. You don't want to sink a ton of time, money, and energy into paramedic school unless you've established for certain that you want to stay in the system for a while. If you decide to advance, you can self study things like A & P, pharmacology, etc while waiting for your shot at medic school so that the advanced instruction is less overwhelming when the time comes. Being a Basic will also teach you a lot about how to treat your coworkers once you become a medic, especially if you operate in a tiered system.

[texasrangers]

Thanks for the replies and advice everyone. I got the answers I was expecting, but wanted to run it by the experienced professionals anyway. If I have any more questions I won't hesitate to ask. Stay safe.

[Spoon]

They had me buy quite a few books for my EMT-B course. I took them all back except the text book and work book. Just study and pay attention and ASK ALOT OF QUESTIONS. The instructors love the students that ask questions, they also share tips, storys, and help you out on skills more if your willing to learn. I noticed the people in class that didn't take the time to learn weren't taken serious. Also don't wait to take the NREMT test, take it as soon as you can. READ the text book, all the answers are in the text book. I just passed the NREMT 3 months ago, get a cool certificate, and patch lol. Also do your finger prints, and application to the State as soon as you find out you passed the NREMT....it will be a while until you get your State certification, took 2 months until mine came in.

I agree with everyone else get some time in first before doing paramedics. I decided to hold off on it and do A&P1, Medical Terminology, and Dosage&Calc. this semester...might try to get into the RN program instead.

[rugbymike]

Any 68Ws here? I'm Prior Service in the Marines, enlisting into the Army Reserves to be a Combat Medic. To my understanding after ATI (job school) I'll get my EMT Basic. I was thinking about trying to get a job as a Med Tech in an ER.

[Fried Chicken Blowout]

Any 68Ws here? I'm Prior Service in the Marines, enlisting into the Army Reserves to be a Combat Medic. To my understanding after ATI (job school) I'll get my EMT Basic. I was thinking about trying to get a job as a Med Tech in an ER.

I'm currently an RN in an emergency department in Colorado...

All of our techs are EMTs and they get to do all kinds of stuff. I recommend the job to anyone that's looking for a stable position that has room to grow. Most of them make between $12-$15/hour depending on experience. The kinds of skills and freedom you have is hit and miss depending on the hospital you work for. The EMTs at my last hospital were limited to transporting patients, splints and vitals.

Where I'm at now they get to start IVs, draw blood, start foley caths, wound care, dressings and all the other typical stuff. Take some time and choose the right hospital.

[Danny Boy]

Any 68Ws here? I'm Prior Service in the Marines, enlisting into the Army Reserves to be a Combat Medic. To my understanding after ATI (job school) I'll get my EMT Basic.

Whiskey here. You get the civilian EMT-B in the first half of AIT before they teach you the combat medic part in the second half. You're right that you still only get it after, as they get to pull your National Registry cert if you flunk out of the fun stuff because it's on the governments dime. However, you have to be a truly dense individual for that to happen.

[Medic548]

texasrangers, I have instructed several EMT-B classes and am currently a medic program lead instructor. Spoon's info is good stuff, ask questions and answer questions. Even if you are wrong you will learn a tremendous amount of information by participating in class. Attending class is not participating in class. It is a good idea to think about medic school now, but complete EMT and then see how comfortable you are with being an EMT and the EMT scope of practice.

[SMOKEEATERFF]

I would definitelty ride a bus as a basic for a while. I've been a basic with a fire dept for about 3 1/2 years. The text we used wasn't to bad. You could probably just read when you start the class. There was talk of EMT advanced starting in 2011, I think it's still scheduled. The book and the streets can be very different, but for National Registry go by the book. BSI, Scene Safe, etc. Always go in order when studying for Registry and follow it on the streets.