[EMT921]

I see some people talking about pay. You know for me risking my ass I sure do not make what a Med Tech makes. Medics also!! We get alot less pay than nurses and it sucks. But we still hold our heads high and hardly ask for a pay raise. But you will see nurses walk a picket line. I did not do what I am doing for the pay. I did it to make a difference in someones life. And for nurses to complain that they do not make enough is BS. You should all be greatful to be making good money and not have to have 2-4 jobs like we do.

[WVUturtle514]

Originally Posted by EMT921

I see some people talking about pay. You know for me risking my ass I sure do not make what a Med Tech makes. Medics also!! We get alot less pay than nurses and it sucks. But we still hold our heads high and hardly ask for a pay raise. But you will see nurses walk a picket line. I did not do what I am doing for the pay. I did it to make a difference in someones life. And for nurses to complain that they do not make enough is BS. You should all be greatful to be making good money and not have to have 2-4 jobs like we do.

Hey EMT....just wanted to let you know that this is an old thread that hasn't been posted on since 2002. With that said, let me throw in my $0.02.....nurses complain that they do not make enough because of all the BS they deal with on a daily basis, and that includes patients, families, management, work environment, long hours, etc, etc (I could go on forever)... We have very tiring, time-consuming, stressful jobs where we are working our butts off to keep patients alive, well and happy, therefore we feel we should be compensated justly. Add on to that the fact that ALL RN's have at least a 2-year college degree, with a large portion of nurses nowadays have their bachelor's degree and beyond.

I am glad that you are not doing your job for the pay and that you are willing to work 2-4 jobs so that you can make a decent living. I am, however, apparently not as saintly as you....Yes, I love being a nurse and I love helping people and I love making a difference in people's lives. However, having a "rewarding" career does not make my mortgage payment, my car payment or my electric bill. Nurses are college/university educated, licensed professionals and we feel that we should be compensated as that.

And for nurses to complain that they do not make enough is BS. You should all be greatful to be making good money and not have to have 2-4 jobs like we do.

Also, when did it become your place to decide how much money nurses should make? And who are you to decide that my paycheck is "good money"? Maybe for you it is, but you do not know my living expenses and you do not balance my checkbook. I know plenty of nurses who manage to barely eek by on their nursing salaries because they have families to raise and bills to pay. If you don't want to work 2-4 jobs, then my suggestion is to go to college, get a degree and get a job with a larger paycheck. Then run with the EMT squad on the weekends if you still desire a rewarding career.

Please don't take these statements personally.....it is not an attack on you directly.....just trying to make some points. Best of luck to you!!

[betweenprofessions]

I really wish that I hadn't found these last two posts. Let us continue the age old Pi..... contest between paramedics and nurses.

I have one job emt and I'm doing fine financially.

Nurse........paramedics intubate nasally and orally, we do rapid sequence intubation, surgical and needle crico's, needle decompressions for pneumos, we can push and infuse every IV medication that you can, we can even insert foleys....yes we were trained in that as well. Let's see external jugular catheterization, intraosseous infusions, nasogastric tubes, etc... We have to maintain ACLS, PALS, NALS, PHTLS, BTLS certifications-which most of classes have paramedics as half to 3/4 as instructors. Most the coworkers at my service have AT LEAST an associates degree, many of them have bachelors degrees, a handful have masters degrees, and one has doctorate.

Most of us work a minimum of 56 hours per week (at one full-time job). So the assumption that we are undereducated is offensive to say the least. We sometimes work 20 hours straight without a break. We get called "ambulance drivers", get verbally and physically abused by drunks, respond to absolutely horrific DOA's (decapitations, intraoral shotgun blasts, drownings that have been in the water for a week, people burned beyond recognition). And our job isn't stressful? Most paramedics and EMT's work an average of 5 years, because the stress consumes them.

I don't know how the EMT's are where you live, but in my area of the US, we are quite proficient. On more than one occasion, I have called the shots on a cardiac arrest to a staff of RN's, that didn't know what was going on, until the physician on call arrived.

I don't care if this was thread was last posted 10 years ago. My skills are no less valuable than yours, and I've worked very hard to get to where I am now. Thank goodness, I've kept my ego in check.

Every division of healthcare has value. And when nursing school is over, I will not have forgotten that.

EMT-P 10 years...RN student

[lpg26800]

Many well trained and supervised Paramedics will walk circles around nurses with the same background and experience in an emergency situation...in the ER...OR...in the field. I have over 25 years of EMS and Nursing experience. I think that should speak volumes for what my opinion is worth. How many of you criticizing this issue on this site can say that you have worked both EMS and Nursing? Paramedics, when supervised properly, are a fine addition to any emergency room. Want to argue my point? Do it after you have worked in BOTH professions. Thank you.

Lloyd Gillies RN, BSN, CEN, EMP-T

[43RN20]

Some very strong opinions expressed ! Scott Rolf, Pres of ENA, could use a little help in dealing with this issue & others as well. NV nurses put some actions to your words & get in touch with the NNA. Board members of these organizations are out on the front lines working for Nurse Advocacy Programs & for strengthening the profession. It can get pretty lonesome out there. Take a look at the stats on membership. Then take a look at the stats on members who actually participate in the business of their professional organizations. The Exec Directors & the Presidents are constantly working at getting nurses involved in the decision-making process & can easily be reached by phone. Can you see that some nurses should get over their "pity-party" & get down to business?