nurses and EMT's

deathnurse1 · Oct 25, 2012

You've been watching all of this and you still want to be a nurse? Remember, it's still primarily a female occupation with it's inherent problems.

sckimrn · Oct 25, 2012

Try to remember that nurses are people with all the idiosyncrasies that go with that. Every one has a personality and not all of them are great ones. Keep your head up, you know you are more than a taxi driver. I used to work on a floor that was very intolerant of new employees, it didn't matter if they were a new nurse or a seasoned one. They didn't like anyone new and different. It was rather sad. Even though they for some reason decided to like me, I had to get out of there. Chin up and don't ever stoop to their level. Good luck!!

Runner1989 · Oct 25, 2012

You are not a taxi driver, you are a medical professional with skills and experience to take care of patients prehospital. Shame on them.

VICEDRN, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2012

What you are saying is very true. I am an RN who was an EMT first and I can tell you that RNs are very narrow minded about the EMT world even when you try and explain it to them.

If it makes you feel any better, a doctor told me one time, "The problem is that no one likes more work and an EMT at the door really just means more work. And you guys know how they feel because think how the floor nurses react when you call report..." And it is true, whatever push back you get its because we are overwhelmed, underpaid and you just brought more work in the door. The floor nurses do the same to us.

It's never appropriate to be offensive and rude. When I want to vent, I come here. I treat people at work professionally. Sorry some of my peers can't do the same.

ChaseZ · Oct 25, 2012

I am an EMT and will be graduating with my BSN in December. I think it is funny when EMTs get all worked about being called ambulance drivers when in the scheme of things that is basically all we are. EMS education is pathetic even at the paramedic level and Basic is barley more than a first responder. I have spent more time in Labs completing my prereqs for nursing school than my entire EMT program. When we have states that make taking a blood sugar outside of the scope of EMTs how can you expect to be looked at as anything more. I am in no way saying we should not respect EMTs, we have a very difficult job and sacrifice a lot but let's just be realistic about our role in health care. For pretty much any problem all we do is slap a NRB on and run lights and sirens to the ER.

Guest219794 · Oct 25, 2012

Clearly, you are not a taxi driver. Taxi drivers get tips.

Some people are jerks. Some jerks are nurses. Some nurses work in the ER. Nothing special about EMT's- A jerk is a jerk 24/7.

Where I work, nurses and docs appreciate good pre-hospital care, and pay attention to report.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2012

We have some EMTs/paramedics in our area that are excellent and for them I have the utmost respect.

We also have some in our area that are not...and unfortunately these individuals bring down the group. It is unfair to judge all while just looking at these few, but it leads to some of the issues ER nurses have with EMTs and paramedics.

Now, I don't mean to be rude with this, but part of it may be your attitude--saying that you will know what not to do when you "become an NP." This can be a bit off-putting to many staff nurses...almost as if you are putting yourself above them. One career path which I envision for myself is to become an NP, however I don't talk about this very often and I never phrase it as "when I am an NP." So, just be careful when you talk about this.

Oh, and you are definitely more than a taxi driver.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2012

An EMT could be a highschool dropout who went through a 2 week shake-and-bake EMT course, and is driving the dialysis van, and doesn't know what a fistula is.

An EMT could have a BS in Biology, took a 180 hour EMT course, lots of CE, lots of experience, and is on a double-B rural 911 bus.

The average ambulance EMT has a little college, took a 120 hour 1-semeter course, and is on a BLS IFT rig or an B-P rig.

The ER RN experiences all of these EMTs.

The ER RN could be a LPN who worked for 6 months and then got their ADN online.

The ER RN could have a Masters in Exercise Physiology who then got their BSN, MSN/CNL, CEN, CCRN and has 20 years of ICU and ER experience.

The EMT runs into both of these ER RNs and all those inbetween.

Any one of the above examples could be a jerk, RN or EMT. It is important not to make assumptions.

Yes, EMT education is little more than first-aid on steroids, which is why the EMT scope usually leaves little room for harm through innapropriate intervention except through gross malpractice. However, good prehospital treatment fixes problems and prevents future problems. A good RN appreciates this from an EMT and doesn't belittle anyone.

-A new BSN RN with 8 years as an EMT.

ERnurse1983Ontario · Oct 25, 2012

EMS are crucial and I for one appreciate their profession. They are truly the front line, especially in trauma care. They often are placed in dangerous situations. In Canada, as I'm sure in the US, there are levels of EMS scope of practice. PCP (primary care paramedics) can do little hands on, not even an IV, but advanced care paramedics can start IVs and some can even intubate and do needle decompression. We are all the same team in the continuity of care. Now firefighters doing CPR, that's a different discussion lol.

JDougRN, BSN, RN · Oct 27, 2012

In my experience, we RARELY have EMS issues - Exactly the opposite, IMHO- I always make sure to thank my EMS when they finish giving report- I respect the very difficult job that they do, just as most respect and appreciate what the nurses do. I'd bet that there is much more "Love" than anything else between EMS and Nursing staff-

NursEMT-P · Oct 28, 2012

I think that the biggest problem with the turf war between paramedics and nurses is the great degree of variability in education and training. I went through a degree paramedic program and felt like I learned much more in a month then I have learned in the entirety of my nursing school stint. But, there are paramedic program's that are once a week for several months (shake and bake medics) and there are others (like mine) that are structured similarly to an adn or bsn program, with extensive clinical requirements. Additionally, orientation and preceptorships vary greatly. sometimes it is just weeks before you are released on your own, and as anyone who has worked EMS knows, patients rarely fit protocols and those protocols leave lots to be desired anyways. The same holds true at the EMT-B level. Before we can be respected as a profession, some degree of uniformity needs to be present in our training and education. All in all,

It angers me that the professions don't have more mutual respect for each other. There is a great deal of misunderstanding about each professions roles from the opposing profession, even though we work so closely. That being said, you are more then just an ambulance driver! Basic skills do more then drugs and tubes ever have. Make sure you respect the nurses and do your job well, and you will be a part of fostering good, mutually respectful relationships with the nurses in your area.