why do nurses hate medics?

Specialties Emergency

Published

Not to offend anyone, but I have been in this game for over 12 yrs. I have worked with sone very good nurses but I have found that the majority of ER nurses are quite hateful to paramedics. It seems to be the younger nurses too. With the most current survey showing paramedics making an average of 14.xx per hr and nurses making 30.xx and hr... you would think it would be the medics with the problem. I am not talking about low educated medics either. In this area medics have ACLS, PALS, NALS, PHTLS, ABLS, proficient in 12 and 15 lead interpretation, etc.. We have medics that work in the ER not as techs but actually are assigned rooms as RNs. Can do everything as an RN except hang blood although you are trained in it. Medics have to choose the med they give in the field based on assessment not by dr. Order on the computer. Some opinions from nurses? I am not wanting a war here just enlightenment.

Good discussion. A medical crisis not blatantly obvious... if we are out in the field with just you and an emt partner I think a paramedic would definitely hold their own. In my opinion nurse have more training on labs and diseases...etc.. which I saw first hand in the ER. But when it comes to pucker factor on your own ...this is the life of a medic. I would state that there are not so good medic schools out there and med directors that will not allow medics to perform many skills. We RSI, some like myself continued on and got a degree. More than a just a cook book medic. I appreciate what ER nurses do, I love nurses that will listen and give reports. A nurse in a good mood is like ice cream on a hot day... excellent! You can see by the responses where some of the attitude comes from and how it is not consistent.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As I stated, a new nurse would have enough education to know they shouldn't be responding with a code bag in a mall.

But, I suppose both of you defend the new Paramedic with a CCEMTP_ or FP-C_ cert. It is not uncommon to see this. We recently had a Paramedic CCT company make a bid to take over our PICU and NICU transports. They did state they wanted a week total (3 days on PICU and 2 in NICU) of training with us. Not one of them have ever been in a NICU and no one had actual critical care experience. It gave us a good laugh after they left but unfortunately one CCT company did fall for the $$ savings and replace their RNS with Paramedics. We are receiving their patients and it is not going well at all for the sending hospitals and the patients.

The pucker factor? EMS will be transporting pucker factors to the ED.

Nurses will then be caring for those pucker factors for several hours along with several other patients. Pucker factor is when you have a bad patient along with 6 others and cannot get the patient transferred to a more appropriate unit or hospital but you are expected to "do the best you can" to keep the patient alive.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CEN, CFRN, PHRN, RCIS, EMT-P.
As I stated, a new nurse would have enough education to know they shouldn't be responding with a code bag in a mall.

But, I suppose both of you defend the new Paramedic with a CCEMTP_ or FP-C_ cert. It is not uncommon to see this. We recently had a Paramedic CCT company make a bid to take over our PICU and NICU transports. They did state they wanted a week total (3 days on PICU and 2 in NICU) of training with us. Not one of them have ever been in a NICU and no one had actual critical care experience. It gave us a good laugh after they left but unfortunately one CCT company did fall for the $$ savings and replace their RNS with Paramedics. We are receiving their patients and it is not going well at all for the sending hospitals and the patients.

The pucker factor? EMS will be transporting pucker factors to the ED.

Nurses will then be caring for those pucker factors for several hours along with several other patients. Pucker factor is when you have a bad patient along with 6 others and cannot get the patient transferred to a more appropriate unit or hospital but you are expected to "do the best you can" to keep the patient alive.

You are proving one point, you do not listen. You'd be that nurse dismissing the medic and their report. You can dream on thinking a nurse out of school can be equal to the same new medic in their (Medic's) field. We all have our strengths and weakness.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.

Hopefully, that will be the end of the 'my anatomical object is bigger than yours' discussion....

I disagree with the basic premise of the original post, at least I haven't seen it in my facility. The nurses I know by and large love anyone who is willing to help them, and want nothing to do with someone who is getting in the way of the patient care they feel the patient needs.

I'm sure there are people in every profession who are either jerks to specific others, or just jerks in general, but from what I've seen, if you are providing good patient care, and helpful, nurses will love you. If you are not, then you are just a roadblock that we will figure out a way to work around.

If a nurse acted out towards a paramedic, or for that matter anyone treated others on the team badly in my facility I would talk to them, and if they did it again, they would get written up. We've handled it that way with everyone on the team, providers, nurses, techs, you name it. If you can't treat your teammates with respect, then don't bother coming to work because we can't trust you to treat our patients with respect either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

There's always a issue of jackholes who don't respect each other, are arrogant or just rude in all professions. Add the stressful situations in our jobs, there's always going to be those negative people. I respect always and am polite to everyone until they prove otherwise. All our jobs are important and everyone has an impact on patient outcome.

I also have to say coming from ICU prior to ER, you can't beat the personalities that come with emergency care or everyone's sense of humor.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think after reading these posts the answer to my question is in there. Some nurses just don't realize the training, the job, the skills, the standing protocols that medics have. And the fact that in some areas they can be quite limited and in others they are more advanced and specialized than imagined. Not just in intubations and codes. We bring EVERY kind of pt. to the hospital and have to be able to assess and treat them all. No labs, no doc, no rt, no rad, no help. I worked the er and it was easier having the orders pop up and omnicell here I come. The nurses that "know how it is" due to being married to a medic or working close to them... or just old enough to know seem to be the team players that some have talked about.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

You know what this thread has taught me...

There is a particular personality type that craves superiority. These people go on the Internet and other public venues and insist on whipping it out and measuring to see whose is bigger. Nurse or medic it doesn't matter, I have seen both professions do just that in this thread.

When others do not find this behavior appealing then they are deemed as hating the attention seeking person.

What these individuals miss in my opinion, is that paramedics and nurses are specialist in their own right. The duties and skills may overlap, but one is neither equivalent or superior to another. They are simply different.

Heres a test. If your a medic and you think all nurses are stupid, or hate you. There is only one common denominator between all these nurses and you...it's you. Same if your a nurse who thinks all medics are arrogant and don't do anything right

If you encounter bad providers of either profession on occasion, then consider there are not so amazing and burnt out people in both professions and put not one more thought into it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Ok guys...lets back off and go to our corners....you all know the terms of service. Debate the topic, not the poster.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Error/misleading comments:

1. PHRNs are not "just RNs", they are RNs with additional training on pre-hospital care, so your comparison to Paramedics for RNs is misleading.

Yes, they are just RNs. They are not advanced practice nurses. No different that RNs in any other specialty in that they are trained to work in their specialty. Just as an L&D RN gets different training than a LTC nurses gets.

This training is on the job training and courses, not university classes. It's why flight nurses don't get pain more (usually) than other RNs in the area.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, Emergency Department.

I don't get the beef. I have worked with some excellent nurses and excellent medics, not-so-excellent nurses and medics, and the same for the EMTs that worked with the medics. While I don't trust everyone implicitly, I especially love the select few medics I've gotten to know and understand well enough to trust in their practice. They are so helpful to the overloaded ER nurses, and I am grateful for the way they care for my patients. Some of them have become great friends of mine, as well. I have never taken issue with a medic, I think that they are an asset to emergency care and they fill an important role. We're all parts of the same puzzle, people.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

When I posted the original question I was really referring to the ones that day in day out have a problem. They are great with other rns but if you have a medic title.... cold, hateful is just the beginning. Not all by no means but I could honestly say 50% in the ER or more. Every shift. Stab you in the back, non stop. Better as a field medic. I just don't put up with it. We might have strayed a bit from my original meaning.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Akulahawk- Shout out from MackTheKnife on EMTLIFE!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment