Nurses vs. Paramedics

Nurses General Nursing

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Okay, this isn't a typical "should I become a paramedic or RN" thread. It's something much goofier.

(EDIT: I WANT TO MAKE THIS CLEAR, THIS IS ALL IN GOOD FUN. JUST SOME FRIENDLY JARRING.)

I have some friends, one is going to school to become a Paramedic, one is a Paramedic, and the last Manages a plasma donation clinic with both Paramedics and RNs.

My guff is with the last guy in particular. He always talks about how there is often friendly jarring between the RNs and the Medics, and claims that more often then not, the Medics win.

I get grief all of the time from these guys, for being a nursing student. Not for the choice itself, but rather because they deem the profession to be a tier below Paramedics in terms of how capable they are. It really pisses me off!!! Don't' get me wrong, they respect my choice, and deep down they respect nurses, but they always like to make snide remarks such as: "if I was in trouble I tell you what the Paramedics are the go-to guys", or "It's not as if the Nurses know 1/2 the stuff Paramedics know."

It's all in good fun, but I need some good comebacks!! I want to represent the Nurses out there, but I'm a mere Pre-nursing student, waiting for fall term to begin. Thus, I'm not "In the know" as they supposedly are.

So, can you all help me out here? I know the condescension is unfounded, and I want to be able to zing them back.

Again, this is merely for fun between my buddies and I. So please, if this offends you, just pass the thread up.

Thanks :pumpiron:

Specializes in Onc/Hem, School/Community.
I was an EMT for years...

I would say, "Umm, I can actually take care of people for more than 15 minutes..."

And yes, being called an Ambulance driver IS the ultimate insult as previously mentioned.

Along those lines....my neighbor (a nurse) is married to a paramedic and always kids him that all he can do with a patient is "throw and go". LOL:pumpiron:

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.
Well i know that you would like to think it is all in good fun, But really you are just playing "NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH I AM MORE SKILLED THAN YOU ARE,HAHAHAHAHAHA" or "I can do this and you cant". And from how i hear paramedics treat nurses, I just do not find the humor in it. Also thanks for the advise

Man, can't have alittle fun without getting scolded these days. Its naive to think people dont joke around like this in the workplace! Like the OP said, if you are offended, pass up the thread!

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

O.K., ya'll......you're personal sarcasms are showing. When that happens, threads tend to fall down and go boom.

Let's keep the responses impersonal and fun.........;)

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
And just where do the Paramedics rush to? Where the nurses are!!
*chortle* :chuckle *snicker*

Good one :D

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
Well i know that you would like to think it is all in good fun, But really you are just playing "NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH I AM MORE SKILLED THAN YOU ARE,HAHAHAHAHAHA" or "I can do this and you cant". And from how i hear paramedics treat nurses, I just do not find the humor in it. Also thanks for the advise

Most of us are coming from personal experience with paramedics - as an ER nurse, I interact with them day in and day out, and 99% of them have wonderful attitudes toward nurses. They realize (as most ER nurses do) that the system doesn't work without the other person. I am damn good at treating sick people in my controlled environment, but there is no way I could start an 18g IV and intubate someone while they were trapped in their car. And most medics wouldn't know the first place to start if they had to do some complicated nursing duties.

The reason this thread is so much fun is because there is a perceived rivalry between RNs and medics. As I said, most medics I've worked with respect nurses and their roles. We even jokingly refer to each other as "ambulance driver" and "@sswiper" It isn't an insult, it is just a joke.

Now thank you for turning a lighthearted thread into yet another debate about which profession is better. It has been clearly posted that this was supposed to be a fun thread regarding good combacks between friends. If you can't see the thread for what is it, just keep on clicking your mouse.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I ran into a friend at a church social function, who teased me about "hey, you clean up real good!", so I introduced him to my husband as an ambulance driver (he was actually head honcho of a private ICU transport co.). You should have seen his face! I then told DH what he really did, and we all laughed. Joking happens! :roll

Actually, our guys are great, give good reports, try to find as much info for us in the house on ODs (or where ever), do good jobs. They help log roll, move heavy folks, and have even helped in some takedowns when they happened to still be in the ER when something goes down. At one point in the past, I don't think paramedics were really being respected, and some friction was rising. What really helped foster understanding each other, was we were all assigned one 8 hour shift to do ride along. Those guys see us in our element (at least the ER part, not the floors), we never really saw theirs.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Now thank you for turning a lighthearted thread into yet another debate about which profession is better. It has been clearly posted that this was supposed to be a fun thread regarding good combacks between friends. If you can't see the thread for what is it, just keep on clicking your mouse.

Thank you!!! If I got offended over every comment that someone made in jest, I would have a stroke by the time I was 30. This thread was not intended as "who's better than who" thread, but somehow I knew it would turn into that.

To the OP: I'll keep more cracks coming when I think of some.....:roll

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I agree...humor is the spice of life in my book! If I am not making folks laugh, well...that means I am having one he** of a bad day!

I just went though some pics (posted some in members of me), and man oh man!!!!!!! I saw some hillarious pics that my hubby (paramedic) took of his co-workers asleep or in funny situations! I was dying laughing! I will have to ask some of the funniest participants if it would be okay to show them...as I said..I was cracking up so hard! I don't see pics like this taken at hospitals with nurses for sure!!!!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
I don't see pics like this taken at hospitals with nurses for sure!!!!

I wouldn't be so sure about that....I have a pic of my fiance that was taken while we were working in the ICU and he has latex gloves on his hands, feet, and one blown-up on his head like rooster. He would be mortified if I posted it though!!! We also used to play some really good jokes on the residents....we would take a (clean) urine specimen cup and fill it with water and then add one of those packages of chicken broth to it....then when they would come around the unit, one of us would say, "Dr. Smith, Mr. So-and-so's urine doesn't look very good," and we'd show them the urine cup. Then we would screw the lid off, sniff it and take a sip of it....you should have seen the looks of horror we used to get on some of the residents faces!!! Ahhh, the good old days when humor was actually funny.....

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I would have had some awesome funny pics as a nurse, alas...no pictures are allowed to be taken at all (with the acception of the wound care nurses taking pics of wounds for tx). Shame, some of these moments would be great via pics!!!!!!

I just put a funny pic of me while I was waiting in the ER for an MD to help my son with his broken arm. I got a bit silly with an emisis bag, ice pack, EKG leads and the lot! I am like that in real too! LOL!!!!!!!! (see members photo section).

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How come you bring all your tough cases to the nurses?

And a classic: How much does an ambulance driver make?

These are in fun, as it is being an EMT that has inspired me to enter nursing school. Glad to see you're having fun with it, just as dispatchers and responders kid each other all the time.........but generally respect each other greatly.

When I get my RN, I'll still volunteer in pre-hospital. It is addicting.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
We also used to play some really good jokes on the residents....we would take a (clean) urine specimen cup and fill it with water and then add one of those packages of chicken broth to it....then when they would come around the unit, one of us would say, "Dr. Smith, Mr. So-and-so's urine doesn't look very good," and we'd show them the urine cup. Then we would screw the lid off, sniff it and take a sip of it....you should have seen the looks of horror we used to get on some of the residents faces!!! Ahhh, the good old days when humor was actually funny.....

I have a water bottle that looks somewhat like a urinal (one of those Rubbermaid 1L containers). I didn't realize that until I brought lemonade to drink that day :) You can bet I unknowingly freaked out some nurses and docs. Then once I figured it out, I KNOWINGLY freaked out the rest of them lol :roll

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