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.
LOL! Welcome to my world!!!!!!!! LOL!!! (this is long but full of facts!).
I was doing my pre-nursing schooling, and met this wonderful paramedic...who later became my husband! Basically, with little after school practice or education in my nursing school...I was taught by paramedics, went on ride alongs, helped with the volunteer fire fighters, and basically was a EMT in RN's clothing..LOL! I loved it...
What occured as I went on with schooling was I became basically a non-offical PR for paramedics and RN's! Considering I felt we are all a vital TEAM, I really just saw the two areas an accent to one another, and both vital in their roles! No one better, no one worse!!!! Just different and no less important that eachother.
Typically the Paramedic company employees all knew me, and wow..talk about a good mesh when it came to emergencies! Not only in pt care, but in friendship and working together knowing eachothers tallents! BUT, there were times (especially fire paramedics...no offence but my worse troubles are with our local fire paramedics) where I was treated rudely, and like I didn't have a brain!
Needless to say that didn't fly with me at all! And the basis for most of my comebacks and quick wit (and humor!). Not to mention if they upset me, I had no problem calling their supervisors (all whomI knew very well!) or let the word out through the paramedics which would be happy to let them know to be respectful!!!!
Today I don't have much trouble, yes there are newbies to re-educate about the nurse/paramedic relationship...and typically I see that the louder or ruder a person is in either professions, the more insecure they are because a secure person knows there is a difference in the fields and is able to work WITH that as an effective team!!!!
I have found a few tricks I work with to start out on the right foot with medics. One, I smile and introduce myself right away! A smile usually works wonders as a friendly way to start a team effort! I will also say something like "hope your shift is going well". Showing respect and being friendly helps people to actually find you as a person and professional and people tend to listen to you better! (THIS IS with any profession).
And if I come to a probelm...lets see if I can remember my worse case scenero..I have had both as a paramedic ride along where a nurse thought I was a paramedic and treated me like dirt big time and risked a pregnant pts life not listening! And as a nurse where they basically walked over me bumping me out of the way while I was preforming CPR instead of taking over...and basically ordering me to "go help the family or make a bed..that is what you nurses do isn't it???!!!".
For the RN's that were horrid, I overacted the part of student nurse, acted interested in every word like it was a sermon, and then suprised them by saying..."wow I found out this person ate a huge bottle of Tums daily for 4 months...can that extra calcium be cause for her baby to have a slow heartrate???". WOW did they get moving..and then after things settled I let them have it! Reminding them that the paramedic had ALREADY touched on this 3 times to no avail and they listened to a STUDENT more than a professional Paramedic? SHAME SHAME!!!!!!
The paramedic on (fire para's) who pushed me out of the way and were beyond rude and unproffesional. Well then they started asking me questions about meds, and I had already had someone copy the MAR's for the pt, and the code status...so it was in front of them! So I simply said "I am sorry...I don't understand all this med talk...but I do understand how to make perfect folds on their bed...I should get right on that..." and gave them the most horrid look and walked out!!!!!!! Their supervisor was called by me, and they were suspended without pay for one day for unprofessional conduct, and not following protocol for scene transfer of medical personal!!!
Most times have not been that high disrespect...and a quick comeback dependant on situation with a smile and laugh for me usually quells the situation fine. Some of my comebacks will range (again on situation (pt care always being first), who it is, what is going on, and their personality) "man my feet are tired from working on them all day...how is your butt, I hear those ambulance seats are murder!" to "well aren't you precious!"
Again, be very careful with snide comments, you too can get into trouble for unprofessional conduct. But most of these folks know me and it is general razzing!
:roll
What a fantastic post! Thanks for sharing. This is all very enlightening.
How about: "As a nurse, I feel I am fully qualified to do the dressing change on that decubitus ulcer you've been working on while riding around in the ambulance...." :rotfl:
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
My hubby and I had fun with this last night...we did a bantering match and I had him laughing a few times (and me too!). All light hearted fun, and many a funny story....
Some of the jokes I came up with were:
*Ambulances: taxis where you can lay down!
*Ambulances: equiped with trunk monkeys by request (student EMT). {That got my hubby laughing so hard!}
*Nurses: At least we don't need the fire department to help us!
*Paramedic moto, quick treat...find nurse!
*"Clear" means one thing to paramedics..nurses..many (and we duck faster!).
*Hitting your head (paramedic) on the roof of the ambulance several times a day must have some consequences *wink*.
*ALS: Always Lifting Something!
*BLS: Basic Leisure Shift!
*Two words...pay difference!
*Paramedics, 72 CME hours for seatbelting pts in yearly!
*Nurses know pt comfort is not defined as chucks pad and push off on another and run!
*15 minutes with one pt!?!?! Try 6 during the last 5 minutes of shift change!!!!!!!
*Our tubes are longer baby (NG, Foley, Central Lines, etc)
*We don't put AC IV lines in every pt, and we know that different guages make a difference!
*Want a foley out, have a paramedic transfer the pt!
My hubbys:
*A paramedic is trained to actually bump up oxygen without MD order!
*Nurses autonomy is MD ordered only!
*We get a change of scenery daily!
*Starbucks PRN at all times! LOL!
*We can use restraints without MD orders!
*We know what sitting feels like in a shift! AHHHHH!
* I will take my one pt to your 6 anyday!
*Nurses may go to school longer, but add my CME up and I have my masters!!!!!
*We know that all bleeding eventually stops! (LOL!).
*Music by choice and volume!
*If our AC breaks, we can switch 'facilities'...LOL!
*We don't have to call our pts 'clients'.
*No call lights in our rigs!
*Intubation and IV done while pt still in car being cut out...a nurse can barely get an IV while pt is laying down quiet!
*Doctors? We don't need no Doctors....LOL!
*Lights, sirens, fast...FUN!
*We can park anywhere we please!!!
*We save them, and bring them to you to monitor and keep our work stablized!
*We dream of sirens, you dream of beeping IV machines!
*9-11 doesn't call in a nurse to come to scene!
*We have funnier stories! Most not having anything to do with poop, pee, vomit!
*Nurses are fickle...hate us when we drop off, but adore us when we pick up! We know that both are a pain!
*We don't panic at V-Tach...we get excited!
*Our windows open!
NOW this is all fun between a nurse and paramedic (hubby and I). We just had a fun bantering time, and we find it to be a fun way to not only learn eachothers jobs...and their hardships too...but to be able to laugh when most days we would rather cry.
My hubby and I had fun with this last night...we did a bantering match and I had him laughing a few times (and me too!). All light hearted fun, and many a funny story....
Some of the jokes I came up with were:
*Ambulances: taxis where you can lay down!
*Ambulances: equiped with trunk monkeys by request (student EMT). {That got my hubby laughing so hard!}
*Nurses: At least we don't need the fire department to help us!
*Paramedic moto, quick treat...find nurse!
*"Clear" means one thing to paramedics..nurses..many (and we duck faster!).
*Hitting your head (paramedic) on the roof of the ambulance several times a day must have some consequences *wink*.
*ALS: Always Lifting Something!
*BLS: Basic Leisure Shift!
*Two words...pay difference!
*Paramedics, 72 CME hours for seatbelting pts in yearly!
*Nurses know pt comfort is not defined as chucks pad and push off on another and run!
*15 minutes with one pt!?!?! Try 6 during the last 5 minutes of shift change!!!!!!!
*Our tubes are longer baby (NG, Foley, Central Lines, etc)
*We don't put AC IV lines in every pt, and we know that different guages make a difference!
*Want a foley out, have a paramedic transfer the pt!
My hubbys:
*A paramedic is trained to actually bump up oxygen without MD order!
*Nurses autonomy is MD ordered only!
*We get a change of scenery daily!
*Starbucks PRN at all times! LOL!
*We can use restraints without MD orders!
*We know what sitting feels like in a shift! AHHHHH!
* I will take my one pt to your 6 anyday!
*Nurses may go to school longer, but add my CME up and I have my masters!!!!!
*We know that all bleeding eventually stops! (LOL!).
*Music by choice and volume!
*If our AC breaks, we can switch 'facilities'...LOL!
*We don't have to call our pts 'clients'.
*No call lights in our rigs!
*Intubation and IV done while pt still in car being cut out...a nurse can barely get an IV while pt is laying down quiet!
*Doctors? We don't need no Doctors....LOL!
*Lights, sirens, fast...FUN!
*We can park anywhere we please!!!
*We save them, and bring them to you to monitor and keep our work stablized!
*We dream of sirens, you dream of beeping IV machines!
*9-11 doesn't call in a nurse to come to scene!
*We have funnier stories! Most not having anything to do with poop, pee, vomit!
*Nurses are fickle...hate us when we drop off, but adore us when we pick up! We know that both are a pain!
*We don't panic at V-Tach...we get excited!
*Our windows open!
NOW this is all fun between a nurse and paramedic (hubby and I). We just had a fun bantering time, and we find it to be a fun way to not only learn eachothers jobs...and their hardships too...but to be able to laugh when most days we would rather cry.
mingez
238 Posts
:roll
What a fantastic post! Thanks for sharing. This is all very enlightening.