Paramedics in the ER

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Hi,

Does anyone allow paramedics to work in their ER? If so, do you have a job description you would be willing to share?

Thanks!

Specializes in Flight, ER, Transport, ICU/Critical Care.

This is the one topic that can be debated for the remainder of any of our careers. Paramedics in the ED, RN's in the "pre-hospital" area (FIELD).

Well, this is the one topic that I have experience with from every angle. There are many shared skills --- but does that EQUAL shared practice? Well, yes, in some environments - your perspective is determined from where YOU stand!

The short answer is yes AND no. It just depends on the practice environment. I have been a medic a loooong time, and I've been a nurse in 18+ facilities - so I have some meaningful experience.

errneducator - feel free to send me a PM with some contact info for you - I think I may have what you need, but in the interest of all - I'll not debate this again here.

I think it comes down to just what it is - BOTH are healthcare providers - but, their preparation is different.

And I just plan to continue to RESPECT the differences and (in the ED) the COMMONALITIES of practice!

;)

PRACTICE SAFE!

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Specializes in Critical care/ER, SRNA.
Paramedics should only be relegated tech duties in the ER, stocking, splinting,ekgs,vitals,transport.

In the ER IVs, meds,everything else is nurses realm..

I have to disagree with this statement. I do agency work for the Cleveland Clinic Health System and the EMT's in the ER are invaluable. When we are slamming busy, they can draw blood, do our iv's, triage our ambulance patients and at the desk. They are very knowledgeable and would find my job so much harder without them.

They save lives everyday out on the streets in some horrific conditions. It is demeaning to say they should only have tech duties.

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Specializes in ER.

I was in no way trying to stir up turmoil and debate. I have worked with EMT's and Paramedics in the ER setting. They are a great asset!

My husband is a Paramedic. I have nothing but the greatest of respect for his knowledge and the job he performs. He is willing to do a job I have no interest in working. I love the ER but do not want to work prehospital. Both jobs have their own unique knowledge bases and unique work skills. I do believe that they can cross over for instance Paramedics working in ER and nurses working prehospital. None the less, I don't think we should down somebody because they do a job we don't want to do.

Furthermore, it is possible for both job categories to work together in the ER setting in relative harmony as long as we respect each others skill sets. Yes there are a few things that Paramedics can't do that RN's can't, but I just bet that some of the Paramedics can intubate better than some of the doctors even can.

Thank you!:idea:

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Specializes in ER, HH, Case Management.

Furthermore, it is possible for both job categories to work together in the ER setting in relative harmony as long as we respect each others skill sets. Yes there are a few things that Paramedics can't do that RN's can't, but I just bet that some of the Paramedics can intubate better than some of the doctors even can.

Thank you!:idea:

I agree with this statement completely.

My facility does not allow for medics to do anything more than draw blood. This irks me. We're short staffed constantly, and having another person capable of doing IV's, NGT's, Foley's, etc. etc... would just work wonders for our workflow (in my opinion).

Unfortunately, it seems that some nursing special interest groups are more concerned with protecting their turf, than with facing the realities of finding enough nurses to work the ED.

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I agree with this statement completely.

My facility does not allow for medics to do anything more than draw blood. This irks me. We're short staffed constantly, and having another person capable of doing IV's, NGT's, Foley's, etc. etc... would just work wonders for our workflow (in my opinion).

Unfortunately, it seems that some nursing special interest groups are more concerned with protecting their turf, than with facing the realities of finding enough nurses to work the ED.

I only disagree about the NGT's and Foleys - IV starts, blood draws, EKG's are all ok.

If we hired more nurses in the ER . . . . . but the hospital can have more staff for less money with the medics. And as I mentioned, we don't pay them for the paramedic licence. We pay them as EMT's and EMT II's.

steph

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Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

IT takes about a year for that paramedic to become fully functional on their own.

while i agree with this .i enjoy the emts and students that i work with in the er -they are able to start iv draw blood do ekgs ,splints and ortho they don't triage .i respect that our training is different.

'

Unfortunatly in today busy ER's, nurses dont' work at to much more than a techician level. We're to busy to do the things that we claim to make us better. Pt teaching and such.' quote

.

i feel this statement is incorrect and disrespectful .i don't know what er you work in but in my er, and i have over 20 yrs experience ,i by far do more then work at technician level.i have great respect for techs and what they do in the er .they are great .however my knowledge base training and experience and skill set far outways them .i have alot of autonomy ,work well with pt staff ,train do charge,do critical thinking etc .i am not a tech .yes if we are busy i stock run for things play transport move stretchers etc but only to be part of a team .ps. i do plenty of teaching both of pt family and staff.

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Specializes in Peds Cardiology,Peds Neuro,Pedi ER,PICU, IV Jedi.
I only disagree about the NGT's and Foleys - IV starts, blood draws, EKG's are all ok.

And this is yet another reason why nurses feel "overworked"...the simplest things, procedures that requires just a little bit of education or re education in order to do properly - is seen as encroaching on the nurse's "turf" instead of exactly what it is - assisting the nurse so that she can focus on something more important - like the assessment of the patient, like giving the lasix that was ordered 20 minutes ago, like charting...which many nurses fuss and complain about constantly not having time to do....well?? What do you expect when you have perfectly capable, trained individuals who can do these things and (in many cases) are willing to do them but either departmental policy or hospital policy forbids it? You can make the argument about "well, if the nurse does it, we know it's done right"...whatever. We all know that's BS or we wouldn't have so many "Guess what this nurse tried to do" posts.

Most of the staff in an "assistive" role here take very seriously the job that they do and seem eager to do it the best they can, it doesn't matter if we're starting an IV, I/O cathing a little girl or changing a CT or CL dressing. We also understand that a poor performance on our part can lead to problems for the patient and/ or the nurse, and no one wants that. No one who deserves to keep their job, anyway.

The bottom line is that we CAN all get along, and we CAN all get the job done, there just have to be policies in place to ensure that it happens, techs who take their roles seriously, and nurses who are comfortable with allowing assistive staff to actually assist them in the patient care aspect of the job. It absolutely should not be just going to get a bedpan, or stocking whatever. Maybe some people just aren't comfortable with the thought, but when properly trained/oriented...we can go a long way to reducing your workload. And that, my friends, makes life better for everyone.

vamedic4

yesterday was the first pool day..

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Specializes in Trauma Critical Care.

Pehaps paramedics should also only be allowed to do the limited scope you have outlined prehospital at your house when you are having a massive MI. Grow up as a paramedic and a nurse, paramedics have a place in the ER other than being your personal B@$%& !!!!

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Specializes in Emergency.

I worked in a Level one trauma center with paramedics 10 years ago and loved them They were truly a benefit. They were able to start IV, transport, etc. They even intubated occ when there was a difficult one. I valued them and would love to have them in the ED I currently work in. A lot of the nurses are sure they are going to take over. Well after 10 years there are still nurses in the ED I came from and still paramedics!!!!

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Specializes in ED,Cardiac care.

In our 25 bed ED, we use paramedics, at least one per shift. They work along side and are responsible for 4 pts. They do it all, IV's, Blood, intubation, EJ's, splints, casts, and all other things just as we do. The only thing, the charge nurse has to review their charts, assessments and sign off on them. I trust my paramedics as much as if not more than some of my RN's. They give report, do critical care one on one and are always around to help us.

Thank God for ours, we are 10 FTE's down and without them, we would not survive!!!

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Specializes in ER.
Paramedics should only be relegated tech duties in the ER, stocking, splinting,ekgs,vitals,transport.

In the ER IVs, meds,everything else is nurses realm..

No its not a nurses realm - paramedics do all those things in the field under much more pressure and in substandard conditions - there is no reason they cant do it in ER and I work with paramedics every day and would not trade most of them for 99% of the useless nursing staff that I have worked with. Those prior duties mentioned should be delegated to CNAs or techs, paramedics make life and death decisions in thier fields - let's give them the credit they deserve and not demote them from thier basic scope of practice when brought into a hospital.

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Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.
No its not a nurses realm - paramedics do all those things in the field under much more pressure and in substandard conditions - there is no reason they cant do it in ER and I work with paramedics every day and would not trade most of them for 99% of the useless nursing staff that I have worked with..

while i aagree with you re the function of the paramedic in ed .i don't appreciate you labeling all nurses as useless just based on your experience ,which is only 3 yrs .i have been a nurse over 20 yrs and have seen the good the bad and the excellent in all fields of heath care from interns ,sr mds ,nurses ,cna ,students and paramedics .its not nice to make that generalization.

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