paramedics in the ER

Do any of you have paramedics in your ER? If so what do they do?

Yes we do, they give meds, start IV's, and well can pretty much do anything in the ER they would do in the ambulance. They do have to be under an RN though just because there are things they cant do , just like there are things the RN can't do that they can. Like intubate. They are a big help I think.

Our medics can triage, start lines, EKGs, foleys, splint, VS, transport monitored pts to ICU or cardiac floors, call report to floors. No meds.

I always get a kick out of this subject when it comes up......

Nurses = 2yr degree Medics = 2 yr degree

The ER that I work in has the same amount of Medics as nurses staffing it. We have the identical job description. The only except is that the Medics have extended roles as "Physician Extenders" under the MD License, along with having our own license. We take our own Pts, Triage, take written and verbal orders, admin drugs, call report and transport our Pts to the floor. We also do Emergency cut downs for airways, Chest tube insertion, Needle decompression, ETT, Central lines, and run all in-house codes, to name a few things that nurses can't do. (These are the things that fall under the MD license).

Medics are trained for and belong in the field, not in the ER other than as a tech under the nurses.

Wow teeituptom. you sound a little bitter about this subject. I wasn't asking your personal opinion about whether or not paramedics should be in the ER. I was asking if anyone works with paramedics in the ER and what do they do.

Personally the best ER Nurses that I have worked with are the ones that were medics first. (Just since you brought up personal opinions.)

Sounds like teeituptom is upset and has experienced it first hand that ERs are opening their eyes and letting Medics do everything that the Nurses do. (Like in the ER I work in). Are ER just Hired Paramedic Physician Extenders to work with the doctors to see Patients. They are going to see Pts, write orders, review results, suture, LPs and Rx Scripts to name a few things. They are going to replace the PA and NP we have now. Wont that suck that the RNs will have to take orders from the Medics. Boy how times are changing. I just found out today that I got this job. I cant wait to see the faces on the RNs.

Wow teeituptom. you sound a little bitter about this subject. I wasn't asking your personal opinion about whether or not paramedics should be in the ER. I was asking if anyone works with paramedics in the ER and what do they do.

Personally the best ER Nurses that I have worked with are the ones that were medics first. (Just since you brought up personal opinions.)

Nothing I said was in the least bitter, if you took it that way that is all up to you. Statement of fact is all. PMs are trained for their work in the field. Their knowledge base is all geared to that. RNs are trained for what we do. And an ER RN is far superior to any PM in the ER. Thats our area.

This comes from a former Hospital Corpsman 1968 to 1972, Er tech, Emt, Pm, then an RN. Ive been there and done that.

And now personally I wouldnt want to be in any ER that had paramedics functioning over nurses. That is a simple truth.

I always get a kick out of this subject when it comes up......

Nurses = 2yr degree Medics = 2 yr degreeQUOTE]

I was a paramedic for 6 years before becoming an RN. The only state that requires an associates degree for paramedics is Oregon. All the rest only require a diploma or certificate of completion. Some states don't even list minimum training requirements for paramedics.

I also agree that paramedics do not belong in the emergency department; they haven't been trained for that environment and frankly they are typically added as a low cost alternative or bandaid for staffing problems.

I think it's a matter of principle; as both a paramedic and RN, I don't think a medic belongs in an ED any more than an RN belongs on the ambulance.

What state do you live in? I know some states are different. I know some hospitals here that won't even hire nurses who have been medics directly into the ER.

I always get a kick out of this subject when it comes up......

Nurses = 2yr degree Medics = 2 yr degreeQUOTE]

I was a paramedic for 6 years before becoming an RN. The only state that requires an associates degree for paramedics is Oregon. All the rest only require a diploma or certificate of completion. Some states don't even list minimum training requirements for paramedics.

I also agree that paramedics do not belong in the emergency department; they haven't been trained for that environment and frankly they are typically added as a low cost alternative or bandaid for staffing problems.

I think it's a matter of principle; as both a paramedic and RN, I don't think a medic belongs in an ED any more than an RN belongs on the ambulance.

scares me when people agree with me

come on now people. we are all here for the same thing, patient care. just because the pm is trained for the pre-hospital setting doesn't mean that they shouldn't be allowed to work in the er. when i went to pm school in ak, most of my training (outside of school) came from the er of local hospitals. i worked hand-in-hand with the rn's with no problems. when a pm turns over care to the er lots of times their care doesn't stop there. i have assisted with many codes, iv starts, and other procedures in the er before returning to my ambulance. and to address the issue of non-mandated training programs for pm's, you're wrong. the pm is mandated by the dot and this is a nation wide standard. pm's have both a national cert as well as a state cert. correct, state certs vary from state-to-state but most of us don't just get a state cert we get both. meaning that yes they differ, but we all have the same general knowledge and skills. i just think that it is issues like this that causes so much animosity between the pm's and rn's, can't we just be friends ? bottom line we are here for the patients, if help is needed in the er and no, or a limited number of, rn's are available, i would trust a pm anytime.